Journal of Environmental Biotechnology
Vol. 9, No. 1, 37–41, 2009

Original paper (regular paper)

Bactericidal Activity of Copper-containing Sulfur-doped TiO2 against
Staphylococcus aureus under Visible-light Illumination
TSUBASA FUKUDA, YUKI IMAMURA, MEGUMI MAEDA, TAKAHIRO SATOU, MARIKO OONAKA
and HIROSHI MORITA*
Graduate School of Environmental Engineering, The University of Kitakyushu, Hibikino, Wakamatsu-ku, Kitakyushu,
808–0135, Japan* TEL: +81–93–695–3289 FAX: +81–93–695–3381* E-mail: morita01@hibikino.ne.jp(Received; 11 November, 2008/Accepted; 9 January, 2009)
The bactericidal activity of a sulfur-doped titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin film was investigated against Staphylococcus
aureus under visible-light illumination. The bactericidal activity of sulfur-doped TiO2 was higher than undoped TiO2. Additionof copper, silver, and nickel to TiO2, increased antibacterial activity, with 4–10% copper addition yielding the most activity.
The bactericidal activity of copper-containing sulfur-doped TiO2 under daylight-like conditions was eﬀective. These results
suggested that copper-containing sulfur-doped TiO2 may be applicable for environmental uses.
Key words: Sulfur-doped TiO2 plus copper metal, bactericidal activity, visible-light illumination, Staphylococcus aureus

1. Introduction
Staphylococcus aureus is a versatile pathogenic bacterium capable of rapidly developing or acquiring multiple antibiotic resistances, and is now recognized as a worldwide
health problem9). S. aureus is responsible for a wide spectrumof human and animal diseases, ranging from benign skin infections to severe diseases, such as arthritis, osteomyelitis,
endocarditis or fatal sepsis17). In the hospital setting, themost common mode of transmission of resistant S. aureus
is close contact with infected persons or with health-care
workers with contaminated hands or clothing6). In addition,
S. aureus is spread by airborne infection7). S. aureus has
been a significant problem not only in hospitals but also
common house13). Therefore, a new technology to sterilize S.
aureus is necessary.
Disinfectants are antimicrobial agents used extensively in
hospitals and other health care settings for a variety of
topical and hard-surface applications. They are essential for
infection control and aid in the prevention of nosocomial
infections16). Compared to antibiotics, which provide comparatively selective activity against microorganisms, disinfectants typically have a broader antibacterial spectrum20) andare usually used on non-living surfaces31). A wide variety ofactive chemical agents exhibit bactericidal activities. Someof the most widely used, including alcohols, iodine, andchlorine, have been employed for a comparatively long timein disinfection and preservation20). Titanium dioxide (TiO2)
is one such disinfectant.
The photocatalytic antimicrobial activities of TiO2 havebeen well documented3,18,19,22,23,26,30). The first published observations of the biocidal eﬀects of photocatalytic TiO2
were made using Escherichia coli19) and have since been extended to include a wide spectrum of organisms including
viruses, other bacteria, fungi, algae, and cancer cells3,18). In
the last decade, TiO2 has been widely utilized as a selfcleaning and self-sterilizing material for coating many clinical tools used in hospitals and sanitary ware, including foodtableware and cooking ware11). However, the TiO2 photocatalyst is eﬀective only upon irradiation by UV light at levels
that would induce serious damage to human cells. This
greatly restricts the potential application of TiO2 substrates
for use in many work and home environments. Recently,
anion-doped TiO2-based photocatalysts have been identified,
which are activated by visible light, oﬀering the potential to
overcome this limitation. Sakthuvel et al.27) investigateddaylight-mediated photocatalysis of carbon-doped TiO2.
Asahi et al.1) reported theoretical calculation of the band
structure of nitrogen-doped TiO2 and its visible light-photocatalyzed-degradation of acetaldehyde and methylene blue.
According to Wong et al.35), nitrogen-doped TiO2 thin film
has superior visible-light-induced bactericidal activity
against E. coli relative to pure TiO2 thin film and carbondoped TiO2 thin film. Recently, Ohno et al.25) succeeded insynthesizing sulfur-doped TiO2, and showed that it strongly
absorbed visible light, degraded methylene blue and 2-propanol in aqueous solution, and partially oxidized adamantine
when irradiated with light at wavelengths greater than
440 nm. However, little is known about the bactericidal
activity of sulfur-doped TiO2.

FUKUDA et al.

