Solution-derived photocatalytic films for environmental cleaning applications

Abstract

When photocatalytic water treatment is concerned, suspended catalyst in the aqueous phase is usually more efficient than immobilized on an inert support, but in the former case an undesirable separation/recycling step is needed. We have therefore concentrated on the preparation of immobilized catalysts in the form of films on glass and aluminium supports. The low-temperature sol-gel processing route to obtain transparent thin TiO2/SiO2 films for self-cleaning purposes and thicker TiO2/SiO2 coatings for efficient removal of pollutants in water and air are presented. The synthesis is based on a production of a nanocrystalline titania sol with a silica binder that after deposition does not require thermal treatment at high temperatures. Depending on the target application, some specific synthesis parameters and photocatalytic activity testing conditions are illustrated. For water-cleaning coatings fast kinetics is required, which was achieved by addition of a highly active titania powder into the sol. The same preparation procedure was used to prepare efficient air-cleaning coatings. On the other hand, self-cleaning films were thinner and transparent to keep the original appearance of the substrate and they solidified at ambient conditions. Advanced methodologies to evaluate photocatalytic activity of the films were applied.