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Self-cleaning products are commercially available to protect surfaces against soiling and avoid the high consumption of energy and chemical detergents necessary for cleaning. They are based on semiconductor oxides, mostly titanium dioxide (TiO2), which induce photocatalytic oxidation activity and superhydrophilicity. Therefore, we present an experimental procedure at a lab scale to assess the self-cleaning ability of various photocatalytic coatings (five TiO2-based commercial products and one lab-grade zinc oxide (ZnO) product) applied to mortar surfaces. The samples were artificially stained with three types of soiling: Congo red dye, diesel soot, and motor oil. They were exposed to the environmental cycle of UV illumination and water flow for two weeks and the changes in stain colors were first assessed with visual inspection. Then, spectrophotometry measurements were conducted before and after the self-cleaning experiment to calculate the color differences for each stain in the CIELab color space data. In addition, the coatings were characterized via X-ray diffraction analyses and water contact angle measurements. Results highlighted color changes for each stain and higher wettability (induced by OH radicals) of the coated surfaces, which favored surface washing and thus stain removal. Light also had a positive effect on the attenuation of the stains, particularly for the Congo red dye.

In urban environments, various pollutants generated by road traffic, human, and industrial activities degrade outdoor and indoor air quality. Among these pollutants, nitrogen oxides (NOx) are subject to air quality regulations designed to protect human health and the environment. It is therefore crucial to keep their concentration as low as possible. Advanced oxidation processes are a practical choice for the degradation of NOx; among them, heterogeneous photocatalysis has proven to be a viable route. However, while the efficiency of this process has been widely demonstrated on a laboratory scale, it is still the subject of debate for real-life applications. The purpose of this study was to present a new field experiment on the application of a photocatalytic coating to outdoor walls. Air quality monitoring stations were used to evaluate the NOx concentration reduction instead of the chemiluminescent analyzer, in order to increase the number of sampling points. Statistical analysis was carried out to interpret the results. Density probability functions were plotted and showed a positive impact of the coating, leading to lower NOx concentrations. This work was completed by a laboratory-scale assessment of the coating’s durability using abrasion, QUV, and immersion/drying tests. The air depollution capacity of the chosen coating was significantly reduced after QUV testing.

The development of advanced photocatalysts for air pollution removal is essential to improve indoor air quality. TiO2/mesoporous silica SBA-15 nanocomposites were synthesized using an organometallic decoration method, which leverages the high reactivity of Ti precursors to be hydrolyzed on the surface water groups of silica supports. Both lab-made Ti(III) amidinate and commercial Ti(IV) amino precursors were utilized to react with water-rich SBA-15, obtained through a hydration process. The hydrated SBA-15 and the TiO2/SBA-15 nanocomposites were characterized using TGA, FTIR, 1H and 29Si NMR, TEM, SEM, N2 physisorption, XRD, and WAXS. This one-step TiO2 decoration method achieved a loading of up to 51.5 wt.% of approximately 9 nm anatase particles on the SBA-15 surface. This structuring provided excellent accessibility of TiO2 particles for photocatalytic applications under pollutant gas and UV-A light exposure. The combination with the high specific surface area of SBA-15 resulted in the efficient degradation of 400 ppb of NO pollutant gas. Due to synergistic effects, the best nanocomposite in this study demonstrated a NO abatement performance of 4.0% per used mg of TiO2, which is 40% more efficient than the reference photocatalytic material TiO2 P-25.

Microbial contamination of the surface of building materials and subsequent release of microbial particles into the air can significantly affect indoor air quality. Avoiding the development or, at least, reducing the quantity of microorganisms growing on building materials is a key point to reduce health risks for building occupiers. In that context, the antimicrobial activity of TiO2, ZnO and Au/ZnO was assessed by measuring log reductions of Escherichia coli and Aspergillus niger populations both in the dark and under a light intensity close to real-life conditions. The bactericidal activities (≥2.3 log reduction) of tested products were stronger than their fungicidal activities (≤1.4 log reduction) after 2 h of contact. Different parameters including concentration of photocatalyst, intensity of light (dark vs. 5 W/m2 UV-A), and duration of contact between photocatalyst and microbial cells and spores were investigated. Results of this study confirmed bactericidal activities of TiO2, ZnO and AuZnO on E. coli and brought new insight on their fungicidal activity on the spores of A. niger. They also confirmed the greatest antimicrobial efficiency of ZnO compared to TiO2 and its increased photocatalytic activity when decorated with Au, leading to the highest log reductions detected after 2 h of contact for both tested microorganisms (4 and 1.4 for E. coli and A. niger, respectively). The antimicrobial activity was enhanced by the duration of contact between microorganisms and nanoparticles of the different tested photocatalytic products.

WO3 is a known photocatalytic metal oxide frequently studied for its depollution properties. However, it suffers from a high recombination rate of the photogenerated electron/holes pair that is detrimental to its performance. In this paper, we present a new chemical method to decorate WO3 nanoleaves (NLs) with a complementary metal oxide (ZnWO4) in order to improve the photocatalytic performance of the composite material for the abatement of 400 ppb NO2 under mild UV exposure. Our strategy was to synthesize WO3·2H2O nanoleaves, then, to expose them, in water-free organic solution, to an organometallic precursor of Zn(Cy)2. A structural water molecule from WO3·2H2O spontaneously decomposes Zn(Cy)2 and induces the formation of the ZnO@WO3·H2O nanocomposite. The material was characterized by electronic microscopy (SEM, TEM), TGA, XRD, Raman and solid NMR spectroscopies. A simple thermal treatment under air at 500 °C affords the ZnWO4@WO3 nanocomposite. The resulting material, additionally decorated with 1% wt. Au, presents a remarkable increase (+166%) in the photocatalytic abatement of NO2 under UV compared to the pristine WO3 NLs. This synthesis method paves the way to the versatile preparation of a wide range of MOx@WO3 nanocomposites (MOx = metal oxide).