Efficient photothermal catalytic sterilization by using in-situ prepared highly dispersed ag/TiO2 catalyst

Photothermal catalytic sterilization is a popular and effective approach to recycle urban sewage. In this work, a novel efficient photothermal catalytic sterilization system by using in-situ prepared highly dispersed Ag/TiO 2 catalyst was proposed. The preparation of Ag/TiO 2 catalyst and the sterilization process were conducted in one pot, which presents a great advantage for the practical application. The Ag/TiO 2 catalyst showed good metal dispersion and superior photothermal effect. And the sterilization efficiency can be reached 99.1 % in the sterilization test of Escherichia coli . The sterilization condition was also optimized, by regulating the catalyst dosage and lighting time. Moreover, Staphylococcus aureus and urban domestic sewage were also tested for sterilization performance, with the sterilization efficiency as high as 93.2 % and 99.6 %.