The deposition control, arising from the described approach, offers the potential to control the film nanostructure, which is proposed to be crucial in determining the photo and bio-activity of the combined film structure, and the transparency of the composite films.
Furthermore, we show that the resultant films also exhibit x201c;self-regenerationx201d; capability, in that they both kill bacteria present on the film surface and then photo-degrade the residues. Such a dual action significantly reducing the problems of surface deactivation due to build up of contamination.
These properties are especially significant when combined with the well-known durability of CVD deposited thin films, offering new opportunities for enhanced application in areas where bioactive surface functionality is sought.