Photocatalytic Environmental Purification Technology: From the Late 1990s to the Early 2000s

Photocatalytic Environmental Purification Technology: From the Late 1990s to the Early 2000s
Photocatalytic environmental purification technology was positioned as a fundamental environmental technology in Japan from the late 1990s to the early 2000s, and research and development in this field was conducted under industry-academia-government collaboration. Amid the demand for countermeasures against water pollution, air pollution, and the odors and toxic substances associated with urban living, this purification method attracted high expectations as a method that does not require the use of chemicals or large amounts of energy. The core of this method was a photocatalytic reaction using titanium dioxide, which exhibited strong oxidizing power when irradiated with ultraviolet light, and was characterized by its ability to decompose organic matter and odor components. At the time, there was much public concern about dioxin and volatile organic compounds, and this technology attracted attention as a means of purification without increasing the environmental burden. In t
he early 2000s, the technology was positioned as a complementary technology, but the principle that the reaction proceeds only with light and materials was recognized as the basis for sustainable environmental purification materials. The principle of reaction proceeds only with light and materials formed the basis for sustainable environmental purification materials, which were subsequently applied to building materials and living environment fields.