A robust superhydrophobic antibacterial Ag–TiO2 composite film immobilized on wood substrate for photodegradation of phenol under visible-light illumination

Abstract Ag–TiO 2 heterostructures with Ag nanocrystals and TiO 2 particles well-grown on wood substrate was achieved by a two-step protocol combining hydrothermal synthesis and silver mirror reaction. The investigation of the photocatalytic ability demonstrated that the wood coated with Ag–TiO 2 composite film possess excellent photocatalytic activity, superior to the wood coated with pure TiO 2 particles, for the degradation of phenol under visible-light illumination. The Ag/TiO 2 -coated wood was further modified by (heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetradecyl)trimethoxysilane, which acted as a crucial role in improving the repellency toward water and imparting self-cleaning property to the wood products. The modified wood has potent antibacterial activity toward both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterium. The multifunctional film coated on wood surface exhibits a good photodegradation of organic pollutant and a robust superhydrophobicity, leading to an important application in self-cleaning.