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Photocatalytic Building Materials: From Fundamentals to Sustainable Applications

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A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Catalytic Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2023) | Viewed by 18104

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Prof. Dr. Zhengxian Yang

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College of Civil Engineering, Fujian Provincial University Engineering Research Center for Advanced Civil Engineering Materials, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
Interests: development and characterization of novel multi-functional composite materials to aid in the design of smart and sustainable infrastructures; development of new low-carbon and high-performance marine engineering materials including techniques to detect, prevent, predict, and remediate damage due to corrosion and biological fouling in the marine environment
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Prof. Dr. Lu Yang

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School of Materials Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures, Wuhan University of Technology, 122# Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, China
Interests: environmental purification materials including the application of TiO₂ in cement and concrete for the degradation of NOx and other atmospheric pollutants; the development of multifunctional cement and concrete materials for engineering applications, including lightweight concrete, high-ferrite cement, etc.

Dr. Manuel Filipe P. C. M. Costa

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Center of Physics of the Universities of Minho and Porto, School of Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
Interests: optical metrology; image processing; thin films, micro- and nanostructures and systems; optics and science education
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to the unique characteristics of clean energy—low cost, and the almost complete absence of secondary pollution—photocatalysis is regarded as one of the most sought-after strategies for environmental remediation. Besides obtaining adequate sunshine and moisture, civil infrastructure such as the exterior walls (concrete or glass) of buildings, roads, and bridges can come into direct contact with air and waterborne pollutants, owing to the larger exposed area and/or their inherent porosity. In this regard, building materials are one of the optimum substrates for photocatalysts to be activated by solar energy and effectively degrade pollutants in the surroundings. Photocatalysts found application in building materials in the early 1990s. Since then, photocatalysis technologies, along with various newly developed photocatalysts, have received substantial attention in both research and practical fields, including sewage treatment, air purification, and as antibacterial, self-cleaning, and antifouling materials, which has opened unlimited possibilities for the construction industry. This Special Issue aims to gather the latest studies from around the world on the fundamental understanding and sustainable application of photocatalytic building materials and related photocatalysis technologies. High-quality papers covering all aspects related to the topic of this Special Issue are cordially welcomed.

Prof. Dr. Zhengxian Yang
Prof. Dr. Lu Yang
Prof. Dr. Manuel Filipe P. C. M. Costa
Guest Editors

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Keywords

novel photocatalyst
sewage treatment
air-purification
antibacterial
self-cleaning
antifouling
photocatalysis technology

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 6663 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Graphene-Based TiO₂ Cement Composites to Enhance the Antibacterial Effect of Self-Disinfecting Surfaces

by Abdul Halim Hamdany, Yuanzhao Ding and Shunzhi Qian

Catalysts 2023, 13(9), 1313; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13091313 - 21 Sep 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1379

Abstract

This paper studies the photocatalytic performance of graphene-based titanium dioxide (TiO₂) on cementitious composites for the decomposition of Escherichia coli (E. coli) under visible light. Graphene-based TiO₂ was first synthesized through a hydrothermal process. The composites were then evaluated in terms of adsorption capability and degradation of methylene blue dyes. The adsorption test shows a remarkable increase in the amount of dye adsorbed into the composite surface. GO-P25 could adsorb around 60% of the initial dye, while less than 10% of the initial dye was adsorbed by pristine TiO₂-P25. The synthesized graphene-based TiO₂ significantly enhanced the dye degradation activity (94%) compared to pristine P25 (36%) and Krono (52%), even with the longer irradiation time for P25 and Krono. This led to an increase in reaction rate that was almost 20 times that of P25. Considering the good adsorption capabilities and high photodegradation of dye under visible light for GO-P25, cement-based surfaces containing GO-P25 are expected to be improved for the decomposition of Escherichia coli (E. coli) under visible light. Graphene-based TiO₂ on a cement-based surface showed high antibacterial activity with a 77% reduction in number of bacteria compared to a cement-based surface containing pristine TiO₂. This study confirms the effectiveness of the composites for disinfection of E. coli under visible light. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalytic Building Materials: From Fundamentals to Sustainable Applications)

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20 pages, 8935 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Photocatalyst on Rheological Behavior and NO Degradation Capacity of Asphalt Binder

by Yan Wang, Xinyu Wang, Dongyu Niu, Yanhui Niu, Huiyun Xia and Yue Wang

Catalysts 2023, 13(7), 1083; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13071083 - 10 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1748

