# Visible-Light-Driven Degradation of Biological Contaminants on the Surface of Textile Fabric Modified with TiO2-N Photocatalyst

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a self-cleaning textile fabric modified with TiO2-N and Cu to degrade biological contaminants under visible light and UVA radiation.

## Contribution

The study presents a durable, visible-light-driven photocatalytic textile with enhanced self-cleaning properties using TiO2-N and Cu.

## Key findings

- The TiO2-N modified fabric efficiently degrades DNA fragments, PA136 bacteriophage virus, and Candida albicans under UVA and visible light.
- Adding Cu species significantly improves the fabric's self-cleaning performance even in the absence of light.
- The material's photocatalytic activity was confirmed using IR spectroscopy, PCR, and plaque assay methods.

## Abstract

The problem of spreading harmful infections through contaminated surfaces has become more acute during the recent coronavirus pandemic. The design of self-cleaning materials, which can continuously decompose biological contaminants, is an urgent task for environmental protection and human health care. In this study, the surface of blended cotton/polyester fabric was functionalized with N-doped TiO2 (TiO2-N) nanoparticles using titanium(IV) isopropoxide as a binder to form durable photoactive coating and additionally decorated with Cu species to promote its self-cleaning properties. The photocatalytic ability of the material with photoactive coating was investigated in oxidation of acetone vapor, degradation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragments of various lengths, and inactivation of PA136 bacteriophage virus and Candida albicans fungi under visible light and ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation. The kinetic aspects of inactivation and degradation processes were studied using the methods of infrared (IR) spectroscopy, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), double-layer plaque assay, and ten-fold dilution. The results of experiments showed that the textile fabric modified with TiO2-N photocatalyst exhibited photoinduced self-cleaning properties and provided efficient degradation of all studied contaminants under exposure to both UVA and visible light. Additional modification of the material with Cu species substantially improved its self-cleaning properties, even in the absence of light.