Transparent Coating with TiO₂ Nanorods for High-performance Photocatalytic Self-cleaning and Environmental Remediation

Abstract

High-performance self-cleaning coatings are highly desired by the industry and market. Herein, we synthesized two kinds of ultrafine TiO₂ nanocrystals, one is anatase dots with a diameter of 5 nm, and the other is rutile rods with 1.5 nm in width and 7 nm in length. The prepared TiO₂ nanocrystal is highly dispersed and stable in water over a month. The coating can be fabricated via a simple spraying method, displaying excellent optical properties and photocatalytic performance on self-cleaning and surrounding environment remediation. The transmittance of glass remains 80%–90% for visible and near-infrared light after 30 cycles of spray. RhB solution(50 mg/L) was applied to the coating surface and form a solid RhB layer was formed, which can be completely removed in 30 min’s light irradiation. RhB aqueous solution(100 mL, 5 mg/L) was purified after 180 min by a 10 cm×10 cm glass, on which the coating was sprayed 30 times. The concentrations of formaldehyde and PM 2.5 in surrounding air displayed a significant decrease along 50 min’s monitoring. This high-performance coating shows great potential for constructing functional coating on various substrates for industrial applications.

Keywords

TiO₂ / Photocatalysis / Transparent coating / Self-cleaning / Environment remediation

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