Abstract

To reduce vehicle exhaust gas pollution in transport-intensive roadways and tunnels, six types of photocatalytic asphalt binders were designed using graphite-phase carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) and nanoscale titanium dioxide (nano-TiO₂) particles. In this paper, the rheological behaviors and fatigue life of the nano-TiO₂-modified asphalt binder (TiO₂-MA) and g-C₃N₄-modified asphalt binder (C₃N₄-MA) were investigated. NO degradation capacity of six types of photocatalytic asphalt binders was characterized under visible light conditions. The results showed that TiO₂-MA had more excellent rheological behaviors and rutting resistance than C₃N₄-MA. In addition, 4 wt% nano-TiO₂ markedly improved the rheological behaviors and rutting resistance of MA compared to other dosages. TiO₂-MA exhibited higher fatigue resistance. The fatigue life of TiO₂-MA with 4 wt% nano-TiO₂ was increased to 234.1% at 2.5% strain and 242.5% at 5% strain, respectively, compared to base asphalt binder (BA). C₃N₄-MA had better NO degradation capacity than TiO₂-MA. Meanwhile, the NO degradation efficiency of C₃N₄-MA reached 17.8% with 5 wt% g-C₃N₄. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalytic Building Materials: From Fundamentals to Sustainable Applications)

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12 pages, 2861 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Preparation of Photocatalytic Porous Magnesium Oxychloride Cement-Based Materials and Its De-NO_x Performance

by Lide Zhu, Liran Yuan, Xingang Xu, Jing Chen and Lu Yang

Catalysts 2023, 13(2), 326; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13020326 - 1 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1439

Abstract

Porous magnesium oxychloride cement (PMOC) has a high specific surface area formed by interlocking whiskers, which can be used as a promising photocatalyst substrate for the photocatalytic removal of atmospheric pollutants. In this paper, magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC) was used as matrix and TiO₂ as catalyst to prepare MOC blocks. Plant-based protein was used as a foaming agent to form the layered porous structure suitable for supporting TiO₂ particles, which effectively increased the surface area of light radiation and TiO₂ adhesion area in photocatalytic porous magnesium oxychloride cement (PPMOC). It was found that the addition of the foaming agent can increase the adsorption capacity of MOC to TiO₂. The vacuum-immersion loading method can effectively support TiO₂ on the surface of PMOC. The photocatalytic performance of PPMOC can be improved by multiple loading, while higher porosity of PMOC would reduce the loading surface of matrix to TiO₂ particles, which might decrease the photocatalytic efficiency. As can be observed in PPMOC specimens, when the porosity of PPMOC is less than 60%, increasing the porosity can improve the photocatalytic efficiency, while when the porosity is higher than 60%, increasing the porosity decreased the photocatalytic efficiency due to the reduction of the loading surface. The excellent nitrate selectivity of PPMOC also shows good application potential in the field of catalytic degradation of nitrogen oxides. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalytic Building Materials: From Fundamentals to Sustainable Applications)

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13 pages, 6087 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Preparation and Properties of g-C₃N₄-TiO₂ Cement-Based Materials Supported by Recycled Concrete Powder

by Teng Yuan and Wu Yao

Catalysts 2023, 13(2), 312; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13020312 - 31 Jan 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1624

Abstract

In this paper, recycled concrete powder (RCP) is used as the carrier of g-C₃N₄-TiO₂ instead of natural minerals. The prepared g-C₃N₄-TiO₂/RCP composites were characterized by X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, infrared spectrometer, specific surface area analyzer, UV-visible spectrophotometer, and RhB solution degradation experiments. The results show that the rough, porous structure of RCP was beneficial to the stable load of g-C₃N₄-TiO₂. Under the condition that the content of g-C₃N₄-TiO₂ catalyst is constant, the agglomeration of g-C₃N₄-TiO₂ can be reduced by using RCP as a carrier, thus improving its photocatalytic efficiency. Subsequently, g-C₃N₄-TiO₂/RCP was loaded onto the surface of cement-based materials by coating bonding method to study its photocatalytic performance. It is found that the photocatalytic cement-based material has a similar degradation effect on the degradation of surface RhB as g-C₃N₄-TiO₂/RCP in RhB solution. Our work may open up a new field for the recycling of RCP and provide new ideas for the development of photocatalytic cement-based materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalytic Building Materials: From Fundamentals to Sustainable Applications)

