Photocatalytic Air Purification Technologies

Photocatalytic air purification employs semiconductor materials, predominantly TiO₂, irradiated by ultraviolet or visible light to generate electron–hole pairs that produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydroxyl radicals and superoxide anions. These ROS oxidise and decompose airborne pollutants—including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), microorganisms and odorous compounds—into benign end products such as carbon dioxide and water. This approach offers continuous operation at ambient temperature, minimal formation of secondary pollutants and facile integration into heating, ventilation and air‐conditioning systems, portable devices and building materials. Recent advances focus on extending light absorption into the visible spectrum through doping, heterostructure formation and surface sensitisation; optimising reactor designs to enhance mass transfer and photon utilisation; and coupling photocatalysts with adsorption media to concentrate contaminants at active sites. Applications span indoor environmental control, healthcare settings and public transport, addressing global challenges in indoor air quality, pathogen inactivation and urban VOC reduction.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Photocatalytic Air Purification Technologies publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in photocatalytic air purification technologies across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO): a process in which light-activated semiconductors generate reactive species that oxidise airborne contaminants.

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂): a wide-bandgap semiconductor commonly employed as a photocatalyst under UV or modified to respond to visible light.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS): highly reactive molecules such as hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and superoxide anions (O₂•⁻) that drive the degradation of pollutants.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): organic chemicals with appreciable vapour pressure at ambient conditions that can be harmful or odorous even at low concentrations.

Langmuir–Hinshelwood kinetics: a surface‐reaction model describing reaction rates based on adsorption and reaction of gaseous species on catalytic surfaces.

References

1. Experimental study of the purification performance of a MopFan-based photocatalytic air cleaning system. Building and Environment (2023).
2. Photocatalysis for Air Treatment Processes: Current Technologies and Future Applications for the Removal of Organic Pollutants and Viruses. Catalysts (2020).
3. Photocatalytic generation of gas phase reactive oxygen species from adsorbed water: Remote action and electrochemical detection. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering (2021).