In this study, Zr-Ag co-doped TiO 2 (ZAT) photocatalyst films having varied numbers of layers (1, 2, 3, and 4) have been developed to coat on ceramic tile substrates by sol-gel spin coating technique. The specimens were tested to determine antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and the capability to degrade gaseous formaldehyde under visible light. X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet and visible absorption spectroscopy, water contact angle, and scanning electron microscopy were applied to characterize the structural and morphological properties of the samples. The photocatalytic reactivity of the nanocomposite films was investigated by the decolorization of methylene blue (MB) dye under visible light irradiation. The results showed that the two-layer ZAT photocatalyst film on ceramic tile exhibited the highest photocatalytic decolorization of MB, with 60.36% efficiency. The ZAT tile had formaldehyde degradation efficiency up to 32.74% within only 6 h under visible light irradiation, higher than that of the bare ceramic tile (4.90%). Additionally, the ZAT thin films could enhance anti-E. coli activity and could be capable of degrading air pollution.
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