JP2012139690A5 - - Google Patents

Description

Sterilization method

The present invention relates to sterilization how using the visible-light-responsive photocatalytic coating.

Due to the progress of an aging society, the proportion of elderly people with reduced immunity in the total population is increasing. Along with this, from the viewpoint of prevention of nosocomial infections and food poisoning, it is an urgent task to strengthen hygiene management at medical sites, food production and processing sites. In response to such a social background, various antibacterial processed products have been developed, and in recent years, the use of a photocatalytic function for antibacterial processing has attracted particular attention.
In particular, photocatalysts using titanium dioxide are inexpensive, excellent in chemical stability, have high catalytic activity, and due to their powerful organic substance decomposing activity, the cell membrane outer membrane component of Gram-negative bacteria at the same time as bacterial cells. In addition, harmful substances such as endotoxin and toxins produced by bacteria (such as verotoxin produced by pathogenic Escherichia coli) can be decomposed together, and the photocatalyst itself has the advantage of being harmless to the human body. For this reason, titanium dioxide photocatalysts are widely used for antibacterial processing of food containers, fabrics, building materials, and the like (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

However, since titanium dioxide exhibits photocatalytic activity only under ultraviolet irradiation, it cannot exhibit sufficient catalytic activity under room light containing almost no ultraviolet component. Therefore, titanium dioxide doped with atoms such as nitrogen, carbon and sulfur in the crystal lattice has been proposed as a photocatalyst exhibiting photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation. In particular, sulfur-doped titanium dioxide has a high extinction coefficient in the visible region and high catalytic activity in visible light (see, for example, Patent Document 3).
On the other hand, various methods for forming a titanium dioxide photocatalytic film on the surface of a substrate have been proposed. Examples of methods for forming a titanium dioxide photocatalyst film include solution methods such as a sol-gel method (for example, see Non-Patent Document 1), sputtering methods, ion cluster beam methods, CVD (chemical vapor deposition) methods, and thermal spray methods (for example, , See Patent Document 4).

JP 2007-51263 A JP 2006-346651 A JP 2004-143032 A JP 2006-51439 A

Hiroshi Konan, Fumi Otani, “Electrochemistry”, Electrochemical Society, 1998, Vol. 66, p. 996

Among the conventional photocatalyst film formation methods, the thermal spray method does not require expensive vacuum equipment, and can form a photocatalyst film having excellent adhesion strength on the surface of various substrates. It has many advantages such as being applicable to formation. However, in a general thermal spraying method, the spraying temperature is 700 ° C. or higher in order to ensure heat input to the sprayed material. Under such a high temperature, atoms doped in titanium dioxide in the visible light responsive photocatalyst. (For example, in the case of sulfur atoms, it is known that a part disappears when heated to 600 ° C. or higher, and disappears completely when heated to 800 ° C. or higher). Therefore, there is a problem that the conventional high-speed flame spraying method cannot be applied to the formation of a visible light responsive photocatalytic coating as it is.
Even if titanium dioxide doped with atoms such as nitrogen, carbon and sulfur is used to form a visible light responsive photocatalytic film, there is a limit to further improving its bactericidal effect. It was.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, it can form a film without lowering the catalytic activity, a soluble vision-light-responsive photocatalytic coating that have a high antimicrobial activity under irradiation with visible light an object of the present invention is to provide a sterilization how that was used.

The sterilization method according to the first invention in accordance with the above object comprises a fine particle of visible light responsive photocatalyst containing titanium dioxide doped with any one or more of nitrogen, carbon and sulfur atoms in the crystal lattice, and antibacterial property A mixture containing metal fine particles having a dispersion in a dispersion medium containing one or both of water and an organic solvent to form a slurry, and the slurry is subjected to high-speed flame spraying or cold spraying on the surface of the substrate, The visible light responsive photocatalyst film formed on the surface of the substrate is placed in contact with or close to the object to be sterilized, and the visible light responsive photocatalyst film is irradiated with visible light to effect sterilization by the action of the photocatalytic reaction.

In sterilizing method according to the first invention, the visible light responsive photocatalyst coating may be juxtaposed with the sterilizing object in the aqueous solution by immersing in an aqueous solution having a antimicrobial.

In the sterilization method according to the first aspect of the invention, the antibacterial aqueous solution is preferably a 10-500 mg / mL loquat seed extract aqueous solution.

The method for sterilizing plant seeds according to the second invention comprises fine particles of visible light responsive photocatalyst containing titanium dioxide doped with any one or more of nitrogen, carbon and sulfur atoms in the crystal lattice, and antibacterial properties A mixture containing metal fine particles having a dispersion in a dispersion medium containing one or both of water and an organic solvent to form a slurry, and the slurry is subjected to high-speed flame spraying or cold spraying on the surface of the substrate, The visible light responsive photocatalyst film formed on the surface of the base material is brought into contact with an antibacterial aqueous solution and a plant seed, and the visible light responsive photocatalyst film is irradiated with visible light, and the antibacterial aqueous solution and Sterilization is performed by the action of the photocatalytic reaction.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for sterilizing plant seeds comprising: fine particles of visible light responsive photocatalyst containing titanium dioxide doped with any one or more of nitrogen, carbon and sulfur atoms in the crystal lattice; A mixture containing metal fine particles having a dispersion in a dispersion medium containing one or both of water and an organic solvent to form a slurry, and the slurry is subjected to high-speed flame spraying or cold spraying on the surface of the substrate, The visible light responsive photocatalytic film formed on the surface of the substrate is immersed in an aqueous solution having antibacterial properties and placed close to the seeds of the plant in the aqueous solution, and the visible light responsive photocatalytic film is irradiated with visible light. Then, sterilization is performed by the action of the antibacterial aqueous solution and the photocatalytic reaction.

In the plant seed sterilization method according to the second and third inventions, the antibacterial aqueous solution may be a 10-500 mg / mL loquat seed extract aqueous solution.

The method for sterilizing an aqueous solution according to the fourth invention has antibacterial properties with fine particles of a visible light responsive photocatalyst containing titanium dioxide doped with any one or more of nitrogen, carbon and sulfur atoms in the crystal lattice. A mixture containing metal fine particles is dispersed in a dispersion medium containing one or both of water and an organic solvent to form a slurry, and the slurry is subjected to high-speed flame spraying or cold spraying on the surface of the substrate. The visible light responsive photocatalyst film formed on the surface of this is brought into contact with an aqueous solution containing Escherichia coli or Staphylococcus aureus, the visible light responsive photocatalyst film is irradiated with visible light, and the aqueous solution is sterilized by a photocatalytic reaction.

In the method for sterilizing an aqueous solution according to the fourth invention, it is preferable to use a fluorescent lamp of 600 lux or more as the visible light emission source.
In the method for sterilizing an aqueous solution according to the fourth aspect of the invention, the irradiation time of the fluorescent lamp is preferably 60 minutes or more.

