Coatings that exhibit photocatalytic (chemical reactions in the presence of light) behaviour can be successfully used as self-cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, while our coating preparation methods allow the temperature of the substrate to be lowered during the preparation of the crystalline layers, allowing more temperature-sensitive substrates to be covered. We have been able to combine pulsed laser deposition technology with radiofrequency discharge to achieve titanium dioxide and vanadium oxide coatings on polymer and nanofiber substrates for photocatalytic applications.
Preparation of a titanium dioxide film by pulsed laser deposition enhanced by radiofrequency discharge
Vanadium oxide film on nanofibrous textiles
Another option for the antibacterial effect of coatings is the addition of silver, for example in diamond-like carbon (DLC) films – see "Hard carbon-based coatings for biomedical applications" for more information.
