Textiles functionalized with cupric oxide (CuO) nanoparticles have become a promising option to prevent the spread of diseases due to their antimicrobial properties, which strongly depend on the structure and morphology of the nanoparticles and the method used for the functionalization process. This article presents a review of work focused on textiles functionalized with CuO nanoparticles, which were classified into two groups, namely, in situ and ex situ. Moreover, the analyzed bacterial strains, the resistance of the antimicrobial properties of textiles to washing processes, and their cytotoxicity were identified. Finally, the possible antimicrobial mechanisms that could develop in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were described.

Titanium oxide was deposited on activated carbon (AC) in two forms, as powder and as a pellet. This oxide was obtained using sol–gel process based on titanium isopropoxide and isopropyl alcohol. Nanocrystalline TiO2 anatase phase on activated carbon was obtained using an adequated thermal treatment of 325 ¿C for 5 h considering the thermal instability of the AC. The resulting material was characterized by spectroscopic X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray microanalyses (EDX), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area measurements. Activity measurements performed under UV lamp and solar irradiation have shown good results for the photo degradation of phenol in aqueous solution. For solar applications, a polyethylene terephtalate bottle containing the photocatalyts was filled up with the contaminated water and placed a few hours under the solar radiation for a couple of sunny days. The results indicate that 20 ppm of phenol can be removed by using this method.Indexado en ScopusRevisión por pare

Nanocrystalline TiO₂ films, surface modified with Al³⁺, were manufactured by depositing a TiO₂ suspension containing small amounts of aluminum nitrate or aluminum chloride onto conducting glass substrates, followed by drying, compression, and finally heating to 530 °C. Electrodes prepared with TiO₂ nanoparticles coated with less than 0.3 wt % aluminum oxide with respect to TiO₂ improved the efficiency of the dye sensitized solar cell. This amount corresponds to less than a monolayer of aluminum oxide. Thus, the Al ions terminate the TiO₂ surface rather than form a distinct aluminum oxide layer. The aluminum ion surface treatment affects the solar cell in different ways: the potential of the conduction band is shifted, the electron lifetime is increased, and the electron transport is slower when aluminum ions are present between interconnected TiO₂ particles.