In the sterilization method according to claim 1 and claims 2, 9, and 10 dependent thereon, the visible light responsive photocatalyst film is placed in contact with or close to an object to be sterilized, and visible light is applied to the visible light responsive photocatalyst film. Irradiation and sterilization are performed by the action of the photocatalytic reaction, so that the sterilization efficiency is higher and the sterilization effect is higher than when the photocatalytic reaction is used alone.

In the sterilization method according to claim 2 , the visible light responsive photocatalytic film is immersed in an aqueous solution having antibacterial properties and placed close to the sterilization target in the aqueous solution, and the visible light responsive photocatalytic film is irradiated with visible light. And since it sterilizes by the effect | action of a photocatalytic reaction, it has high sterilization efficiency compared with the case where a photocatalytic reaction is used independently, and also has a sterilization effect.

In the sterilizing method according to claim 5, 9, 10 according to claim 3 and subordinate thereto, the visible-light-responsive photocatalytic coating, is contacted with seed of an aqueous solution and plant having antimicrobial properties, the visible-light-responsive photocatalytic coating As it is sterilized by the action of an antibacterial aqueous solution and photocatalytic reaction by irradiating visible light, the antibacterial agent and the photocatalytic reaction have high sterilization efficiency and further sterilization effect compared to the case where each is used alone, Seed germination does not decrease by sterilization.

In the sterilizing method according to claim 5, 9, 10 according to claim 4 and subordinate thereto, the visible light responsive photocatalyst film was immersed in an aqueous solution having a antimicrobial disposed close to the seeds of plants in an aqueous solution The visible light responsive photocatalyst film is irradiated with visible light and sterilized by the action of an antibacterial aqueous solution and a photocatalytic reaction. Furthermore, it has a sterilizing effect and the germination rate of the seed is not reduced by sterilization.

In particular, in the sterilization method according to claim 5 , since the aqueous solution having antibacterial properties is a 10-500 mg / mL loquat seed extract aqueous solution, it has a particularly high antibacterial activity due to a synergistic effect with the visible light responsive photocatalytic film. .

The sterilization method according to any one of claims 6 to 8 , wherein the visible light responsive photocatalyst film is brought into contact with an aqueous solution containing Escherichia coli or Staphylococcus aureus, the visible light responsive photocatalyst film is irradiated with visible light, and an aqueous solution is obtained by a photocatalytic reaction. Therefore, the antibacterial agent and the photocatalytic reaction have higher sterilization efficiency and further sterilization effect as compared with the case where each of them is used alone.

In particular, in the sterilization method according to claim 7, since a fluorescent lamp of 600 lux or more is used as a visible light emission source, the sterilization efficiency and further the sterilization effect can be further enhanced.
In the sterilization method according to claim 8, since the irradiation time of the fluorescent lamp is 60 minutes or more, the sterilization efficiency and further the sterilization effect can be further enhanced.
In the sterilization method according to claim 9, since the thermal spray flame temperature is in the range of 300 to 700 ° C, nitrogen, carbon, and sulfur atoms doped in the titanium dioxide crystal lattice are suppressed from disappearing during thermal spraying. it can. Therefore, the obtained film has high visible light responsiveness .

It is explanatory drawing of the manufacturing method of the visible light response type photocatalyst membrane | film | coat which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the raw material supply apparatus used with the manufacturing method of the visible light response type photocatalyst membrane | film | coat. (A) is explanatory drawing of the atomization nozzle used with the manufacturing method of the visible light response type photocatalyst membrane | film | coat, (B) is explanatory drawing which shows the internal structure of an atomization nozzle. It is explanatory drawing of the high-speed thermal spraying apparatus used with the manufacturing method of the visible light response type photocatalyst membrane | film | coat. (A) is explanatory drawing of the sterilization method which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention, (B) is explanatory drawing of another sterilization method. TiO _2, Cu, is a graph showing the S-TiO _2, and _S-TiO 2 + Cu spray coating photocatalytic antibacterial activity. It is a graph which shows the number of colon_bacillus | E._coli after sterilization of a silkworm radish seed, a germination rate, and the full length after germination. It is an illustration of the antimicrobial effects of _S-TiO 2 + Cu against E. coli. It is an illustration of the antimicrobial effects of _S-TiO 2 + Cu against E. coli in a bright condition. It is an illustration of the antimicrobial effects of _S-TiO 2 + Cu for E. coli in the dark. It is an illustration of the antimicrobial effects of _S-TiO 2 + Cu against Staphylococcus aureus in a bright condition. It is an illustration of the antimicrobial effects of _S-TiO 2 + Cu against Staphylococcus aureus in the dark. It is explanatory drawing of the bactericidal effect with respect to colon_bacillus | E._coli by indoor brightness. It is explanatory drawing of the bactericidal effect with respect to Staphylococcus aureus in indoor brightness. It is explanatory drawing of the antibacterial effect with respect to colon_bacillus | E._coli by the difference in a metal. It is explanatory drawing of the antibacterial effect with respect to Staphylococcus aureus by the difference in a metal. It is explanatory drawing of the antibacterial effect of the chlorine with respect to colon_bacillus | E._coli. It is explanatory drawing of the antibacterial effect of chlorine with respect to S. aureus.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings for understanding of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, a sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film 10 which is an example of a visible light responsive photocatalytic film formed by the visible light responsive photocatalytic film manufacturing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention, Using as a raw material a mixture containing fine particles of sulfur-doped titanium dioxide (an example of a visible light responsive photocatalyst) and copper (an example of a metal having antibacterial properties) doped with sulfur atoms in the crystal lattice of titanium dioxide Is formed.
The atomized particles 11 obtained by atomizing a slurry obtained by dispersing a mixture of sulfur-doped titanium dioxide fine particles and copper fine particles in water, which is an example of a dispersion medium, are put into a thermal spray frame 29 (see FIG. 4), and the frame temperature is set. (Spraying temperature) The sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film 10 is formed on the surface of the substrate 12 by performing high-speed flame spraying at 300 to 700 ° C. (using a high-speed flame spraying method which is an example of a spraying method).

Examples of the substrate 12 include concrete, ceramic style glass, metal fiber, glass fiber, activated carbon fiber, ceramic fiber, plastic, and metal. The metal fiber, glass fiber, activated carbon fiber, and ceramic fiber used as the substrate 12 may be in the form of a fabric or a non-woven fabric.
When a metal is used as the substrate 12, when the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide coating 10 is formed by high-speed flame spraying, a part of the surface is melted or softened by heat input from the sprayed coating, and fusion occurs, so that the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide is formed. The adhesive strength of the titanium film 10 is improved. Therefore, a metal material having a melting point of 300 to 700 ° C. is preferable. Specific examples of such a metal material include aluminum (660.4 ° C.) and zinc (419.5 ° C.). Or the plated steel plate etc. which plated these metals on the surface may be sufficient, and the Galvalume steel plate etc. which the alloy of aluminum zinc was plated may be sufficient. Further, the aluminum surface may be anodized with a thickness of several μm to several tens of μm.
There is no restriction | limiting in particular in the shape and magnitude | size of the base material 12, You may comprise structures, such as an apparatus and a building. However, in order to exhibit a photocatalytic function, the base material 12 is preferably located on the surface of the structure.

