Study on photocatalytic degradation and antibacterial properties of TiO₂/CS composite

Capparis spinosa (CS) was extracted by the soxhlet extraction method using ethanol as the extractant. The TiO₂/CS composite was synthesized by the in situ solvothermal method with CS extract as a dopant. The morphology, crystal structure, and optical properties of TiO₂/CS were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, UV-Vis and FT-IR spectroscopy. The experimental results showed that TiO₂/CS exhibited excellent photoresponse performance, generated active free radicals, and achieved photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants. Furthermore, TiO₂/CS served as antibacterial agents to evaluate their antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli (E. coli) at different concentrations. The results showed that TiO₂/CS possessed excellent antibacterial performance and produced a significant antibacterial ring, with antibacterial rate of about 100% after being diluted 100 and 500 times, respectively. The test results indicated that TiO₂/CS has great application potential in the field of antibacterial activity and photocatalytic degradation, owing to its advantages of being natural, environmentally friendly, and economical.