Mildew resistance and antibacterial activity of plywood decorated with ZnO/TiO2 nanoparticle

Plywood is widely used in flooring, furniture and other indoor wood products due to its natural advantages. However, due to the rich nutrients and unique properties of plywood, it is easy to harbor mold, which affects the use value of plywood and endangers people’s health. In this paper, ZnO/TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared by a one-pot hydrothermal method, and plywood with anti-mold/anti-bacterial properties was successfully prepared. This study pioneered the novelty and originality of growing inorganic nanocomposites on the surface of plywood to prepare plywood with anti-mold and antimicrobial properties. The prepared samples were characterized by SEM, FTIR, XRD and XPS, and the results showed that ZnO/TiO2 was adsorbed on the surface of plywood by physical adsorption. The results of mold resistance and antimicrobial testing showed that ZnO/TiO2@plywood exhibited excellent performance as the content of ZnO/TiO2 nanoparticles increased. Moreover, the antibacterial rates of ZnO/TiO₂@plywood against staphylococcus aureus and escherichia coli were 96.14% and 93.36%, respectively. The improvement in the anti-mold/anti-bacterial properties of plywood is due to the reaction of ZnO/TiO2 nanoparticles with water or dissolved oxygen in water to form electron-hole pairs, generating chemically active superoxide anion radicals and hydroxyl radicals. These radicals will directly attack the bacterial cells, leading to the degradation of organic matter in the bacterial cells, thus achieving the anti-mold/anti-bacterial effect. Therefore, the novel plywood with anti-mold/anti-bacterial properties prepared in this study will fundamentally improve the intrinsic properties of plywood.