The sulfur-doped titanium dioxide constituting the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film 10 has a structure in which Ti ⁴⁺ in the titanium dioxide crystal lattice is substituted with a tetravalent sulfur cation (S ⁴⁺ ). Thus, by replacing a part of Ti ⁴⁺ with S ⁴⁺ , the energy level at the top of the valence band is increased and the band gap is narrowed, so that the absorption edge is shifted to the visible light region, and the visible light response It is thought that sex is expressed.

Sulfur-doped titanium dioxide can be produced using a known method. An example of the production method is a sol-gel method using a titanium alkoxide mixed with a sulfur source such as thiourea as a raw material.

The flame temperature when forming the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film 10 on the surface of the substrate 12 by high-speed flame spraying of the slurry is 300 to 700 ° C, preferably 400 to 700 ° C, more preferably 400 to 600 ° C. When the flame temperature exceeds 700 ° C., the amount of heat input to the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide fine particles becomes too large, and the doped sulfur atoms disappear completely, and the visible light response characteristics are lost. Further, if the flame temperature is lower than 300 ° C., heat input to the fine particles of sulfur-doped titanium dioxide and metallic copper becomes insufficient, so that it is difficult to form the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film 10 having a sufficient film thickness and peel strength. It becomes.

A conventionally known cold spray method may be used instead of the high-speed flame spraying. In this case, the thermal spraying temperature is 50 to 300 ° C, preferably 100 to 250 ° C, more preferably 100 to 200 ° C. Here, 300 ° C. is the upper limit temperature of the cold spray method. On the other hand, if the temperature falls below 50 ° C., the heat input to the fine particles of sulfur-doped titanium dioxide and metallic copper becomes insufficient. It becomes difficult to form the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film 10 having peel strength.

As described above, in order to suppress and prevent the disappearance of sulfur, it is necessary to perform high-speed flame spraying at a flame temperature of 700 ° C. or lower when producing the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film 10. Therefore, the fine particles of sulfur-doped titanium dioxide and metallic copper used as raw materials have a stirring function together with water as a slurry mixture, and a pressurizer 22 and a slurry pump 23 pressurized with high-pressure nitrogen gas from a nitrogen cylinder 22a. And a raw material supply device (see FIG. 2).
The raw material powder, sulfur-doped titanium dioxide fine particles, metallic copper fine particles, and water are put into a container 21 and stirred to prepare a slurry.

The amount of the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide fine particles in the slurry is 1 to 30% by mass, preferably 3 to 15% by mass, and more preferably 5 to 10% by mass. When the amount of the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide fine particles in the slurry exceeds 30% by mass, the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide is caused by the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film 10 and the substrate 12 during cooling after high-speed flame spraying. Stress is generated inside the titanium film 10 and causes cracks. On the other hand, if the amount of the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide fine particles in the slurry is less than 1% by mass, the resulting sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film 10 becomes too thin and does not exhibit sufficient photocatalytic activity.
The diameter of the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide fine particles is, for example, 0.5 to 10 μm, and preferably 1 to 5 μm. When the diameter of the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide fine particles exceeds 10 μm, the dispersibility is lowered, and when the diameter is less than 0.5 μm, the kinetic energy of the fine particles is lowered, so that film formation becomes difficult.

The amount of metal copper fine particles added is preferably 1-30% by mass of the slurry, more preferably 3-30% by mass, and even more preferably 5-10% by mass. When the amount of metallic copper fine particles added exceeds 30% by mass, the dispersibility in the slurry decreases due to precipitation or segregation. Moreover, when the addition amount of metal copper fine particles is less than 1% by mass, sufficient antibacterial activity is not expressed.
Moreover, the diameter of metal copper fine particles is 0.5-10 micrometers, for example, Preferably it is 5 micrometers. When the diameter of the metal copper fine particles exceeds 10 μm, sedimentation or segregation tends to occur, and when the diameter is less than 0.5 μm, secondary aggregation tends to occur.
The diameters of the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide fine particles and the metal copper fine particles are measured using a known method such as a dynamic light scattering method.

In order to improve the dispersibility of the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide fine particles and metal copper fine particles in the slurry, ultrasonic irradiation may be performed instead of or simultaneously with the stirring.
Further, a nonionic or anionic surfactant may be added to the mixture as a dispersant. Examples of preferable surfactants include anionic polymer surfactants such as polycarboxylic acid polymer surfactants. The addition amount of the surfactant is preferably about 0.5 to 3% by mass of the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide fine particles and the metal copper fine particles.
Further, alcohol (an example of an organic solution) can be used as a dispersion medium in place of water, and a mixed solution of water and alcohol can be used.

The slurry thus obtained is put into a pressurizer 22 equipped with a stirring function, and then conveyed by a predetermined amount by a slurry pump 23 to an atomizing nozzle 24 shown in FIGS. 3 (A) and 3 (B).
The atomizing nozzle 24 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and an air inlet 25 into which compressed air is blown is provided on one side, and an outlet 26 from which atomized atomized particles are ejected on the other side. A slurry inlet 27 through which slurry flows is provided at the side.
The slurry that has flowed into the atomizing chamber 28 inside the atomizing nozzle 24 is supplied through the slurry inlet 27, and the compressed air that has flowed in through the air inlet 25 is sprayed on the mixed liquid to mix the mixed liquid. Mist. The atomized particles 11 are discharged from the discharge port 26 and supplied to the spraying material inlet (see FIG. 4) of the spraying device 30 that forms the spraying frame (flame) 29.
In this manner, the slurry is atomized before being transferred to the thermal spraying device 30, that is, before being put into the thermal spray frame 29, thereby suppressing and further preventing aggregation of the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide fine particles and metal copper fine particles as raw material fine particles. Then, a predetermined amount can be stably supplied to the thermal spraying frame 29 to spray the atomized particles 11. Moreover, the temperature of the thermal spray flame | frame 29 can be kept at the low temperature of 300-700 degreeC by the evaporation latent heat of the water supplied with raw material microparticles | fine-particles.

