Formulation and evaluation of surface-fluorinated microsized-TiO2 based self-cleaning cement: characterization, self-cleaning, depollution and antimicrobial study

• Published in: Chemical papers Vol. 76; no. 5; pp. 3201 - 3214
• Main Authors: Saini, Anil, Ratan, Jatinder Kumar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Warsaw Versita 01.05.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Antiinfectives and antibacterials; Antimicrobial agents; Biochemistry; Biotechnology; Catalytic activity; Cement; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Chemistry/Food Science; Cleaning; Clinker; Commercialization; Dolomite; Evaluation; Fluorination; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Masonry construction; Materials Science; Medicinal Chemistry; Methylene blue; Original Paper; Photocatalysis; Roasting; Titanium dioxide; Toxicity; X ray photoelectron spectroscopy; ); Microsized-Titanium dioxide (m-TiO; Surface-fluorination; Photocatalysis; Self-cleaning cement
• ISSN: 0366-6352; 1336-9075; 2585-7290
• DOI: 10.1007/s11696-022-02093-4

An innovative and sustainable approach to deal with the environmental pollution is the use of self-cleaning cement based materials for the construction of masonry structures and buildings in the urban cities. The photocatalytic activity, imparted to the self-cleaning cement by incorporating photocatalytic materials, has a significant role to combat the menace of urban air pollution. The most widely used photocatalytic material for formulation of self-cleaning cement is the nanosized-TiO 2 (n-TiO 2 ). However, the utilization of n-TiO 2 for the synthesis of self-cleaning cement has numerous disadvantages such as higher cost, nano-toxicity and agglomeration in the cementitious matrix, which are the huge barriers in the commercialization of self-cleaning cement. In order to avoid the aforementioned drawbacks, the present work involves a study on the use of surface-fluorinated microsized-TiO 2 (m-TiO 2 ) and calcined dolomite for the formulation of self-cleaning cement. The surface-fluorinated m-TiO 2 , calcined dolomite, and the formulated self-cleaning cement were characterized using DRS, XRD, FE-SEM, EDS, XPS, SEM, BET analysis, and EDXRF. The self-cleaning property of the as-prepared self-cleaning cement was evaluated using the methylene blue (MB) test. The depolluting ability of the formulated self-cleaning cement was assessed through continuous NO x removal test. The antimicrobial activity of the self-cleaning cement was appraised using the method of zone of inhibition. The as-prepared self-cleaning cement obtained by uniform mixing of 87% clinker, 10% calcined dolomite, and 3% surface-fluorinated m-TiO 2 showed a remarkable self-cleaning property by providing 53.9% degradation of the coated MB dye; noteworthy depolluting ability by removing 5.5% of NO x from the air; and significant antimicrobial property by inactivating the B. subtiltis bacteria.