The activity of acrylic-silicon/nano-TiO2 films for the visible-light degradation of formaldehyde and NO2

Publication date: July 2013
Source:Building and Environment, Volume 65
Author(s): Gang Xiao , Anna Huang , Haijia Su , Tianwei Tan
Through a novel green and low-cost emulsion blend method, acrylic-silicon/nano-TiO2 films (ASTF) were prepared showing a broad absorption band in the visible light region and could be used for the photodegradation of indoor gaseous pollutants under visible light irradiation. Compared with acrylic-silicon films, the photodegradation rate of ASTF with TiO2 content of 1% (w/v) increased by almost twice for both gaseous formaldehyde (from 28% to 76.7% at the initial concentration of 0.8 mg/m³) and NO2 (from 20% to 68% at the initial concentration of 3.7 mg/m³) under visible light irradiation for 24 h and 50 h, respectively. The binary gas degradation confirmed the higher affinity of NO2 for ASTF. In addition, ASTF with Fe^Ⅲ ion doping (<100 mg/L) showed even higher photocatalytic activity with maximum degradation rate of 83.4% for formaldehyde under visible light irradiation for 24 h. ASTF, as a kind of eco-friendly coating material, could be used easily in domestic buildings for our daily life.

Graphical abstract