In order to form the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film 10 on the surface of the substrate 12 in the spraying of the atomized particles 11, it is necessary to perform low-temperature high-speed spraying, and as an apparatus therefor, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-68457. A spraying temperature variable type high-speed spraying device (hereinafter also simply referred to as a spraying device) 30 described in the publication can be used.
As shown in FIG. 4, the thermal spraying device 30 includes a spray material (atomized particles discharged from the atomizing nozzle 24) together with a high-speed thermal spray frame 29 formed by high-pressure combustion assisting gas (O ₂ + air) and gas fuel. 11) is provided with a spray gun (spray gun barrel) 31 that ejects the base material 12 to form the coating 10;

On the upstream side of the spray gun 31, a mixing means (for example, a static mixer) 32 that premixes high-pressure oxygen gas adjusted to a predetermined mixing ratio and air to produce a high-pressure combustion support gas is provided. The temperature of the thermal spray frame 29 can be variably adjusted by increasing or decreasing the fuel amount relative to the gas amount or the oxygen gas amount relative to the fuel amount. Since this thermal spraying device 30 is used and the thermal spray raw material is put into the thermal spray frame 29 formed, it becomes possible to control the flame temperature while maintaining the thermal spraying speed of the spray thermal spray raw material at supersonic speed. .

In addition, since oxygen gas and air are mixed in advance by the mixing means 32 and this combustion support gas is supplied to the spray gun 31, the amount of fuel with respect to the amount of oxygen gas is reduced and the temperature of the spray frame 29 is adjusted to a low temperature. In this case, it is possible to control the oxidation of the coating 10 formed on the substrate 12 by controlling the mixing amount of air, the combustion pressure of the spray gun 31, and the decrease in the spray rate of the spray material. Further, the oxygen gas and air are mixed in a substantially uniform state by the mixing means 32, and this combustion support gas is supplied to the thermal spray gun 31 to form the thermal spray frame 29, so that the thermal spray frame 29 caused by non-uniform mixing is formed. Occurrence of fluctuations can be suppressed and further prevented.

The sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film 10 thus obtained exhibits high photocatalytic activity under irradiation with visible light. In addition, the thickness of the sulfur dope titanium dioxide membrane | film | coat 10 is 1-100 micrometers (preferably 1-10 micrometers).
The visible light source that can be used is not particularly limited, but sulfur-doped titanium dioxide having a high light emission coefficient of 500 nm having a high extinction coefficient is preferable. Specific examples of the visible light source include fluorescent lamps, incandescent bulbs, halogen lamps, white (blue), green, and other LEDs (light emitting diodes), semiconductor lasers, electroluminescence light sources, and the like, and sunlight (natural light).

Since the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film 10 has photocatalytic activity even under room light with low ultraviolet intensity, it can be used under irradiation of visible light without using a germicidal lamp or disinfectant using an ultraviolet lamp. It is possible to suppress the growth of harmful microorganisms on the surface. Therefore, the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film 10 can be used as an antibacterial film for various sanitary members that require antibacterial properties.
The sanitary members on which the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film 10 is formed include fixtures that require antibacterial properties and members that are used for building materials. Is mentioned.

Examples of household appliances in which sanitary members are used include sanitary wares such as bathtubs, sinks, washstands and toilets, kitchenware, toiletries, bathroom items, laundry items, telephones, home appliance remote controllers, etc. .
Moreover, as an example of a household building material in which a sanitary member is used, indoor building materials such as tiles and wallpaper can be cited.
Examples of commercial utensils in which sanitary members are used include: bed used in medical equipment, diagnostic and surgical instruments and instruments, bath tubs used in welfare facilities, sinks, sinks and toilets, Kitchen utensils, toiletries, bathroom utensils, laundry utensils, telephones, home appliance remote controllers and other food manufacturing equipment, commercial kitchen facilities, public transportation, public facilities and welfare facilities handrails, seats and other interior accessories .
In addition, examples of building materials for business facilities in which sanitary members are used include interior accessories such as medical facilities, food production sites, public transportation, public facilities, and welfare facilities.

In the sterilization method according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film 10 is brought into contact with an antibacterial aqueous solution and an object to be sterilized, and the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film 10 is irradiated with visible light, Sterilization and further sterilization are performed by the action of an antibacterial aqueous solution and a photocatalytic reaction. Here, sterilization means that the number of microorganisms is drastically reduced, and sterilization means that microorganisms are completely killed.
The object to be sterilized is not particularly limited, and the present method can be applied to any object that can be brought into contact with an aqueous solution having antibacterial properties. This sterilization method may be applied to sterilization of the sanitary member itself on which the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film 10 is formed.
The microorganisms to be sterilized are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include bacteria such as gram-positive bacteria and gram-negative bacteria, and fungi.

In order to prevent the occurrence of food poisoning caused by infection with pathogenic Escherichia coli O-157 or the like, the present sterilization method can be applied to sterilization of plant seeds such as vegetables. Since not only bacterial cells but also verotoxin and the like causing food poisoning can be decomposed together by the photocatalytic action of the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film 10, the occurrence of food poisoning can be more reliably suppressed. Furthermore, since the use of germicides that may adversely affect the germination rate such as sodium hypochlorite and the growth rate after germination, the germination rate and growth rate after sterilization treatment is less likely to be impaired. Have.
There are no particular restrictions on the seeds to be sterilized, but examples include seeds of vegetables cultivated by hydroponics such as silkworm radish and sprout.

There is no particular limitation on the aqueous solution having antibacterial properties, and an aqueous solution containing any antibacterial substance that is usually used for each sterilization target can be used. It is preferable to use an aqueous solution containing an antibacterial substance that improves, and a loquat seed extract aqueous solution is most preferable. The concentration of loquat seed extract is 10 to 500 mg / mL, preferably 50 to 250 mg / mL, and more preferably 100 to 200 mg / mL. When the concentration of the loquat seed extract is less than 10 mg / mL, sufficient bactericidal activity is not obtained, and when it exceeds 500 mg / mL, growth inhibitory effects such as shortening the total length of sprouted radish are observed.

FIG. 5A shows a specific example of a method of bringing the above-described sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film 10 into contact with an antibacterial aqueous solution and seeds that are sterilization targets.
As shown in FIG. 5 (A), the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film 10 is disposed on the bottom in a container 40 (for example, a petri dish) having a shallow depth, and seeds 41 are disposed on the surface thereof. And the aqueous solution 42 which has antimicrobial property in the container 40 is supplied, and the sulfur dope titanium dioxide membrane | film | coat 10 and a seed are immersed in this aqueous solution 42. FIG.
Thereby, visible light can be irradiated to the sulfur dope titanium dioxide film 10 from the light source 43 arrange | positioned above the container 40, and it can sterilize and also sterilize by the effect | action of the aqueous solution 42 and a photocatalytic reaction. Here, the titanium dioxide film 10, the container 40, the aqueous solution 42, and the light source 43 constitute a sterilizer.

In addition, you may arrange | position the sulfur dope titanium dioxide membrane | film | coat 10 close to the seed 41, as shown in FIG.5 (B). That is, the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film 10 is attached to the inner surface of the container 44, and the antibacterial aqueous solution 42 containing the seeds 41 is supplied into the container 44 until the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film 10 is immersed.
Thereby, visible light can be irradiated to the sulfur dope titanium dioxide film 10 from the light source 43 arrange | positioned above the container 44, and it can sterilize and also sterilize by the effect | action of the aqueous solution 42 and a photocatalytic reaction. Here, the titanium dioxide film 10, the container 44, the aqueous solution 42, and the light source 43 constitute a sterilizer.
In the above method, when the sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film 10 is used, the aqueous solution 42 having antibacterial properties is used. However, even if the aqueous solution 42 is not used, The effects of the invention can be obtained. In this case, what removed the aqueous solution 42 comprises a sterilizer.

