Smog-Eating Concrete Panels

Dr. Amanda Bordelon and her students Catalina Arboleda and James Holt constructed “smog-eating” concrete panels for the 6th floor roof terrace of the Quinney Law Building. These panels contain TiO2 nanoparticles embedded in a concrete mixture. The TiO2 is activated by UV light and moderate humidity levels in the air to break down NOx, SOx, and VOCs found in smog. The group is looking for funding to analyze the effect of cement color (chemistry and albedo effects) on the efficiency of the reaction. Past research done related to efficiency and rejuvenation of the embedded TiO2 particles has been published by the Dr. Bordelon’s group in Construction and Building Materials journal http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950061815302142.