Evaluation of the Performance and Durability of Self-Cleaning Treatments Based on TiO2 Nanoparticles Applied to Cement-Based Renders and Boards

Photocatalytic coatings based on TiO2 nanoparticles have been applied to building materials over the past few decades, following encouraging results obtained by many laboratory studies and a onsite testing campaigns showing their self-cleaning, antimicrobial depolluting performance. However, these clearly point out need for deeper understanding of effectiveness TiO2-based treatments when different substrates durability exposed an outdoor environment. The present paper investigates behavior nanodispersion titania cement-based substrates. Cementitious are widely used in façades, roofs, structures, roads tunnels; hence, any improvement performance and/or introduction new unique functionalities potentially very high impact everyday life. A was brushing spraying three (a render, prefabricated board painted board), investigating its photocatalytic activity. Then, samples were subjected two artificially weathering procedures, involving rain washout UV light exposure, changes terms activity contact angle measured. suggest that nature substrate plays key role coating has significant too.