EAGER: Air Purification Pavement Surface Coating by Atmospheric Pressure Cold Plasma

This EAGER award will use an atmospheric pressure cold plasma (APCP) coating techniques to make a durable TiO2 coating at the surface of paving materials (or other infrastructural materials). The photocatlytic material will be tested for its ability to oxidize VOCs and remove NOx from the atmosphere. This project will improve our fundamental understanding of the physicochemical and micromechanical behavior of engineering materials under different conditions. The process of identifying appropriate plasma gas and precursor agents will help develop a thorough knowledge of the material chemistry (at the molecular level) and understand interaction at interfaces. The project will produce an innovative engineering material surface treatment and processing method for enhanced TiO2 adhesion and durability, which can be transferrable to other engineering materials such as wood, concrete, and steel. The developed atmospheric pressure cold plasma (APCP) coating technique has great potential to be used to enhance bonding at material interfaces for various purposes such as anti-corrosion and anti-abrasion.

The integration of the research plan with an education and outreach program will address broader environmental and social issues. Once the innovative concept of using atmospheric pressure cold plasma to treat the surface of paving materials with TiO2 and improve the air quality of living environment as proposed in this study is shown to be feasible, this will lead to a new area of research which could have significant impact on the engineering profession and the public.