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15 pages, 3482 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Iron-Doping on the Structure and Photocatalytic Activity of TiO₂ Nanoparticles

by Cátia Afonso, Orlando Lima, Jr., Iran Rocha Segundo, Salmon Landi, Jr., Élida Margalho, Natália Homem, Mário Pereira, Manuel F. M. Costa, Elisabete Freitas and Joaquim Carneiro

Catalysts 2023, 13(1), 58; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13010058 - 27 Dec 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2454

Abstract

This research reports a simple, innovative, and low-cost doping method of TiO₂ nanoparticles presenting the effects of calcination and the weight ratio of TiO₂:FeCl₃ (1:0.33–1:4.5). The photocatalytic activity of the nanomaterials was investigated by decolorizing Rhodamine B (RhB) dye in an aqueous solution. The main results showed that there is anatase-to-rutile transformation after the calcination process. The Fe-doped process modified the TiO₂ spectrum and showed a connection in the Ti–O–Fe vibration. The particle size is within the nanometer range, between 20–51 nm, except for calcined TiO₂. The inclusion of Fe in TiO₂ decreased the band gap energy from 3.16 (reference) up to 2.06 eV (1:3). Additionally, after the calcination, there was a decrease in this value from 3.03 eV (reference) up to 1.95 eV (1:1.6). The TiO₂, with a ratio of (1:1.6), showed the highest activity in the photocatalytic degradation of RhB with an efficiency of 93.8% after 3 h of irradiation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalytic Building Materials: From Fundamentals to Sustainable Applications)

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17 pages, 8627 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Compatibility and Photocatalytic Capacity of the Novel Core@shell Nanospheres in Cementitious Composites

by Jiankun Xu, Zhengxian Yang, Shanghong Chen, Wencheng Wang and Yong Zhang

Catalysts 2022, 12(12), 1574; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12121574 - 3 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1515

Abstract

In this paper, a novel core@shell nanosphere (TiO₂@CoAl-LDH) based on layered double hydroxide (LDH) combined with a nano-TiO₂ semiconductor was synthesized and introduced to cementitious materials via spraying technology and a smearing method. The compatibility with a cementitious matrix and the effects of TiO₂@CoAl-LDH on cement hydration, surface microstructure, and the microscopic mechanical properties of mortar were investigated by AFM, microhardness testing, FESEM, and BET analysis. Meanwhile, the effects of TiO₂@CoAl-LDH introduction methods on the photocatalytic performance and durability of the photocatalyst were systematically evaluated by methylene blue (MB) removal ratio and wear testing. The results show that TiO₂@CoAl-LDH exhibits enhanced compatibility with cementitious matrices and a higher photocatalytic capacity than individual CoAl-LDH and nano-TiO₂. The photocatalytic mortar prepared via spraying technology (CM-C) displays a higher photocatalytic capacity than that prepared via the smearing method (CM-S). Among them, the mortar with two layers of photocatalytic coatings (CM-C2) has the highest MB removal ratio, which reached 95.1% within 120 min of UV-visible light irradiation. While on the other hand, the wear test revealed that the smeared mortar has a higher photocatalytic capacity and better photocatalyst durability than the sprayed mortar. This work is expected to contribute to the development of multifunctional sustainable building materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalytic Building Materials: From Fundamentals to Sustainable Applications)

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25 pages, 8562 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Investigation and Modeling of the Sulfur Dioxide Abatement of Photocatalytic Mortar Containing Construction Wastes Pre-Treated by Nano TiO₂

by Xue-Fei Chen and Chu-Jie Jiao

Catalysts 2022, 12(7), 708; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12070708 - 28 Jun 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1486

