Nano-Structured Glassy and Ceramic Surfaces: Development of "Active" Materials for an Innovative Approach to Building Industry

Abstract

In the last years there was an increasing interest of the scientific and technological community in the field of healthy and ecological buildings. Nanotechnology gives a substantial contribution in the development of new advanced materials, environmentally sustainable and safe for the consumers. Due to their multi-functional behaviour, nano-materials are at the basis of a revolutionary technical improvement in buildings: titania nano-structured films are applied on ceramic and glass surfaces increasing drastically the self-cleaning and anti bacterial activity. Substrates with controlled porosity can be designed to obtain anti-pollution surfaces either for external and internal environments, a photo reactor has been developed in our laboratory: a device to assess the photo degradation kinetic of pollutants (NOx and VOC’s) and help customers in the certification of eco-buildings. Surfaces based on nano-silver have been also developed leading to an anti bacterial effect in absence of light meanwhile anti-scratch and zero porosity substrates can be obtained from nano-zirconia and nano-silica suspensions. CERICOL has developed and scaled-up a “green chemistry” synthesis in water or glycols allowing simple industrial applications on different substrates as tiles, glass, plastic, paint, wood and concrete.

Preparation of Water Suspensions of Nanocalcite for Cultural Heritage Applications

“…If suitably designed, they may effectively penetrate the stone porosities and fill up the larger gaps generated by pore corrosion; once combined with film-forming materials in nanoparticle-modified formulations, they are expected to prevent or minimize the abovementioned problems of microfracturing and hygroscopicity. Silica nanoparticles have been reported to improve the mechanical resistance of a bioclastic sandstone calcarenite [ 3 ]; in combination with nanotitania, they result in self-cleaning stone surfaces [ 4 ]. In any case, both TEOS and nanosilica treatments are based on silica, which is clearly poorly compatible with carbonate stones.…”

Crucible Effect on Phase Transition Temperature during Microwave Calcination of a N-Doped TiO2 Precursor: Implications for the Preparation of TiO2 Nanophotocatalysts

“…One of them, named PH25, is pristine TiO 2 and the other, named PH33, is a precursor for N-doped TiO 2 . Details of their syntheses can be found elsewhere, , wherefore only a short description will be given here for clarity.…”

Modification of Hydroxyapatite with Ion-Selective Complexants: 1-Hydroxyethane-1,1-diphosphonic Acid

“…26 , 27 It is less expensive than ion exchange resins and can be valorized by combining with cement to build infrastructure after sorbing the ions. 28 , 29 It is stable at neutral pH and can be applied to groundwater treatment. 30 HAP can sorb these ions by ion exchange, 31 − 33 surface complexation, 34 , 35 and dissolution/precipitation.…”

“…The increasing effect of water pollution on disease has created a need to remove toxic metal ions, including copper, chromium, lead, mercury, and arsenic . HAP has been modified to produce hybrids, microtubes, and ordered arrays and may have an important role in environmental remediation due to its ability to sequester metal ions. , It is less expensive than ion exchange resins and can be valorized by combining with cement to build infrastructure after sorbing the ions. , It is stable at neutral pH and can be applied to groundwater treatment . HAP can sorb these ions by ion exchange, − surface complexation, , and dissolution/precipitation .…”