Risk Assessment Assisted by TiO2 Photocatalytic Oxidation

Our long term objective is to utilize the photocatalytic property of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) to convert volatile organic compounds (VOC) in contaminated air to carbon dioxide as a measure of total organic carbon (TOC) for risk assessment in space crafts. Photocatalytically active TiO₂ surfaces prepared using Degussa P25 and sol-gel methods were evaluated for this purpose. Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) of representative air contaminants (e.g. ethanol, toluene, dichloromethane, and acetaldehyde) by Degussa P25 immobilized on aluminum substrate revealed several shortcomings that are not suitable for our intended application. A series of experiments were conducted to optimize parameters during TiO₂ sol preparation and thin film deposition.