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.