Effectiveness of TiO-Anatase and Rutile Phase in Photocatalytic Reduction of Urban Air Pollution

With increasing urbanization and industrialization, there is an upsurge in air pollution that demands immediate attention. Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC) and harmful gases originating from both indoor and outdoor pollution sources, possess carcinogenic properties and exhibit slow degradation in the atmosphere. These air pollutants cause a significant threat to our well-being. Hence, using photocatalysts such as titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is gaining importance in treating air pollutants and harmful gases like TVOCs. This study investigates the photocatalytic efficiency of the different proportions of TiO₂-anatase and rutile phase in mitigating such air pollutants when applied over the building surface. To achieve the objective, cement mortar samples are prepared with different percentages of anatase to rutile (100%A, 75%A-25%R, 50%A-50%R, 25%A-75%R, and 100%R) of TiO₂ by cement weight. The selected approach demonstrated the maximum degradation rate constant of 1.2E-04 min⁻¹ cm⁻² corresponding to 100% anatase of TiO₂ dose by cement weight, whereas, for 100% rutile, the degradation rate is 7.78E-05 min⁻¹ cm⁻², which is the lowest.