RT journal article
T1 TiO2-SiO2 Coatings with a Low Content of AuNPs for Producing Self-Cleaning Building Materials
A1 Luna Aguilera, Manuel Jesús
A1 Delgado Jaén, Juan José
A1 Gil Montero, María Luisa Almoraima
A1 Mosquera Díaz, María Jesús
A2 Ciencia de los Materiales e Ingeniería Metalúrgica y Química Inorgánica
A2 Química Física
K1 Au-TiO2/SiO2
K1 Building
K1 Photocatalyst
K1 Self-cleaning
AB The high pollution levels in our cities are producing a significant increase of dust on buildings. An application of photoactive coatings on building materials can produce buildings with self-cleaning surfaces. In this study, we have developed a simple sol-gel route for producing Au-TiO2/SiO2 photocatalysts with application on buildings. The gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) improved the TiO2 photoactivity under solar radiation because they promoted absorption in the visible range. We varied the content of AuNPs in the sols under study, in order to investigate their effect on self-cleaning properties. The sols obtained were sprayed on a common building stone, producing coatings which adhere firmly to the stone and preserve their aesthetic qualities. We studied the decolourization efficiency of the photocatalysts under study against methylene blue and against soot (a real staining agent for buildings). Finally, we established that the coating with an intermediate Au content presented the best self-cleaning performance, due to the role played by its structure and texture on its photoactivity.
PB MDPI
SN 2079-4991
YR 2018
FD 2018-03
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/38630
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/38630
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 09-nov-2026