Palladium Oxide Nanoparticles on Nitrogen‐Doped Titanium Oxide: Accelerated Photocatalytic Disinfection and Post‐Illumination Catalytic “Memory”

A visible light photocatalyst is synthesized by dispersing palladium oxide nanoparticles on nitrogen-doped n-titanium oxide. The photocatalyst demonstrates not only a much faster photocatalytic disinfection rate on Escherichia coli under visible light illumination than nitrogen-doped titanium oxide, but also a “memory” catalytic disinfection capability. These unusual antimicrobial properties of TiON/PdO are derived from strong optoelectronic coupling between PdO nanoparticles and TiON semiconductor.