Article
Chemistry, Physical
Peng Yi, Hongyu Jia, Xiaoshuang Yang, Yong Fan, Shusheng Xu, Jing Li, Mingli Lv, Yuanjiang Chang
Summary: In order to prevent biofouling in the intertidal zone of offshore jackets, researchers fabricated bionic structures on a plasma-sprayed TiO2 ceramic and coated it onto a stainless steel substrate. The combination of photocatalytic effect and surface microstructure greatly enhanced the antifouling properties of the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. By comparing textured and untextured TiO2 coatings, it was found that laser-textured biomimetic surfaces with 60 μm pitch micro-protrusions structures performed better in preventing algal sticking.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alessio Zandona, Aurina Martinez Arias, Mirjam Gutbrod, Gundula Helsch, Alfred P. Weber, Joachim Deubener
Summary: Glass-ceramic nanospheres of molar composition 0.83 SiO2 • 0.17 TiO2 are produced by the sol-gel spray-drying method, followed by controlled heat treatments up to 1200 degrees C. TiO2(B) and anatase nanocrystals are precipitated in the glassy matrix, with crystal sizes increasing over time. The nanospheres exhibit noticeable photocatalytic activity under UV-A irradiation, especially during annealing stages with higher amounts of TiO2(B) and smaller crystals.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
G. R. Khan, S. Malik
Summary: One excellent strategy to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 is by inhibiting the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This study focuses on the disinfection of surfaces, as they are vital routes of viral transmission. The self-disinfecting ability of Ag-enriched TiO2 nanocoating has been found to effectively reduce infections caused by the spread of pathogens in public places. The study analyzed the morphological shape, crystallographic structure, light absorbance, photo-luminosity, vibrational modes, and functional groups of the nanocoating on glass surfaces. The results showed that the developed Ag-TiO2 nanocoatings improved photocatalytic disinfecting performance.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Shady Abdelnasser, Reem Al Sakkaf, Giovanni Palmisano
Summary: Modification of TiO2 with alkali metals and conducting polymers enhances its activity, allowing for applications such as photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants and water splitting for hydrogen formation. The use of TiO2 in photovoltaics and energy storage devices is also explored in the review. Alkali metal modification results in positive band pinning and improved charge separation, while conducting polymers act as visible light sensitizers for stable photoelectrochemical performance.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Mostafa Hadei, Alireza Mesdaghinia, Ramin Nabizadeh, Amir Hossein Mahvi, Shahram Rabbani, Kazem Naddafi
Summary: This study systematically reviewed research articles on the photocatalytic degradation of pesticides using TiO2 nanoparticles and UV irradiation, with a total of 112 eligible articles included. Sixteen types of TiO2 were studied, with an average photodegradation efficiency of 71%. The study also discussed the impact of experimental conditions on photocatalytic activity, strategies to reduce energy requirements, and future research directions.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Terrence S. Malatjie, Tarryn L. Botha, Alex T. Kuvarega, Ntakadzeni Madima, Karin de Bruyn, Memory Tekere, Thabo T. Nkambule, Bhekie B. Mamba, Titus A. M. Msagati
Summary: A wide range of semiconductor-assisted photocatalytic nanomaterials are being investigated as potential photocatalysts in water treatment. The use of nanocomposites composed of nano-TiO2 and MWCNTs is increasing due to their enhanced photocatalytic efficiency. However, the potential risks of these nanosystems in aquatic systems are not well understood. In this study, the toxic effects of TiO2/MWCNT-CNF nanocomposite on freshwater microalgae were assessed. The nanocomposite showed enhanced dye removal performance but also caused algal growth inhibition and sublethal oxidative stress effects. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the potential hazards of nanocomposites in wastewater treatment.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Indira Menezes, Jose Capelo-Neto, Carlos J. Pestana, Allan Clemente, Jianing Hui, John T. S. Irvine, H. Q. Nimal Gunaratne, Peter K. J. Robertson, Christine Edwards, Ross N. Gillanders, Graham A. Turnbull, Linda A. Lawton
Summary: UV-A (365 nm) photolysis was more effective than the UV/TiO2 photocatalytic system in removing Microcystis aeruginosa cells and microcystins. During photolysis, cell density decreased significantly over 5 days, while both intra- and extracellular microcystin concentrations were significantly reduced by 100% and 92%, respectively, by day 5 of the UV treatment for all microcystin analogues.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Lijun Hu, Junfeng Chen, Yushan Wei, Mengjiao Wang, Yuling Xu, Chao Wang, Peike Gao, Yanyan Liu, Chunchen Liu, Yuhao Song, Ning Ding, Xiaomei Liu, Renjun Wang
Summary: In this study, a SNP-TiO2@Cu-MOF composite material was successfully prepared and compared for its photocatalytic inactivation efficiency on Karenia mikimotoi. The results showed that the SNP-TiO2@Cu-MOF composite exhibited the strongest photocatalytic activity, making it a potential solution for controlling eutrophication outbreaks.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Maria Emanuela Mascaro, Giuseppe Pellegrino, Anna Maria Palermo
