Fundamental study of TiO2 nanoparticles as photoactive elements for water decontamination

Access to potable water is currently a major concern due to population growth and the decline in clean water sources. One of the most important processes applied during the treatment of water, is the removal of pathogens as bacteria due that can reduce the preventable mortality of infectious intestinal diseases. Previous studies on the manufacture of films based on rutile-phase titanium dioxide nanoparticles embedded in an inorganic SOG matrix on Corning glasses showed moderate photocatalytic activity against the inactivation of E. coli. However, the preparation conditions of these films must be improved, and their photocatalytic activity in the inactivation of E. coli using titanium dioxide in anatase phase titanium dioxide with a lower particle size must be evaluated. In this study, the ideal conditions for the synthesis of nanoparticles and preparation of titanium dioxide films for their subsequent application in photocatalytic reactions for the inactivation of pathogens were found. An increase in the titanium dioxide films photocatalytic activity in the inactivation of bacteria was obtained with respect to those previously reported.