38

In the present study, to our knowledge, we report that
sulfur-doped TiO2 exhibits bactericidal eﬀects towards S.
aureus in water under visible light. Further, we report that
addition of copper, nickel, and silver to sulfur-doped TiO2
films increased such activity.

2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Preparation of substrates coated with TiO2, sulfurdoped TiO2, and sulfur-doped TiO2 containing
other metals
TiO2 particles having an anatase phase and specific surface area of 70 m2/g were obtained from FUJICO CO., Ltd.
Sulfur-doped TiO2 having an anatase phase and a specificsurface area of 50 m2/g were also obtained from FUJICO
CO., Ltd. as were the metals used as additives: copper, silver, and nickel. Sulfur-doped TiO2 production refers tomethod of Ohno et al.24).
Photocatalyst thin films were prepared by a High Velocity
Oxygen Fuel system (FUJICO Co., Ltd.)15). Photocatalysts
were sprayed on an anodized aluminum board (FUJICO
CO., Ltd.). In the case of TiO2 or sulfur-doped TiO2, 0.07 gof each additive-free photocatalyst were sprayed on 25 cm2(a square with both sides 5 cm) of anodized aluminumboard using the following conditions. The spraying distancewas 100–150 mm. The spray rate was 500–1000 mm/sec. In
addition, the flame temperature was approximately 1,500°C
with the particle temperature not exceeding 400°C. The
photocatalystic film thickness was about 100 μm. In thecase of sulfur-doped TiO2 containing the metals, the metals
mixed sulfur-doped TiO2 using ball milling. Well-blended
mixture was treated as discussed above. The chemical composition of the sprayed board was determined by X-ray fluorescence (RIX3001, Rigaku Co., Ltd.) and X-ray diﬀraction (RINT2500V, Rigaku Co., Ltd.).

and 30 mL were poured into glass petri dishes (90 mm diameter). The board coating with photocatalyst was put on
the petri dish. Petri dishes containing substances were thenplaced under an incandescent lamp (FDL27Ex-N, National
Co., Ltd.) to initiate the photocatalytic reaction. To control
illumination intensity, the distance between the light sourceand photocatalyst-coated substrate was adjusted. For example, a distance of approximately 30 cm was equivalent to1700 lx as measured using a light meter (LM-331, ASONE
Co., Ltd). The basic irradiation dose was 1700 lx which wasvaried for kinetic analysis by extending the duration of illumination. Unless specified, illumination were carried out at
30°C. After illumination, 1 mL of the S. aureus solutions
was sampled to estimate bactericidal activity by quantifying
survival. Colonies were counted at least 48 h after plating on
NA. The results were the average values of three experiments.

3. Results
3.1. Bactericidal activities of TiO2 versus sulfur-doped
TiO2 under visible-light irradiation
Fig. 1 shows survival of S. aureus on TiO2 and sulfurdoped TiO2 substrates as a function of time. As shown in
Fig. 1A, no obvious changes in survival were observed in
the absence of visible-light illumination. When the TiO2coated substrate was stored under visible-light, survival of S.
aureus decreased hardly. In contrast, survival of S. aureus
decreased to a far greater extent on the sulfur-doped TiO2.

2.2. Bacterial strains and culture
Staphylococcus aureus IFO 12732 was obtained fromthe Institute for Fermentation, Osaka, Japan. A stock of S.
aureus was maintained on a Nutrient Agar (NA, Nissui
Pharamaceutical Co. Ltd.) slant. The bacterium from thestock culture was pre-cultured at 30°C for 2 days on a fresh
NA plate and used for estimating bactericidal activity.
S. aureus cultures were grown in 100 mL of Nutrient
Broth (Nissui Pharamaceutical Co., Ltd.) in 300 mL flasks
that had been inoculated from slants, and incubated at 30°C
on a rotary shaker. After 24 h, the broth was centrifuged at
4,000×g for 20 min and the cell pellet was re-suspended insterile water.
2.3. Bactericidal activity of the photocatalytic reaction
Before performing the experiment, the photocatalystcoated substrate was washed with acetone and was then illuminated with UV light (GL-15, Hitachi Ltd.) for 12 h toremove contamination. The S. aureus suspension was adjusted to approximately 106 CFU/mL with sterilized water

Fig. 1. Changes in survival of S. aureus versus illumination time.
The bacterial suspension (106 CFU/mL) was incubated under(A) visible-light illumination (1700 lx) or (B) in the dark. Symbols represent: —●—, blank; —▲—, TiO2; and —■—, Sulfur
doped TiO2.

