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Down with pollution !
Reducing pollution by destroying volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOx) from vehicle exhausts and factories, pesticides, carbon monoxide (CO) ? Eliminating odours (chemical, human or animal), polluting or toxic chemicals, microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, spores, fungi, mould…) ? It is now possible thanks to a process adapted and optimised by chemists from Strasbourg, which is based on a heterogeneous photocatalytic reaction using titanium dioxide (TiO2) as photocatalyst.
This heterogeneous photocatalysis mineralises a wide range of organic compounds (alkanes, alcohols, aromatics, sulphurated, phosphorilated or nitrogenated molecules…) at room temperature. Once the titanium dioxide is put in contact with the coatings that contain the agents to be degraded, the process is triggered under the sole action of ambient oxygen and moisture, and under light exposure. Depending on the nature of TiO2, UV-A, visible or simply solar light can be used. Since TiO2 particles do not directly participate in the reaction, they are not consumed and remain stable and effective over the long term.
This type of titanium dioxide-based photocatalysis already has many applications to its credit. Besides the development of air handling devices, it is notably used for the development of interior and exterior coatings : Self-cleaning glass, self-cleaning concrete, self-cleaning textiles, anti-odour agents and biocides, antifouling, depolluting and antiallergic plasters and paints.
Laboratoire des matériaux, surfaces et procédés pour la catalyse, CNRS-Université Strasbourg 1
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