Summary: The degradation of stone materials is influenced by various factors, including biodegradation. This study examines the biodeteriogenic micro- and macroflora in the gothic building of Santa Maria della Pieta, Squillace, Calabria, using different techniques. It is found that certain plant species pose a high hazard to the stability of the masonry. Fungi, cyanobacteria, and green algae are also identified within biofilms, resembling microbial associations commonly found in cave environments. The results demonstrate the impact of environmental conditions, architectural features, and building materials on the degradation of the building's internal surfaces.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zihao Wo, Hua Ma, Chaofan Shi, Yier Su, Xiwen Zhang
Summary: In this study, Ag-TiO2-rGO nanocomposites were fabricated using a one-pot hydrothermal method. The resulting nanocomposites were characterized and evaluated for their photocatalytic performance. The nanocomposites exhibited a porous structure with chemical bonds formed between TiO2 and rGO. By optimizing the loading content, the adsorption and photodegradation performances were improved. Possible photocatalytic mechanisms were proposed.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Elsa Fuentes, Rafael Carballeira, Beatriz Prieto
Summary: The study characterized the microbial consortium forming biofilms on historical rural granite buildings for the first time, revealing differences compared to urban granite buildings, especially in terms of cyanobacteria and lichenized fungi abundance. Exposure and orientation were identified as important factors influencing the diversity and abundance of microorganisms on walls, with northern orientation favoring a higher diversity of fungi and green algae, and west orientation determining the abundance of lichenized fungi.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Gustavo Boniatti Helene, Pedro de Souza Ono, Diogo Silva Pellosi
Summary: This study engineered the functionalization of titanium dioxide with silver nanoparticles to create TiO2/AgNP nanocomposites for smart photocatalytic purpose. The results showed that the nanocomposites were more efficient than pure TiO2, with anisotropic AgNPs promoting higher efficiencies. The mechanism evaluation revealed three main routes of photocatalysis, with anisotropic nanostructures corners playing a preferential role. Overall, this research highlights the importance of nanoparticle morphology in the photocatalytic power of TiO2/AgNP nanocomposites.
Article
Polymer Science
Aranza Denisse Vital-Grappin, Maria Camila Ariza-Tarazona, Valeria Montserrat Luna-Hernandez, Juan Francisco Villarreal-Chiu, Juan Manuel Hernandez-Lopez, Cristina Siligardi, Erika Iveth Cedillo-Gonzalez
Summary: The research demonstrates that hydroxyl, holes, superoxide ion, and electrons can act as key radicals in the degradation of high-density polyethylene microplastics using a photocatalytic process, with free hydroxyl generated through electrons playing an important role in the degradation process.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Enrico Quagliarini, Benedetta Gregorini, Marco D'Orazio
Summary: A correct assessment of microalgae growth on porous building materials is important for researchers and practitioners. Traditional models may have limitations in predicting fast growth or extended latency periods. This study proposes a different modeling approach using the logistic function, which seems to better model the available experimental data and overcome the limitations of traditional models.
MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Marco D'Orazio, Elisa Di Giuseppe, Marta Carosi
Summary: An LCA study was conducted to evaluate the environmental impacts of mortars with recycled materials compared to reference mortars. The results showed that mortars with recycled aggregates perform better in all impact categories, indicating the importance of promoting a circular economy perspective.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Arianna Latini, Samantha Di Loreto, Elisa Di Giuseppe, Marco D'Orazio, Costanzo Di Perna
Summary: Virtual reality technology in the architecture, engineering, and construction sectors is still in its infancy, with limited use in visually designed spaces and challenges in improving auditory perception. This study evaluated the effects of acoustics on user comfort and cognitive performance in a virtual office environment, and found that the virtual office created a realistic presence and immersion without causing cybersickness, while ambient noise negatively affected work efficiency and cognitive tests.
JOURNAL OF ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Architecture
Marco D'Orazio, Gabriele Bernardini, Elisa Di Giuseppe
Summary: This work proposes a method to support preventive conservation programs based on the analysis of data collected into CMMS (computer maintenance management software). By analyzing maintenance request data collected in a Cultural Heritage building in Italy, LSTM neural networks were trained to predict the category of each request with a prediction accuracy of 96.6%, demonstrating the potential of this approach in dynamically adapting the maintenance program.