Bactericidal activity of sulfur doped TiO2 plus copper metal

Fig. 1B shows that all substrates were not toxic for S. aureus under dark conditions.
3.2. Eﬀect of combinations of various metals and sulfurdoped TiO2 on bactericidal activity under visible-lightirradiation
Fig. 2 shows survival of S. aureus on sulfur-doped TiO2
containing copper, silver, and nickel as a function of time.
The metals were added at a ratio of 10% (w/w). As shownin Fig. 2A, a large decrease in the number of viable cells
was observed on the illuminated copper-containing sulfurdoped TiO2 film, demonstrating enhanced photo-killing
activity. Viable cells of S. aureus were undetected levels
within only ~10 min under visible-light irradiation. In thecase of silver supplementation, almost no surviving cells
were detected after 120 min of irradiation. Nickel-supplemented sulfur-doped TiO2, had somewhat less killing activity as some surviving cells were still present after 180 min of
irradiation. Overall however, bactericidal activity of sulfurdoped TiO2 supplemented with the metals was higher thansulfur-doped TiO2 alone. No obvious changes in survival
were observed upon exposure of cells to the various substrates in the dark (Fig. 2B).

39

sulfur-doped TiO2 on bactericidal activity under visible-lightirradiation was tested. As shown in Fig. 3A, survival of S.
aureus decreased significantly in the presence of 4 to 10%
copper, with complete killing of S. aureus observed within
only ~10 min. Sulfur-doped TiO2 containing 12–20% (w/w)
copper also had greater antibacterial activity against S.
aureus than sulfur-doped TiO2 alone. In this case, killing of
S. aureus was complete within~120 min under visible light.
Addition of 1–3% (w/w) copper was found to enhance thebactericidal activity of sulfur-doped TiO2 to a lesser extent
than higher additions. In fact, the bactericidal activity ofsulfur-doped TiO2 containing 1% (w/w) copper was foundto be equivalent to that without copper. As shown in Fig.
3B, survival of S. aureus on sulfur-doped TiO2 substratecontaining various amounts of added copper was fairly
constant under dark room.
3.4.

Utility of copper-containing sulfur-doped TiO2 undervisible light

The eﬀect of copper concentration (1–20% [w/w]) inIn order to examine the utility of copper-containing (5%)
sulfur-doped TiO2 using visible-light irradiation, we assessed
survival of S. aureus under diﬀerent illumination intensities
covering a range typical of work and home environments(250–1700 lx). According to Toguh30), 2000 lx of illumination is equivalent to exposure at a north window, 750 lx is
equivalent to an oﬃce desktop, and 200 lx is equivalent toa drawing room. As shown in Fig. 4, survival of S. aureus

Fig. 2. Bactericidal activity of metal-containing sulfur-doped TiO2.
The bacterial suspension (106 CFU/mL) was incubated under(A) visible-light illumination (1700 lx) or (B) in the dark. Symbols represent: —●—, blank; —■—, copper-containing sulfurdoped TiO2; —▼—, silver-containing sulfur-doped TiO2; and—▲—, nickel-containing sulfur-doped TiO2.

Fig. 3. Influence of the amount of copper in sulfur-doped TiO2 onbactericidal activity. The bacterial suspension (106 CFU/mL)
was incubated under (A) visible-light illumination (1700 lx) or(B) in the dark. Symbols represent: —●—, blank(Non-photocatalyst); —▲—, 1%; —▼—, 3%; —■—, 4%; —×—, 5%;—○—, 7%; —▲—, 10%; —▼—, 12%; and — ■ —, 20%.

3.3. Eﬀect of amount of copper in sulfur-doped TiO2 onbactericidal activity under visible lightFUKUDA et al.

40

Fig. 4. Influence of illumination intensity on bactericidal activity of
5% copper-containing sulfur-doped TiO2 under visible-light illumination. Symbols represent: —●—, 250 lx; —▲—, 650 lx;
and —■—, 1700 lx.

decreased dramatically on copper-containing sulfur-doped
TiO2 irradiated with approximately 1700 lx. Killing of S.
aureus was complete within only ~10 min under visible-lightirradiation. At approximately 650 lx, almost no S. aureus
cells survived after 60 min of irradiation. When the coppercontaining sulfur-doped TiO2 was irradiated with 250 lx, S.
aureus was completely killed after 180 min. The greater theillumination intensity, the greater the bactericidal activity.

