Antimicrobial Activity Against Hospital‐related Pathogens of Dual Layer CuO/TiO₂ Coatings Prepared by CVD

Photocatalytically active films of TiO 2 /CuO grown by atmospheric pressure thermal (APT)CVD are investigated for activity against multiple antibiotic‐resistant pathogens namely, Acinetobacter baumannii , Escherichia coli , Klebsiella pneumoniae , vancomycin‐resistant enterococci (VRE), and a recent isolate of methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), that have been shown to persist in the hospital environment. The bacteria are killed by UVA irradiation of the photocatalyst with a >5 log kill within 4–6 h except for the MRSA where a 2–3 log kill is obtained after 6 h increasing to >5 log after 24 h. There is antimicrobial activity in the dark which is enhanced by irradiation with fluorescent light. There is also activity at 5 °C under UVA, but activity is lower when fluorescent light is used for illumination.