Preparation of titanium dioxide nano particle modified photocatalytic self-cleaning concrete

The self-cleaning concrete is a potential approach to make the city cleaner by reducing the air pollutants. In this study, a photocatalytic concrete with ultra-smooth surface was fabricated with a new approach taking use of the nano granular nature of the main hydration product of cement i.e. Calcium Silicate Hydrates (C-S-H) and the photocatalysis properties of TiO2 nano particles. Results show that the surface of the fabricated concrete was covered by C-S-H and TiO2 nano particles around tens of nm; the surface roughness of the concrete was 3.5-11 nm; the surface of the photocatalytic ultra-smooth concrete can degrade methylene blue (MB) effectively. Due to its ultra-smooth surface and photocatalytic properties, the residue of contaminants will be washed away by the rain; this new type of concrete is promising to be utilized as a self-cleaning finishing material for the urban buildings. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.