Next, examples carried out for confirming the effects of the present invention will be described. Here, FIG. 6 is a graph showing the photocatalytic antibacterial activity of TiO ₂ , Cu, S—TiO ₂ , and S—TiO ₂ —Cu sprayed coatings, and FIG. 7 is the number of E. coli, germination rate and germination after sterilization of silkworm radish seeds. illustration of antimicrobial effect of _S-TiO 2 + Cu graph, 8 against E. coli showing the entire length of the post, Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram of the antimicrobial effects of _S-TiO 2 + Cu against E. coli in a bright condition, FIG. 10 is the dark illustration of antimicrobial effect of _S-TiO 2 + Cu for E. coli, FIG. 11 is an illustration of the antimicrobial effects of _S-TiO 2 + Cu against Staphylococcus aureus in a bright condition, 12 against Staphylococcus aureus in the dark illustration of antimicrobial effect of S-TiO 2 + _Cu, 13 is an explanatory view of a bactericidal effect against E. coli in the brightness of the room, 14 a bactericidal effect against S. aureus in the brightness of the room theory FIG. 15 is an explanatory view of the antibacterial effect against Escherichia coli due to the difference in metal, FIG. 16 is an explanatory view of the antibacterial effect against Staphylococcus aureus due to the difference in metal, FIG. 17 is an explanatory view of the antibacterial effect of chlorine against Escherichia coli, FIG. These are explanatory drawings of the antibacterial effect of chlorine against Staphylococcus aureus.

(1) Production of sulfur-doped titanium dioxide Thiourea and titanium tetraisopropoxide (Ti (OiPr) ₄ ) were mixed in ethanol. When the obtained solution was concentrated under reduced pressure, a slurry-like mixture was obtained. This was dried at room temperature, and the obtained powder was fired in air at 400 to 600 ° C. to obtain yellow powdery sulfur-doped titanium dioxide (hereinafter referred to as “S-TiO ₂ ”).

(2) Production of slurry: 10 parts by mass of raw material fine particles, 90 parts by mass of water, and 0.1 part by mass of a polycarboxylic acid type polymer surfactant (Pois 532A manufactured by Kao) are mixed and subjected to ultrasonic irradiation with an ultrasonic irradiator. To obtain a uniform slurry.
Table 1 shows the raw material fine particles used in the production of the slurry.

(3) Formation of thermal spray coating The slurry obtained in the above (2) was supplied to an atomizer (atomization nozzle) at a constant flow rate via a slurry pump. Atomization equipment was atomized by supplying a mixture of compressed air and high-pressure nitrogen gas. The atomized powder (mist-like particles) thus obtained is supplied to a thermal spraying apparatus, and an aluminum test piece (15 mm × 70 mm × 6 mmt, 20 mm × 20 mm × 6 mmt, or 55 mm × 55 mm × 6 mmt) at a frame temperature of 600 ° C. High speed flame spraying was performed on the surface of the film to form a sprayed coating. After forming the sprayed coating, the test piece was washed with acetone and air-dried.
Hereinafter, No. 1 in Table 1 is used. The thermal spray coating formed using the raw material fine particles represented by X (X is an integer of 1 to 10) is abbreviated as “thermal spray coating No. X” using the numbers in Table 1.

(4) Decomposition test of 2-propanol by irradiation with visible light Methylene blue, which is widely used for evaluation of photocatalytic activity, is known to be decomposed by irradiation with visible light (wavelength 664 nm). Using 2-propanol having no absorption, the thermal spray coating No. The photocatalytic degradation test by 1-7 was done.
2-Propanol undergoes photocatalytic oxidation as shown in the following reaction formula to produce acetone.
CH ₃ CH (OH) CH ₃ → CH ₃ COCH ₃ +2 (H)

5 mL of a 50 mol / L acetonitrile solution of 2-propanol was placed in seven quartz glass test tubes. Xe on which test pieces 1 to 7 (15 mm × 70 mm × 6 mmt) were immersed and attached with a long-pass filter for ultraviolet light or visible light (four types of cutoff wavelengths of 250 nm, 350 nm, 390 nm, and 420 nm were used) Irradiation with a lamp (1 to 3 hours) was performed. After irradiation, a solution was collected from each test tube, and the acetone concentration was quantified using gas chromatography. A calibration curve prepared in advance was used for quantification of the acetone concentration.
The results are as shown in Table 2 below. “ND” indicates that the acetone concentration was below the detection limit by gas chromatography.

Thermal spray coating No. 1 using TiO ₂ not doped with other atoms as a raw material. 1 was confirmed not to show visible light responsiveness. In addition, a thermal spray coating No. 1 using WO ₃ as a raw material, which has been reported to have visible light responsiveness. No. 2 by itself shows neither visible light responsiveness nor ultraviolet light responsiveness, and catalyst film No. ₂ complexed with TiO ₂ . 3 and no. No visible light responsiveness was confirmed for any of 4.
Thermal spray coating No. 1 using S-TiO ₂ as a raw material. No. 5 and S-TiO ₂ and WO ₃ composite sprayed coating No. About 6, it was confirmed that both show photocatalytic activity by irradiation of visible light. The thermal spray coating No. The reason why No. 6 showed higher photocatalytic activity is considered to be due to the increase in the thickness of the sprayed coating by the combination with WO ₃ .
Thermal spray coating No. 1 using nitrogen doped TiO ₂ as a raw material. No. 7 did not show photocatalytic activity by irradiation with visible light, but was considered to be inactivated by heat during spraying.

(5) Examination of photocatalytic antibacterial activity of S-TiO ₂ sprayed coating Escherichia Coli IFO 3972 (hereinafter abbreviated as “E. Coli”) was used. In a 1 L Erlenmeyer flask, 250 mL of a nutrient broth medium (NB medium) was taken and sterilized by autoclaving (121 ° C., 20 minutes). Coli was inoculated and cultured with shaking at 37 ° C. for 24 hours. After centrifuging the culture solution (4200 rpm, 10 minutes) to remove the supernatant, sterilized water was added, and E. coli having a bacterial concentration of about 1.0 × 10 ⁶ CFU (colony forming unit) / mL was added. A Coli suspension was prepared.
Thermal spray coating No. 5, no. 8, and no. The aluminum test piece in which No. 9 was formed, (20 mm × 20 mm × 6 mmt) and an aluminum plate of the same size on which no sprayed coating was formed were prepared as a blank, and sterilized by irradiation with ultraviolet rays for 3 hours.
In a petri dish (diameter 30 mm), sterilized test pieces and blanks are respectively taken. 3 mL each of the Coli suspension was added. These petri dishes were covered and allowed to stand at 30 ° C. under fluorescent lamp irradiation (illuminance 1200 lux). After 24 hours from the start of irradiation, the number of remaining bacteria was counted by the colony count method.
The results are as shown in Table 3 below.

