Water-soluble doped titanium dioxide photocatalysts for home disinfection

Overview

This solution offers visible-light-active titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalysts designed for home disinfection applications. Pure TiO2 only responds to ultraviolet light, which represents roughly 5% of solar energy. By introducing non-toxic dopant atoms into the TiO2 lattice, an intermediate energy band is created that enables absorption of visible light, which accounts for about 43% of total solar energy. The resulting nanoparticles are engineered to be smaller than 20 nm and surface-saturated with hydroxyl (O-H) groups, allowing them to form stable aqueous suspensions that can be sprayed directly onto household surfaces.

Technical specifications

Key features:

• Doped TiO2 nanoparticles using iodine, sulfur, or carbon as external dopants, or alternatively leveraging oxygen vacancies and defects as self-dopants
• Particle size below 20 nm with hydroxyl-rich surfaces for water solubility
• Intermediate band engineering that enables two-photon visible-light absorption, generating charge carriers for photocatalytic disinfection
• Aqueous spray formulation suitable for application on carpets, walls, range hoods, floors, and HVAC air filters
• Potential integration with LED-equipped air filtration systems for buildings and vehicles

Application guidance:

• Suitable surfaces include high-traffic carpets, walls, range hoods, and low-traffic floors
• Not recommended for dishes, countertops, or clothing where the coating would be wiped away
• Care should be taken when applying colored TiO2 solutions to valuable home goods due to potential staining

Technology readiness level

The concept is grounded in published prior work from the Xu Group demonstrating doped TiO2 visible-light activity. The next stage involves scaling synthesis to tens-of-grams for proof-of-concept production and tuning aqueous suspension concentrations for practical spraying. Field validation on household surfaces and air filtration systems, including a proposed LED-integrated air filter product, represents the planned path toward commercial readiness.