Abstract

A photocatalytic mortar containing recycled clay brick powder (RCBP), recycled fine aggregate (RFA), recycled glass (RG), and nanoscale titanium dioxide (NT) was fabricated to degrade low-concentration sulfur dioxide. Instead of intermixing or dip-coating, NT was firstly loaded onto the surface of carriers (RFA and RG) using a soaking method to prepare composite photocatalysts (CPs) denoted as NT@RFA and NT@RG. The prepared CPs can both take full advantage of the intrinsic characteristics of construction wastes, namely, the high porosity and alkalinity of RFA and the light-transmitting property of RG, and can significantly reduce the cost of using NT. RG in high dosage potentially triggers alkali–silica reaction (ASR) in cement-based materials, which affects the durability of the prepared mortar. RCBP, another typical construction waste sourced from crushed clay bricks, was proven to be a pozzolan similar to grade II fly ash. The combined use of RCBP and RG in photocatalytic mortar is expected to simultaneously improve durable performance and further raise the upper content limit of construction wastes. Results exhibit that 70% cement plus 30% RCBP as cementitious material can sufficiently control ASR to an acceptable level. The filling effect and the pozzolanic reaction caused by RCBP result in a decline in porosity and lessened alkalinity, which decreases sulfur dioxide removal. The paper uses both response surface methodology (RSM) and an artificial neural network (ANN) to model photocatalytic efficiency with various initial concentrations and flow rates and finds the ANN to have a better fitting and prediction performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalytic Building Materials: From Fundamentals to Sustainable Applications)

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20 pages, 5978 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

The Preparation of g-C₃N₄/CoAl-LDH Nanocomposites and Their Depollution Performances in Cement Mortars under UV-Visible Light

by Mengya Huang, Zhengxian Yang, Lin Lu, Jiankun Xu, Wencheng Wang and Can Yang

Catalysts 2022, 12(4), 443; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12040443 - 15 Apr 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3021

Abstract

In this study, new organic-inorganic g-C₃N₄/CoAl-LDH nanocomposites were prepared and introduced to fabricate photocatalytic cement mortars by internal mixing, coating, and spraying. The photocatalytic depollution of both g-C₃N₄/CoAl-LDH and cement mortars was assessed by NO_x degradation reaction under UV-visible light irradiation. The study results suggested that the degradation efficiency of g-C₃N₄/CoAl-LDH nanocomposites improved with an increase in g-C₃N₄ content. The g-C₃N₄/CoAl-LDH_1.5 nanocomposite displayed the highest NO_x degradation capacity, which was about 1.23 and 3.21 times that of pure g-C₃N₄ and CoAl-LDH, respectively. The photocatalytic cement mortars which were all fabricated using different approaches could effectively degrade the target pollutants and exhibited significant compatibility between g-C₃N₄/CoAl-LDH and cementitious substrate. Among them, the coated mortars showed strong resistance to laboratory-simulated wearing and abrasion with a small decrease in degradation rate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalytic Building Materials: From Fundamentals to Sustainable Applications)

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11 pages, 5001 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation and Properties of Magnesium Cement-Based Photocatalytic Materials

by Yongle Fang, Chang Shu, Lu Yang, Cheng Xue, Ping Luo and Xingang Xu

Catalysts 2022, 12(4), 420; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12040420 - 8 Apr 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2135

Abstract

Photocatalytic oxidation is a technology developed in recent years for the degradation of indoor air pollutants. In this study, magnesium cement-based photocatalytic material (MPM) was prepared by loading TiO₂ photocatalysts onto a SiO₂-modified basic magnesium chloride whisker (BMCW) surface, and was subsequently sprayed evenly on the surface of putty powder to form a photocatalytic functional wall coating (PFWC) material. Then, by introducing Ag, visible light photocatalytic functional wall coating (VPFWC) materials were also prepared. The results show that TiO₂ and SiO₂ form Ti–O–Si bonds on the BMCW surface, and the PFWC presents a promising degradation effect, with a photocatalytic removal rate of 46% for gaseous toluene, under ultraviolet light for 3 h, and an MPM coating concentration of 439 g/m². This is related to the surface structure of the functional coating, which is formed using putty powder and MPM. The visible light photocatalytic efficiency of the VPFWC increased as the spraying amount of the AgNO₃ solution increased, up to 16.62 g/m², and then decreased with further increasing. The gaseous toluene was degraded by 28% and 73% in 3 h, by the VPFWC, under visible light and ultraviolet light irradiation, respectively. In addition, the photocatalytic performance of the PFWC/VPFWC also showed excellent durability after being reused five times. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalytic Building Materials: From Fundamentals to Sustainable Applications)

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