Blank and thermal spray coating No. 5 shows that the S-TiO ₂ sprayed coating is E. It can be seen that there is an effect of greatly reducing the number of live bacteria of Coli. Further, these results and the thermal spray coating No. 8 and no. From the comparison with 9, it can be seen that the antibacterial activity is further improved in the thermal spray coating in which copper is added to S-TiO ₂ .

(6) Examination of photocatalytic antibacterial activity of TiO ₂ , Cu, S—TiO ₂ , and S—TiO ₂ —Cu sprayed coating In the same manner as in (5), a bacterial concentration of about 1.0 × 10 ⁶ CFU (colony formation) Unit) / mL E.I. A Coli suspension was prepared.
Thermal spray coating No. 1, no. 5, no. 9 and no. An aluminum test piece on which No. 10 was formed, (55 mm × 55 mm × 6 mmt) and an aluminum plate of the same size on which a sprayed coating was not formed were prepared as a blank, and sterilized by irradiation with ultraviolet rays for 3 hours.
In a petri dish (diameter 30 mm), sterilized test pieces and blanks are respectively taken. 30 mL of each E. coli suspension was added. These petri dishes were covered and allowed to stand at 30 ° C. under fluorescent light irradiation (illuminance 1700 lux). After 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, and 60 minutes from the start of irradiation, the number of remaining bacteria was counted by the colony count method.
The results are as shown in FIG.

Thermal spray coating No. 1 and No. From the comparison with 5, no significant difference was found between the antibacterial activity of the TiO ₂ sprayed coating and the antibacterial activity of the S-TiO ₂ sprayed coating in a short time of about 1 hour from the start of irradiation. Thermal spray coating No. From the observation results of 10, the thermal spray coating obtained by spraying copper alone exhibits high antibacterial activity, and after 60 minutes, E.P. The viable count of Coli was below the observation limit.
Thermal spray coating No. 9. From the observation result of 9, the antibacterial activity was further improved by the synergistic effect with the photocatalytic activity in the sprayed coating in which copper was mixed with S-TiO ₂ , and after 5 minutes, E.E. It can be seen that the antibacterial activity is so strong that no viable bacteria of Coli are observed.

(7) E. coli having a bacterial concentration of about 1.0 × 10 ⁷ CFU (colony forming unit) / mL according to the same method as in the sterilization test for silkworm radish seed (5). A Coli suspension was prepared. The seeds of silkworm radish Seeds were taken out after being immersed in 200 mL of Coli suspension for 5 minutes, and then dried with a dryer at 40 ° C. until the water content before immersion was reached, and used as inoculated seeds.
As an aqueous solution having antibacterial properties, an aqueous sodium hypochlorite solution (500 to 5000 ppm) and an aqueous solution of a loquat seed extract known to have a bactericidal action (seed seeds of Mogi biwa produced in Nagasaki Prefecture in June 2006) After washing with water, it was pulverized by a crusher and extracted at 25 ° C. for 24 hours in sterilized water) (50 to 300 mg / mL).
Two samples of the same aqueous solution or sterilized water (blank) having antibacterial properties are prepared. A test piece on which 9 was formed was placed. After the seeds were added, the seeds were left for 12 hours while being irradiated with a fluorescent lamp (illuminance 950 lux). The inoculated seed was taken out and cultured in 20 mL of sterilized water in a dark place at 22 ± 1 ° C. for 4 days. The number of viable bacteria of Coli, germination rate, and the total length of sprouted silk radish were measured.
The results are as shown in Table 4.

In the table, “ND” indicates that it was below the detection limit.
A loquat seed extract aqueous solution having a concentration of 100 mg / mL and a thermal spray coating No. When the test pieces on which 9 was formed were used alone (entries 2 and 3), the viable cell count could not be reduced sufficiently with a treatment time of 12 hours.
However, the thermal spray coating no. When loquat seed extract aqueous solution was used as an aqueous solution having antibacterial activity in the presence of the test piece in which No. 9 was formed (entry 4), although the viable cell count had fallen below the detection limit, it was high. The germination rate (90%) was shown, and the growth of silkworm radish after germination was hardly affected. From this, it can be seen that by using the loquat seed extract aqueous solution in combination with a visible light responsive photocatalyst, the germicidal efficiency is greatly improved by a synergistic effect without adversely affecting the germination and growth of silkworm radish.
Although not shown in Table 4, for samples using an aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite as an aqueous solution having antibacterial properties, thermal spray coating No. Regardless of the presence or absence of 9, there was a decrease in the number of viable bacteria, but a decrease in the germination rate and the total length of radish that was not observed in entry 4 was also observed.

A sprayed coating No. 1 was applied to seeds of silkworm radish dispersed in sterilized water or an antibacterial aqueous solution (sodium hypochlorite aqueous solution (500 to 5000 ppm) and loquat seed extract aqueous solution (50 to 300 mg / mL)). After irradiation with light in the presence or absence of 9 (illuminance 950 lux, 30 minutes to 12 hours), the inoculated seeds were taken out and cultured in a dark place at 22 ± 1 ° C. for 4 days in 20 mL of sterilized water. . The number of viable bacteria of Coli, germination rate, and the total length of sprouted silk radish were measured. The results are shown in FIG. In FIG. 7, the data point when the number of E. coli is below the detection limit is displayed at the position of log CFU / mL = 0.
Thermal spray coating No. When sterilization was performed using an aqueous sodium hypochlorite solution in the absence of 9, the germination rate was confirmed to be reduced to 60% or less. Attempts to improve the germination rate by lowering the sodium hypochlorite concentration or shortening the treatment time revealed that the germination rate was improved despite the fact that the concentration was reduced to the extent that the bactericidal effect was lost. There wasn't.
Thermal spray coating No. When sterilization was performed using an aqueous solution of loquat seed extract in the absence of 9, when the concentration of loquat seed extract was 150 mg / mL (point a in FIG. 7), the number of E. coli was the lowest (detection) Although the remarkable reduction in germination rate was not observed, the total length of the radish after germination was as short as about 2.5 cm.

Thermal spray coating No. When sterilization was performed using loquat seed extract aqueous solution (concentration: 100 mg / mL) in the presence of 9, the number of Escherichia coli was below the detection limit by performing light irradiation for 12 hours. Furthermore, a germination rate of almost 100% was obtained, and the total length of the spruce radish after germination was as good as 5 cm or more (point b in FIG. 7).
These results, in the sterilization of seeds Kaiwaredaikon, the S-TiO 2 + _Cu film, is contacted with a loquat seed extract solution and Kaiwaredaikon seeds, and irradiated with visible light, the antimicrobial activity and S loquat seed extract It can be seen that it is most preferable to sterilize using the synergistic effect of the photocatalytic activity of —TiO ₂ + Cu.

