materialsscienceandengineering:
Windows with nanostructured coatings can cure ‘sick’ buildings
Harmful organic molecules in the indoor air can cause adverse health effects—a problem known as the ‘sick building syndrome’. Current air-cleaning technologies require both energy and upkeep, but a promising new solution is being developed at Uppsala University—window glass with nanostructured coating based on titanium dioxide which uses sunlight to remove organic pollutants from indoor air by passing it between the inner panes of the window.
The preparation of such coatings, tailor-made for indoor air cleaning, was studied by Bozhidar Stefanov and his dissertation shows how they can be made more effective.
Titanium dioxide is a white pigment often used in paints, toothpastes and sunscreens. In the form of nanoparticles, it obtains special properties which make it chemically very reactive. It efficiently absorbs ultraviolet light and uses this energy to destroy organic molecules at its surface in a process called photocatalysis. This has made titanium dioxide the 'white knight’ of nanotechnology and the photocatalyst of choice for water and air cleaning. Recently, pavement blocks of titanium-dioxide-impregnated cement have been used to mitigate air pollution from outdoor pollution in cities. A field trial has been conducted in Malmö, Sweden.
This is really cool.
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