4. Discussion
The sulfur-doped TiO2 showed high antibiotic activity
than non-doped TiO2 under visible-light irradiation (Fig. 1).
This S. aureus inactivation was caused by photocatalytic reaction because the sulfur-doped TiO2 did not show the antibiotic activity under dark room. It should be emphasizedthat the S. aureus survival curve on sulfur-doped TiO2 under visible-light did not follow a simple single exponential
decay process as a function of illumination time. After
120 min of visible-light irradiation, survival of S. aureus
barely decreased. However, the S. aureus inactivation was
not reached within the experimental time completely.
Silver, copper, and nickel have been reported to possess
antibacterial activity against S. aureus21). We choose these
metals because of their relatively low toxicity towards humancells2,12,34) and because silver and copper in particular havebeen studied extensively due to their high antibacterial activity5,12,21-23,31). The antibacterial activity of these metals has
been compared and in decreasing order of activity, has beenranked: silver, copper, and nickel12,21,23). In order to enhancebactericidal activity in the dark and under very weak UV
illumination, (i.e., during exposure to indoor UV light), TiO2
films containing copper and silver have been developed29,33).
However, in the present study, the greatest enhancement ofantibacterial activity was observed upon addition of copperin the presence of visible light. As shown in Fig. 2B, survival
of S. aureus was virtually unchanged on sulfur-doped TiO2
substrate containing copper, silver, or nickel in the absenceof visible light. This result suggested the antibiotic activities
of sulfur-doped TiO2 containing some metals were notcaused by chemical toxicity of additive metals under visible-

light irradiation. Photo-catalytic activity and associatedacetaldehyde levels of metal-ion modified TiO2 was reported
to be greater than unmodified TiO2 upon irradiation withboth ultraviolet and visible-light22). According to this report, the eﬀect of copper addition was greater than thatof nickel. It was suggested that the antibacterial activity ofthe sulfur-doped TiO2 containing metal was induced byphoto-catalysis.
The antibiotic activity of sulfur-doped TiO2 containing
copper increased with increase in copper. Sulfur-doped TiO2
containing copper which the amount was 4–10% (w/w)
showed the highest of antibiotic activity. Above the amountof 10%, the antibiotic activity of sulfur-doped TiO2 containing copper gradually decreased with increase in copper because the copper was thought to cover active site. Fujihara
et al.10) suggested the large excess amount of Fe (III) ionson TiO2 was thought to function as a recombination center
between electrons and holes. In the case of copper, it ispossible to cause similar phenomenon. Moreover, copper
ions interacting with the cytoplasmic membrane interferedwith both membrane structure and function, leading toloss of metabolic activity31). Sunada et al.29) speculated thatweak UV irradiation of copper-containing TiO2 initiallyresulted in partial decomposition of the outer membraneof the cell envelope by a photo-catalytic process. This inturn was followed by uptake of copper ions into the cytoplasmic membrane due to copper ion-mediated disruptionof membrane structure. The bactericidal mechanism ofcopper-containing sulfur-doped TiO2 was thought to be
similar to that of copper-containing TiO2. Thus, the amountof copper in the sulfur-doped TiO2 may be one of mostimportant factors controlling photo-catalytic bactericidal
activity. Further studies are needed to determine precisely
how copper enhances bactericidal activity of sulfur-doped
TiO2.
Exposure of humans to UV light at the necessary level,
however, would cause significant damage to the skin andeyes14,28), thus limiting the potential for use of TiO2 substrates in environments where humans would be exposed.
Public environments are ideal places for transmission ofpathogens32). The visible light-induced bactericidal activityof copper-containing sulfur-doped TiO2 oﬀers the potential
for use as a disinfectant in public areas, specifically indoor
environments without adequate air circulation, such as public toilets, schools, hospitals, airports, hotels, and subways.
A method able to continuously disinfect surfaces of door
handles and push buttons, for example, could potentiallylimit the spread of pathogens4). Chlorination is often used
for disinfection because it is inexpensive and convenient.
However, among its drawbacks are trihalomethanes generated as by-products of its reaction with organic matter,
phytotoxicity, and an unpleasant taste when used in drinking
water8). The present study demonstrated that copper-containing sulfur-doped TiO2 has better visible light-catalyzed
bactericidal activity against S. aureus, a significant humanpathogen, than TiO2 alone or sulfur-doped TiO2. The sulfur-

Bactericidal activity of sulfur doped TiO2 plus copper metal

doped TiO2 under visible-light irradiation have the potential
to overtake chlorine sterilization. These results suggest that
this material has the potential for use in environmental
applications.

Acknowledgments
We thank Prof. T. Ohno, Kyushu Institute of Technology,
for helpful suggestions and assistance in preparing the manuscript. We also thank Mr. H. Haraga, and Mr. T. Higuchi,
FUJICO Co., Ltd., for technical assistance.

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