(8) Other antibacterial evaluation tests (8-1) Escherichia Coli IFO 3972 (hereinafter referred to as E. coli) and Staphylococcus Aureus IFO 12732 (hereinafter referred to as Staphylococcus aureus) were used as culture method assay bacteria. NB medium (250 mL) was placed in a 1 L Erlenmeyer flask, sterilized by autoclaving (121 ° C., 20 minutes), inoculated with Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and cultured with shaking at 30 ° C. and 70 rpm for 24 hours. After centrifuging the culture solution (4200 rpm, 20 minutes) and removing the supernatant, sterilized water was added, and Escherichia coli and yellow grapes having a bacterial concentration of about 1.0 × 10 ⁶ CFU (colony forming unit) / mL were added. Each suspension (aqueous solution) of cocci was prepared.

(8-2) Antibacterial activity measurement method Various test pieces were washed with acetone and irradiated with ultraviolet rays for 12 hours to eliminate microorganisms. Then, each of the sterilized test piece and the blank (stock solution) was taken in a sterilized petri dish (diameter 90 mm), and 30 mL of each suspension was added. Cover each petri dish and set the temperature at 30 ° C under bright and dark conditions every 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 120 minutes and 180 minutes from the start of measurement. In addition, the number of remaining bacteria was counted over time by the colony counting method.

(8-3) Test results (8-3-1) S-TiO ₂ + Cu, S-TiO ₂ , and TiO ₂ were used as test specimens for examining the antibacterial effect of the combined use of S-TiO ₂ and Cu (E. coli). Escherichia coli was used as a test bacterium. This was placed in a bright environment (fluorescent lamp / illuminance 950 lux) at a set temperature of 30 ° C., and the number of remaining bacteria was measured over time. The result is shown in FIG.
As is clear from FIG. 8, the antibacterial effect when TiO ₂ doped with sulfur is used for the test piece is that the contact time with the test piece is about 180 minutes, and the amount of decrease in E. coli is 4 orders (1 / 10,000). The same applies hereinafter). On the other hand, the antibacterial effect when S-TiO ₂ + Cu is used for the test piece is that the contact time with the test piece is only about 5 minutes, and E. coli is rapidly reduced to 6 orders (1 / 1,000,000). I was able to confirm that I could do it.

(8-3-2) Examination of antibacterial effect due to difference in Cu abundance ratio (E. coli) S-TiO ₂ + Cu adjusted so that the Cu abundance ratio on the surface is 1% by mass to 20% by mass is used. Escherichia coli was used as a test bacterium.
As shown in FIG. 9, in an environment of a bright condition (fluorescent lamp / illuminance 950 lux) at a set temperature of 30 ° C., a test in which the Cu abundance ratio in S-TiO ₂ is 4 mass%, 5 mass%, and 7 mass%. The piece had a contact time with the test piece of about 5 minutes, and the amount of decrease in E. coli was about 6 orders. In FIG. 9, Cu abundance ratios of 4 mass% (×) and 7 mass% (Δ) show the same behavior as 5 mass% (■). In addition, the test piece of 10% by mass had a contact time with the test piece of about 10 minutes, and the amount of decrease in E. coli was about 6 orders of magnitude. Incidentally, Cu abundance ratio in S-TiO ₂ is in the 12 mass% or more of the test piece and 3 wt% or less of the test piece, a reduction in antimicrobial functionality was observed.
On the other hand, no antibacterial effect was observed under dark conditions as shown in FIG.

(8-3-3) Examination of antibacterial effect (S. aureus) of combined use of S-TiO ₂ and Cu The above-mentioned Escherichia coli is a gram-negative bacterium and is characterized by a thin cell wall of about 10 nm. In contrast, Gram-positive bacteria are covered with a peptidoglycan layer and have a thick cell wall. Therefore, Staphylococcus aureus was used as such a test bacterium, and the antibacterial effect was similarly examined.
As shown in FIG. 11, the test piece having a Cu abundance ratio of 4% by mass, 7% by mass, and 10% by mass in S-TiO ₂ has a contact time with the test piece of about 5 minutes, and a decrease in S. aureus. The amount was about 6 orders. In FIG. 11, Cu abundance ratios of 4 mass% (×) and 7 mass% (Δ) show the same behavior as 10 mass% (（). The 5 mass% test piece had a contact time with the test piece of about 10 minutes, and the amount of S. aureus decrease was about 6 orders of magnitude. Incidentally, Cu abundance ratio in S-TiO ₂ is in the 12 mass% or more of the test piece and 3 wt% or less of the test piece, a reduction in antimicrobial functionality was observed.
On the other hand, no antibacterial effect was observed under dark conditions as shown in FIG.

(8-3-4) Examination of antibacterial effect due to difference in illuminance Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were used as test bacteria, and the antibacterial effect at illuminance of 1700 lux and 650 (600 to 700) lux was examined with a fluorescent lamp. The result of this Escherichia coli is shown in FIG. 13, and the result of Staphylococcus aureus is shown in FIG.
As is clear from FIGS. 13 and 14, even when the light intensity is reduced to 650 lux, if the contact time with the test piece is 60 minutes or more, the decrease amount is 6 orders of magnitude for both E. coli and S. aureus. It was confirmed that there was a degree of antibacterial effect.
Therefore, when a fluorescent lamp having an illuminance of 600 lux or more is used as a visible light source, a sufficient antibacterial effect can be obtained by setting the irradiation time to 60 minutes or more.

(8-3-5) Examination of antibacterial effect due to difference in added metal In addition to copper, 10% by mass of silver or nickel known to have an antibacterial effect is added to S-TiO ₂ to obtain an antibacterial effect. A comparison was made. The results for E. coli are shown in FIG. 15, and the results for S. aureus are shown in FIG. FIG. 15 and FIG. 16 show the results of testing in each environment of a bright condition (fluorescent lamp / illuminance 950 lux) and a dark condition at a set temperature of 30 ° C., respectively.
As is clear from FIGS. 15 and 16, when silver or nickel was mixed with S-TiO _{2 under} bright conditions, the result for copper (6 orders in 5 minutes) was far below the result. The antibacterial effect was observed with a contact time with the test piece of about 120 minutes and a decrease of about 6 orders.
On the other hand, no antibacterial effect was observed in any case under dark conditions.

(9) Antibacterial evaluation test using chlorine The results of the bactericidal effect of chlorine which is generally used are shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, respectively. FIG. 17 shows the results when E. coli is used as the test bacterium, and FIG. 18 shows the results when S. aureus is used as the test bacterium.
This test is similar to the antibacterial effect of the S-TiO ₂ and Cu combined use of the present invention described above, that is, the chlorine concentration needs to be increased to 0 to bring the number of viable bacteria to 0 in about 5 minutes. It is what was examined. Therefore, in FIGS. 17 and 18, the chlorine concentration is set to 0 mg / L, 0.05 mg / L, 0.1 mg / L, 0.2 mg / L, 0.4 mg / L, and 0.8 mg / L. The number of viable bacteria in each case was examined.

