Evaluación de la actividad antimicrobiana de partículas de dióxido de titanio

Abstract

In this research, the antimicrobial activity of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) particles synthesized by the Sol-Gel method, as well as commercial and doped TiO₂, was evaluated against bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. The results revealed that TiO₂ did not show significant antimicrobial activity in the absence of ultraviolet (UV) light , meaning that neither a Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) nor a Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) could be determined. This finding is consistent with scientific literature indicating that TiO₂ requires UV light activation to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are responsible for its bactericidal effect. The synthesis of TiO₂ particles was carried out using titanium (IV) isopropoxide as a precursor, followed by a biphasic thermal treatment and calcination at 400 °C. Characterization of the synthesized materials by Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy confirmed the formation of pure TiO₂ by identifying characteristic peaks of the Ti-O-Ti functional group (between 500 and 550 cm⁻¹) and the absence of organic residues. Future studies are recommended to include UV light exposure to validate and enhance the antimicrobial activity of TiO₂, and to explore other modifications for its application under visible light.