Self-cleaning and antibacteric ceramic tile surface

The aim of this investigation was the surface functionalization of industrial ceramic tiles by sol-gel technique to improve at the same time the cleanability and the antibacterial activity of surfaces. This objective was pursued through the design and preparation of nanostructured titania-silver coating that was deposited on glazed, unglazed, and polished tiles by air-brushing. The obtained results showed that the applied coatings are transparent, show a good adhesion, and a remarkable antibacterial activity under the tested conditions. The surface photocatalicity was optimized with the higher thermal treatments (200°C) even if photodegradation process is clearly affected by the sample surface roughness.