ALD-induced TiO(2)/Ag nanofilm for rapid surface photodynamic ion sterilization

The daily life of people in the intelligent age is inseparable from electronic device, and a number of bacteria on touch screens are increasingly threatening the health of users. Herein, a photocatalytic TiO(2)/Ag thin film was synthesized on a glass by atomic layer deposition and subsequent in situ reduction. Ultraviolet–visible (UV-Vis) spectra showed that this film can harvest the simulated solar light more efficiently than that of pristine TiO(2). The antibacterial tests in vitro showed that the antibacterial efficiency of the TiO(2)/Ag film against S. aureus and E. coli was 98.2% and 98.6%, under visible light irradiation for 5 min. The underlying mechanism was that the in-situ reduction of Ag on the surface of TiO(2) reduced the bandgap of TiO(2) from 3.44 to 2.61 eV due to the formation of Schottky heterojunction at the interface between TiO(2) and Ag. Thus, TiO(2)/Ag can generate more reactive oxygen species for bacterial inactivation on the surface of electronic screens. More importantly, the TiO(2)/Ag film had great biocompatibility with/without light irradiation. The platform not only provides a more convenient choice for the traditional antibacterial mode but also has limitless possibilities for application in the field of billions of touch screens. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text]