Enhanced bactericidal performance of copper doped CeO2 nanocomposites

Cu-doped CeO 2 nanocomposites were prepared through a solvothermal method and analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to confirm the integration of Cu into the CeO 2 lattice. The optical properties were evaluated using UV–Vis diffuse reflectance as well as photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The results revealed that Cu doping extended the visible light absorption range and successfully inhibited electron-hole recombination. Under visible light irradiation, the catalyst containing 10 wt% Cu exhibited the highest antimicrobial efficiency, achieving total inactivation of Escherichia coli (E. coli) (2 × 10 7 CFU/mL) within 3 h at an optimized dosage of 1 mg/mL, and exhibiting efficient photocatalytic sterilization of Thielaviopsis basicola (T. basicola) with a rapid drop in colony density after 6 h of light exposure.