In this work the photocatalytic activity of paints incorporating commercial titanium dioxide for outdoor nitrogen oxide (NO) photoabatement is assessed. The paint acts as a 3D support of the photocatalyst and thus allows a larger amount of TiO2 nanoparticles to absorb light and to contact with pollutants, when compared with a 2D photocatalytic surface. NO conversion and selectivity towards nitrites and nitrates were determined according to the standard ISO 22197-1:2007 (E).Paint coatings were formulated and tested under laboratory and outdoor conditions. The best paint formulation incorporates CristalACTiV TM PC500 photocatalyst from Cristal and calcium carbonate extender, presenting a NO conversion of ca. 70% and a selectivity of ca. 40% under laboratory conditions. The same photocatalyst but characterized in the form of an optically thick film of compressed powder presented ca. 95% and 45% of conversion and selectivity, respectively. Under the real-outdoor conditions, the best performing paint showed a NO conversion of about 95%.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.