Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle Applications

This chapter discusses Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle Applications. Titanium oxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) have become ubiquitous in household and daily life products due to their remarkable properties. They are used in a wide range of applications including Advanced Oxidative Processes (AOPs), UV protection in sunscreens and cosmetics, antibacterial coatings, water treatment, and biomedical applications such as drug delivery and bioimaging. In AOPs, TiO₂ NPs serve as efficient photocatalysts, harnessing light energy to generate highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (•OH). This enables the degradation of various recalcitrant organic contaminants in wastewater, offering a powerful and diverse approach to environmental remediation. In the cosmetics industry, TiO₂ NPs are used for UV protection and are considered safe for skin applications, although caution is advised regarding lung exposure. TiO₂ NPs are also utilized as food additives in the form of food-grade titanium dioxide (E171). However, concerns have arisen regarding their safety. As a result, the European Union has recently decided to discontinue the use of TiO₂ NPs as a food additive due to genotoxicity concerns. The widespread use of TiO₂ NPs in various products results in their continuous release into aquatic environments, posing a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems and public health.