Photocatalytic properties of TiO2 based powders
for indoor applications
G. Kiriakidis1,2, V. D. Binas1, I. Kortidis1, K. Sambani1,2
1
TCM, IESL, FORTH, Crete, Greece
Physics Dpt, Univ. of Crete, Greece
2
Indoor air quality control is a prime concern for environmental researchers as well as the
public at large, since, according to recent studies, the average person in the industrialized
world spends up to 90% of his time in an indoor “polluted” environment such as home, office,
car and shopping centre. Indoor air pollutants mainly include nitrogen oxides (NOx) carbon
oxides (CO and CO2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene,
formaldehyde, naphthalene, and particulates.1,2 These pollutants are emitted from different
sources such as combustion by-products, cooking, construction materials, office equipment,
and consumer products.
Over the past decades, intense efforts have shown that TiO2 is one of the most effective
photocatalysts activated by UV irradiation. Recently, research is focusing on the
establishment of effective photocatalysts activated by visible light sources suitable for indoor
applications. Metal doped or compound based TiO2 nanomaterials have been widely studied
for improved photocatalytic performance on the degradation of various organic pollutants
under visible light.3
In this work, we present our recent achievements on root to synthesize and characterized
of photocatalytic material based on TiO2 with an attribute to degrade inorganic and organic
pollutants, contributing to effective indoor air quality control. We developed compound
photocatalytic TiO2 with Mn at 0.1-33 at % material in powder form and light color suitable
to be incorporated into either a cementisious or calcareous base. Material structure has been
characterized by XRD, TGA, and SEM (EDX). Catalytic tests in a nitrogen and oxygen
atmosphere applying IR spectroscopy using UV and visible light irradiation has confirmed the
effective degradation of acetaldehyde. The more active photocatalyst in the degradation of
acetaldehyde was proved to be the 0.1% Mn compound.
1. Shaobin Wang, Environment International, 2007, 33, 694–705
2. Tunga Salthammer, Chem. Rev. 2010,110, 2536-2572
3. Samuel S. Mao, Chem. Rev. 2007, 107, 2891-2959