report
6.2.6 Current situation within the EU

Several research projects have been or are currently financed to investigate the application of nanotechnology for air purification:

The COST Action 540 (Photocatalytic technologies and novel nanosurfaces materials - critical issues (PHONASUM)) is a network of researchers and practitioners working in the field of photocatalysis from all around Europe. The main objective of the Action is to increase via a concerted European effort the fundamental knowledge of nanocrystalline photoactive materials and development of new products, which utilize self sterilizing and self cleaning photoactive materials in specific industrially relevant application fields such as self-cleaning and anti-microbial surfaces, water treatment, air purification and general hygienic applications. The realization of these tasks will be accomplished through the development of novel highly active photocatalytic nanomaterials and coating systems with increased sensitivity in the visible region of the solar spectrum, with high environmental stability and adaptability on the various substrate systems. The Action will also concentrate on the development of EU standards for the characterization of photocatalytic materials. The Action commenced in January 2006 and will continue for four years. (www.cost540.com)

The European STREP Project on Self Cleaning Glass aims at developing a European standard for self-cleaning glass (www.self-cleaning-glass.com). This standardization proposal is based on the scientific knowledge provided by :

·         the study of the behavior of standard and self-cleaning glass in urban polluted atmosphere

·         the understanding of the mechanisms and modeling of self-cleaning glass functionality

·         the measurements of soiling methods, elements and data, essential for the setting-up of a new standardisation for self-cleaning glass

The consortium consists of 11 partners (industry and research) from 5 EU-countries.

The European-Japanese Initiative on Photocatalytic Applications and Commercialisation (EJIPAC) aims at establishing collaboration between Japanese and European companies and institutions in the field of self cleaning surface coatings and air and water purification methods (www.ejipac.de). One of the main objectives of EJIPAC is to make photocatalytic technologies available to interested European industries and users, especially in the areas of self-cleaning surfaces, anti-microbial surfaces, anti-fogging, hydrophilic and architectural cooling technologies, water treatment, air purification and general hygienic applications. Moreover, the Initiative is interested in involving scientists who want to have their research results implemented and to make these technologies available to small and medium-size enterprises.

PICADA: The aim of the project was to develop a range of photocatalytically active materials and to evaluate their effect at a large scale (typically in street canyons). It started in 2002 and ended in 2005.

http://www.picada-project.com/domino/SitePicada/Picada.nsf?OpenDataBase

CONCORDE: This EU-funded project has developed nanostructured metal oxide catalysts for use in a variety of industrial applications. It had the objective of co-ordinating the R & D activities of leading European laboratories working with redoxactive, multifunctional Nanostructured metal oxides which are efficient as catalysts in chemical processes relevant for a sustainable chemistry and the protection of the environment. The project started in 2004 and ended in 2006.

http://www.icp.csic.es/concorde

The proceedings of the final project conference are available at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=PublicationURL&_tockey=%23TOC%235226%232007%23998719996%23670962%23FLA%23&_cdi=5226&_pubType=J&view=c&_auth=y&_acct=C000036252&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=4900406&md5=18ab9d5bcd5cb2d799b30ff5db555573