TiO₂‐Based Photocatalysis at the Interface with Biology and Biomedicine

Abstract

The conversion of sunlight into chemical energy by using photosynthetic machinery is at the heart of nature and life. Scientists have also learned to use light energy to promote a great variety of chemical reactions, most of which are based on redox processes involving electron‐transfer steps. Indeed, the area of photoredox catalysis has recently emerged as one of the hottest fields in synthetic chemistry. Many of the photoredox reactions discovered so far take place in homogeneous phases, and rely on the use of soluble photoresponsive catalysts. However, in recent years, there have been many advances in the area of heterogeneous photocatalysis, most of which are based on the use of semiconductor materials, such as TiO2, as a key photocatalytic system. These technologies have found different applications, especially in the field of sustainable chemistry and therapy. Herein, some of these applications, and the potential of TiO2‐based photocatalysts in biology and biomedicine, are reviewed.

Photothermal-Enhanced Fenton-like Catalytic Activity of Oxygen-Deficient Nanotitania for Efficient and Safe Tooth Whitening

“…Titania has been widely applied in biomedicine owing to its chemical stability, biocompatibility, low cost, and adjustable properties. , Oxygen-deficient titania (TiO 2– x ), derived from titania and characterized with broadband optical absorbance from the near-infrared (NIR) to the ultraviolet, has acquired greatly extended application potential in biomedicine lately. , Recently, in advanced water treatment fields, TiO 2– x was used as a Fenton-like agent with a wider pH working window (pH = 2–9) compared to the traditional Fenton catalysts . Furthermore, the presence of more oxygen vacancy (OV) on TiO 2– x could efficiently strengthen its Fenton-like catalytic performance and dye adsorption capacity .…”

Synthesis, modification and application of titanium dioxide nanoparticles: a review

“…Other than applications in photocatalysts, TiO 2 -based modified nanomaterials have been widely applied in several areas including semiconductors, biology and medical research, energy storage and so on, as well. 25 Tomás-Gamasa et al 28 reported recent advances in TiO 2 used in biological fields. In this review, photodynamic therapy is concluded to be a promising strategy which needs further investigation.…”

Heterogeneous Photocatalysis Scalability for Environmental Remediation: Opportunities and Challenges

“…Heterogeneous photocatalysis (HPC) is a photoactivated chemical reaction that became popular after Fujishima and Honda discovered the UV-driven photoelectrochemical water splitting reaction with a TiO 2 -based photoanode in 1972 (Figure 1). The effectiveness of HPC has been studied in many diverse fields, including environmental remediation [1,2], energy production [1], chemical engineering [3], medicine/biochemistry [4,5], agriculture [6], and multidisciplinary research areas [7] (Figure 1).…”