Modification of White Cement by Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles: Investigation of Photocatalytic Activity

In recent years, Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) have been developed to treat the contaminants of water and air. Advanced oxidation processes almost all are based on the generation of reactive species such as hydroxyl radicals (•OH) which degrade a broad range of organic pollutants quickly and none selectively [1]. Among them, heterogeneous photocatalysis using TiO2 nanoparticles is regarded as a promising method for the transformation of toxic and bioresistant compounds into harmless species (CO2, H2O, etc). With the inception of nanoscience and nanotechnology nanoscale materials, in general, and nanostructured TiO2 materials, in particular, have received significant attention. With a typical dimension of less than 100 nm, nanostructured TiO2 materials have become attractive for numerous applications in different fields. It is known to have golden properties, which include non-toxicity, abundance, and potentially least costly compared to other nanomaterials [2, 3].The relevant photocatalytic processes may occur both at the air-solid interface and at the liquid–solid interface. The further development of the application of TiO2-modified mineral and cementious binders for self-cleaning building material surfaces and even more for the construction of photocatalytic environmental remediation devices requires a better understanding of the photocatalytic activity of modified cements. Cement-bound photocatalysts are especially attractive for large-scale application due to the relatively low cost of cement binders and the versatility of the material which can serve simultaneously as a structural component and photocatalytically active material [4]. TiO2-modified cement materials have received much less attention in systematic laboratory studies up to now. Therefore, in this study, the induced degradation of the organic dye, Alphazurine FG, was studied on the white cement modified by TiO2 nanoparticles. The photocatalytic activity of the particles was determined by measuring the degradation rates of Alphazurine FG in comparison to unmodified cement samples. The photocatalytic activity of different TiO2 nanoparticles, (P25, PC 500, PC 105) added to the cement was also compared