Preparation of DNA-adsorbed TiO2 particles with high performance for purification of chemical pollutants.

Photocatalysis using semiconductors such as titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been studied and applied to the treatment of wastewater and purification of air, because of its ability to decompose organic contaminants. However, there are still problems associated with the practical application of photocatalytic reactions, one of which is that contact between the reactants and catalysts is absolutely required, because the reaction occurs atthe surface of the catalysts. This restrictsthe purification of pollutants on a large scale. In this study, we developed novel DNA-adsorbed TiO2 particles (DNA-TiO2) to solve the problem. Because DNA has an unique double-stranded structure and interacts with several chemicals, DNA-TiO2 can accumulate chemicals on the surface of TiO2. DNA intercalators (Methylene Blue and ethidium bromide), small amounts of which exist in large-volume solutions, were instantaneously trapped in DNA-TiO2 and degraded under ultraviolet (UV) light rapidly, compared to nonadsorbed TiO2. The efficiency of removal and photocatalytic degradation was dependent on the amount of DNA adsorbed on the surface of TiO2 and was independent of the size of DNA. Even if the pH (2-10) and temperature (approximately 56 degrees C) of the solution were changed, DNA remained stable on TiO2, and the ability to remove intercalators was also maintained. DNA-TiO2 could accumulate other pigments such as Acridine Orange, Orange II, Neutral Red, Brilliant Green, and Crystal Violet. These results suggested that DNA-TiO2 is beneficial for the removal and degradation of chemicals having affinity for DNA and dispersing in a large field.