As is clear from FIG. 17, it was found that when Escherichia coli was used as the test bacterium, the chlorine concentration was required to be 0.4 mg / L or more in order to obtain the same antibacterial effect as the present invention.
Further, as apparent from FIG. 18, when Staphylococcus aureus is used as the test bacterium, it is necessary to make the chlorine concentration 0.8 mg / L or more in order to obtain the same antibacterial effect as the present invention. I understood.
In addition, in normal tap water, since the chlorine concentration is about 0.2 mg / L, it was found that the chlorine concentration needs to be extremely increased in order to obtain the same antibacterial effect as the present invention.
From the above, it was confirmed that the visible light responsive photocatalyst film of the present invention can greatly enhance the bactericidal effect as compared with the conventional method.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be changed without changing the gist of the present invention. For example, some or all of the above-described embodiments and modifications are possible. when configuring the sterilizing how using a visible-light-responsive photocatalyst skin layer of the present invention in combination are also included in the scope of the present invention.
For example, in the visible light responsive photocatalyst film of the above embodiment, sulfur-doped titanium dioxide is used as the visible light responsive photocatalyst, but other materials such as titanium dioxide doped with nitrogen atoms or carbon atoms may be used. .
Further, in the method for producing a visible light responsive photocatalyst film according to the above embodiment, the high-speed thermal spray flame method is used, but aerosol fine particles containing a visible light responsive photocatalyst and a metal having antibacterial properties are fixed. A cold spray method may be used to spray the substrate at temperature. The cold spray method is a method of forming a film by spraying raw material fine particles onto a substrate at a certain constant speed (eg, 500 m / sec) at a lower temperature (eg, 200 ° C.). Since the amount of heat input to the raw material fine particles is small, disappearance of atoms doped in the titanium dioxide crystal lattice can be suppressed.

In the visible light responsive photocatalytic film of the above embodiment, copper fine particles were used as antibacterial metal fine particles, but copper alloy, silver or silver alloy, zinc or zinc alloy, aluminum or aluminum alloy, nickel Alternatively, fine particles of nickel alloy, cobalt or cobalt alloy, iron or iron alloy may be used. These metal fine particles may be used alone, or any two or more of them may be mixed and used in an arbitrary ratio.
Among these metals, zinc (419.5 ° C.), aluminum (660.4 ° C.), silver (961 ° C.), and copper (1083 ° C.) having a relatively low melting point are used as binders for the visible light responsive thermal spray coating. Also acts to improve the mechanical strength and peel strength.

10: sulfur-doped titanium dioxide film, 11: atomized particles, 12: substrate, 21: container, 22: pressurizer, 22a: nitrogen cylinder, 23: slurry pump, 24: atomizing nozzle, 25: air inlet, 26: discharge port, 27: slurry inlet, 28: atomization chamber, 29: spraying frame, 30: spraying device, 31: spraying gun, 32: mixing means, 40: container, 41: seed, 42: aqueous solution, 43 : Light source, 44: Container

Claims (10)

A mixture containing fine particles of visible light responsive photocatalyst containing titanium dioxide doped with any one or more of nitrogen, carbon and sulfur atoms in the crystal lattice, and fine particles of metal having antibacterial properties, water and organic solvent A visible light responsive photocatalyst film formed on the surface of the substrate by dispersing the slurry in a dispersion medium containing either or both of the slurry to form a slurry, and spraying the slurry on the surface of the substrate with high-speed flame spraying or cold spraying. A sterilization method in which a visible light responsive photocatalyst film is irradiated with visible light in contact with or close to an object to be sterilized and sterilized by the action of a photocatalytic reaction. In the sterilization method of claim 1, wherein the visible light responsive photocatalyst film was immersed in an aqueous solution having a antimicrobial, the sterilizing method for close positioning the visible-light-responsive photocatalytic coating the sterilization objects in the aqueous solution. A mixture containing fine particles of visible light responsive photocatalyst containing titanium dioxide doped with any one or more of nitrogen, carbon and sulfur atoms in the crystal lattice, and fine particles of metal having antibacterial properties, water and organic solvent A visible light responsive photocatalyst film formed on the surface of the substrate by dispersing the slurry in a dispersion medium containing either or both of the slurry to form a slurry, and spraying the slurry on the surface of the substrate with high-speed flame spraying or cold spraying. A method for sterilizing plant seeds, which is brought into contact with an antibacterial aqueous solution and plant seeds, irradiates the visible light responsive photocatalyst film with visible light, and sterilizes by the action of the antibacterial aqueous solution and photocatalytic reaction . A mixture containing fine particles of visible light responsive photocatalyst containing titanium dioxide doped with any one or more of nitrogen, carbon and sulfur atoms in the crystal lattice, and fine particles of metal having antibacterial properties, water and organic solvent A visible light responsive photocatalyst film formed on the surface of the substrate by dispersing the slurry in a dispersion medium containing either or both of the slurry to form a slurry, and spraying the slurry on the surface of the substrate with high-speed flame spraying or cold spraying. And immersing in an aqueous solution having antibacterial properties and placing it close to the seeds in the water, irradiating the visible light responsive photocatalyst film with visible light, and sterilizing by the action of the antibacterial aqueous solution and photocatalytic reaction A method for sterilizing plant seeds. The sterilization method according to any one of claims 2 to 4 , wherein the antibacterial aqueous solution is a 10-500 mg / mL loquat seed extract aqueous solution. A mixture containing fine particles of visible light responsive photocatalyst containing titanium dioxide doped with any one or more of nitrogen, carbon and sulfur atoms in the crystal lattice, and fine particles of metal having antibacterial properties, water and organic solvent A visible light responsive photocatalyst film formed on the surface of the substrate by dispersing the slurry in a dispersion medium containing either or both of the slurry to form a slurry, and spraying the slurry on the surface of the substrate with high-speed flame spraying or cold spraying. A method for sterilizing an aqueous solution, wherein the aqueous solution containing Escherichia coli or Staphylococcus aureus is contacted, the visible light responsive photocatalyst film is irradiated with visible light, and the aqueous solution is sterilized by a photocatalytic reaction. The sterilization method according to claim 6 , wherein a fluorescent lamp of 600 lux or more is used as the visible light emission source. The sterilization method according to claim 7 , wherein the irradiation time of the fluorescent lamp is 60 minutes or more. 9. The sterilization method according to claim 1, wherein the slurry is subjected to high-speed flame spraying at a flame temperature of 300 to 700 ° C. to form the visible light responsive photocatalytic film on the surface of the substrate. and that sterilization method. 9. The sterilization method according to claim 1, wherein the slurry is cold sprayed at a temperature of 100 to 300 ° C., and the visible light responsive photocatalytic film is formed on the surface of the base material. Sterilization method.