Building surfaces may help purify the air

This futuristic prospect is presented by research at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Surfaces of building materials such as tiles and glass are being coated with chemical compounds that act as photocatalysts.
When the thin film coatings, based on modified titanium dioxide, absorb sunlight or ultraviolet light, they generate highly reactive oxidizing agents which attack and destroy pollutants in the air.
Volatile organic compounds such as benzene and toluene found in vehicle exhaust gases are turned into environmentally acceptable products like carbon dioxide and water. Eventually, this may also mean buildings can clean themselves, says Principal Investigator Prof Jimmy Chai-mei Yu.
The project, which ends in August, builds on the discovery almost 30 years ago that titanium dioxide is activated by sunlight or ultraviolet light. Attempts to use this for pollution treatment were first documented in the 1980s.
Titanium dioxide is a common pigment; the rutile form which shows no photocatalytic activity is found in paints and cosmetics. The CUHK research involves the chemical's anatase form.

Principal Investigator > Prof Jimmy Chai-mei Yu > Email > jimyu@cuhk.edu.hk