Enhancing aesthetic durability of Zisha teapots <i>via</i> TiO ₂ nanoparticle surface modification: A study on self-cleaning, antimicrobial, and mechanical properties

Abstract The present study aims at enhancing the aesthetic durability of Zisha teapots by dip coating green-synthesized TiO 2 nanoparticles using Panax Ginseng leaf extract. The TiO 2 nanoparticles were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, XRD, and TEM, and found to be anatase-phase spherical-shaped particles with a size of &lt;5 nm. The successful coating of TiO 2 nanoparticles was confirmed by XRD, SEM, and EDX investigations. The surface of the coated Zisha teapots was patchy with the distribution of TiO 2 compared to the uncoated Zisha teapots. The TiO 2 nanoparticles and coated Zisha teapots exhibited excellent photocatalytic decolorization of tea extracts in the presence of sunlight with 100% efficiency. The kinetic modelling of the photocatalysis data revealed the applicability of the pseudo-first-order kinetic model with a faster reaction rate and a shorter half-life of 23.7 min. The TiO 2 nanoparticles exhibited excellent antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus and moderate activity towards Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae . The wear resistance experiments revealed the ability of the TiO 2 nanoparticles to resist the abrasion of Zisha teapots by 50%. The combined results of this study highlight the ability of the Zisha teapots coated with TiO 2 nanoparticles to self-clean the tea stain and thus enhance the aesthetic durability of Zisha teapots.