VITRUVIO-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Gianluca Coccia, Serena Summa, Elisa Di Giuseppe, Marco D'Orazio, Michele Zinzi, Costanzo Di Perna
Summary: Due to climate change, urban overheating has increased worldwide in recent decades. Therefore, it is essential to promote effective solutions to mitigate overheating at a micro-scale level. In this study, a modular experimental setup with a water spray system was designed and tested to evaluate its thermohygrometric performance in semi-outdoor spaces. The setup allows for adjusting three operational parameters and evaluating the performance of different configurations for the water spray system. The results showed that the best configuration reduced the dry-bulb temperature by 20% and had minimal water and electricity consumption.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Marco D'Orazio, Enrico Quagliarini, Andrea Gianangeli
Summary: Rainwater affects algae growth on building facades, with wind pressure increasing the water available on surfaces. The application of a neural network analysis shows that factors such as wind speed, wind direction, temperature, humidity, and surface characteristics have an impact on algae growth. Humidity is the main factor affecting microalgae growth, and depending on different climates and orientations, humidity can increase algae coverage by more than two times.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Arianna Latini, Elisa Di Giuseppe, Marco D'Orazio
Summary: The use of Virtual Reality (VR) in assessing comfort, productivity, and behavior in built environments lacks a standardized methodology. This study aims to develop an experimental framework based on five validity types to address this gap and support the application of VR in this research domain. The framework was applied to a case study of a virtual office room to illustrate its suitability and applicability.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Gabriele Bernardini, Ruggiero Lovreglio, Enrico Quagliarini, Marco D'Orazio
Summary: Occupant safety in building fires depends on proper evacuation route selection. Virtual reality (VR) combined with the theory of affordances can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of emergency wayfinding systems (EWSs). Through a VR experiment involving over 70 volunteers, the efficiency of different EWSs was compared based on the theory of affordances. The results showed that passive EWSs received a higher rating in supporting direction selection, while active EWSs were more effective along uni-directional paths.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Marco D'Orazio, Gabriele Bernardini, Elisa Di Giuseppe
Summary: This study aims to examine how preprocessing impacts the ability of machine learning methods to properly assign priority to building maintenance tasks. Four different text preprocessing approaches and five consolidated machine learning methods are combined to classify work orders according to two different priority scales. The results show that strong preprocessing methods do not significantly improve the accuracy of predictions and that certain machine learning methods perform better in assigning priority to urgent requests.
JOURNAL OF ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Humanities, Multidisciplinary
Enrico Quagliarini, Gabriele Bernardini, Marco D'Orazio
Summary: Squares in urban historical built environment are at risk of terrorist acts due to being soft targets and attracting large numbers of users. This study proposes a simulation-based approach to assess how user behavior and square morphology in response to increasing temperatures can alter the risk of terrorist acts during emergency evacuations. An agent-based model is used to simulate user interactions in historical squares. The results show that the layout and size of squares can significantly influence user behavior during an evacuation and that safety behaviors in response to increasing temperatures can improve evacuation performance. Decision-makers can utilize this approach to enhance user comfort and safety during evacuations. Further application to real-world scenarios is encouraged.
Proceedings Paper
Construction & Building Technology
Enrico Quagliarini, Guido Romano, Gabriele Bernardini, Marco D'Orazio
Summary: The sustainable transition to resilient cities is connected to the evaluation of citizens' habits, particularly their use of the built environment. This study aims to provide a quick survey form to collect data on users' vulnerability and exposure to various risks, focusing on squares as meeting spaces. The form is based on remote analysis and can support simulation-based assessments and risk mitigation strategies.
SUSTAINABILITY IN ENERGY AND BUILDINGS 2022
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Construction & Building Technology
Arianna Latini, Samantha Di Loreto, Elisa Di Giuseppe, Marco D'Orazio, Costanzo Di Perna, Valter Lori, Fabio Serpilli
Summary: This study examined the effects of the acoustic environment on cognitive performance and subjective evaluation using VR technology. The results showed that ambient noise negatively influenced work efficiency, and the virtual office demonstrated a high level of presence and immersivity.
SUSTAINABILITY IN ENERGY AND BUILDINGS 2022
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Construction & Building Technology
Gianluca Maracchini, Elisa Di Giuseppe, Marco D'Orazio
Summary: Global and local climate change lead to more frequent and severe extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, which have detrimental effects on people's quality of life, the building sector, and the environment. Low-income households are particularly vulnerable to health issues during heatwaves due to limited access to air conditioning. This study demonstrates the exponential increase in cooling energy consumption during a heatwave, emphasizing the need to consider real-world usage scenarios when assessing the impact on building energy consumption.
SUSTAINABILITY IN ENERGY AND BUILDINGS 2022
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Construction & Building Technology
Gianluca Maracchini, Fatemeh Salehipour Bavarsad, Elisa Di Giuseppe, Marco D'Orazio
Summary: The Urban Heat Island (UHI) phenomenon occurs in cities worldwide and may affect the health of millions of people during heatwaves. Sensitivity (SA) and uncertainty (UA) analysis on microclimate models are important for designing mitigation strategies. This study applies SA and UA using the Urban Weather Generator (UWG) software to the city of Athens, Greece. Results show the highest Urban Heat Island Intensity (UHII) in LCZ2, followed by LCZ3 and LCZ5.
SUSTAINABILITY IN ENERGY AND BUILDINGS 2022
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Gianluca Maracchini, Elisa Di Giuseppe, Marco D'Orazio
Summary: In Europe, the building sector contributes significantly to energy consumption and greenhouse emission. Building energy performance simulation tools are used to assess energy consumption and meet national standards. However, the neglect of uncertainty in modeling occupant behavior leads to unreliable results.
SUSTAINABILITY IN ENERGY AND BUILDINGS 2021
(2022)
