Sulfur-doped titania thin films were prepared by atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition (APCVD) for the first time using titanium tetrachloride, ethyl acetate and carbon disulfide. The films were compared to two industrial self-cleaning products: ActivÔ and BIOCLEANÔ, and shown to be superior in both photocatalysis and photo-induced superhydrophilicity, two preferential properties of effective self-cleaning coatings. X-Ray diffraction showed the films have the anatase TiO 2 structure. XPS and EDX analysis shows changes in S : Ti ratio with preparative conditions indicating that sulfur has indeed been incorporated into the lattice. S-Doped TiO 2 films were found to be effective agents for killing the bacterium Escherichia coli using light sources commonly found in UK hospitals.

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ATP bioluminescence is being applied in hospitals to measure surface contamination. We compared commercial luminometers for detecting the number Staphylococcus aureus associated with surfaces. The data showed that the ATP bioluminescence methods tested were not robust enough to generate quantitative data on bacterial numbers, especially at low concentrations.