Copper-glazed ceramic tiles combat bacteria through hydrophobicity and ion dissolution
Everything in the built environment serves a purpose. But what if it could serve more than one? Ceramic coatings offer a way for that to happen.
By coating a building’s walls and roof in a thin ceramic layer, architects have functionalized these structural elements to serve many additional purposes. For example, to combat heat, to reduce air pollution, and even to store energy.
Ceramic coatings can also be used for antibacterial and antiviral purposes. This area of surface functionalization research is receiving much attention recently due to concerns arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many studies on antibacterial ceramic coatings approach the topic with an eye toward inactivating or destroying the pathogen. However, coatings that directly engage with infectious agents typically suffer from poor durability and may inadvertently contribute to increasing bacterial resistance.
Instead, some researchers are looking to improve antibacterial properties by inducing superhydrophobicity on the surface.