Antifungal and Photocatalytic Activity of Smart Paint Containing Porous Microspheres of TiO2

Abstract

In this study, porous microspheres of TiO 2 (µTiO 2) were synthesized, characterized and incorporated into an acrylic paint formulation to obtain a photocatalytically active paint. In a novel approach, the antifungal properties of the µTiO 2 paint were evaluated using Monascus ruber as the representative microorganism and compared to those of a photocatalyst-free paint. The photocatalytic activity of paint films was determined by methylene blue (MB) degradation under real conditions of application. High photocatalytic and antifungal activity was observed, with the microorganism culture showing the formation of growth inhibition halos, typical of materials that produce biocides that diffuse into the culture medium.

Synthesis, characterization, and application of polypyrrole/TiO2 composites in photocatalytic processes: A review

“…The widely reported mechanism that explains the reactions on the photocatalyst surface includes reduction and oxidation reactions with water, oxygen, and other substances present in the system. 8 When the semiconductor is irradiated with photon energy ( hv ) greater than or equal to the band gap energy, an electron (e - ) is excited from the valence band (VB) to the conduction band (CB) generating the electron-hole pair. In the hole (h + ), oxidation reactions occur while in the conduction band, the electron is responsible for the reduction reactions.…”

“…The heterogeneous photocatalysis experienced a fast expansion in the last few decades, particularly in terms of environmental remediation and energy generation. Among the most studied fields, attention has been driven to the mineralization of organic contaminants [1][2][3] and reduction of inorganic contaminants, [4][5][6][7] disinfection of water and air with different concentrations of pollutants, [8][9][10][11][12][13] production of hydrogen from water and energy production from photovoltaic cells. [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] The process of heterogeneous photocatalysis is characterized by the formation of free radicals, especially hydroxyl (OH).…”

Photocatalytic dye degradation using BiVO4–paint composite coatings

“…65,66 Microspheres of TiO 2 incorporated in acrylic paints have been reported for photocatalytic methylene blue (MB) dye degradation. 67 Only a few reports are available regarding photocatalytic coatings and paints. Research on the use of paints for photocatalysis has not been much explored, which needs further investigation.…”

Sliver Doped Sodium Antimonate with Greatly Reduced the Band Gap for Efficiently Enhanced Photocatalytic Activities Under Visible Light (Experiment and DFT Calculation)

“…If this kind of wastewater is discharged directly or treated improperly, it would cause serious harm to environmental safety and human health. At present, many techniques, including biological process 4,5 , physical chemical combination method 3,6 , adsorption [7][8][9] , membrane separation 10,11 , advanced oxidation [12][13][14] , photocatalytic degradation 15,16 , could be used to treat organic wastewater. Each of these approaches has its own advantages and disadvantages.…”