Biosaludables
Photocatalytic oxidation of ENERGIO air: air quality and health
By definition, photocatalysis is the acceleration of a photoreaction in the presence of a catalyst. A catalyst is a substance that accelerates a chemical reaction without being consumed in that chemical reaction.
Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) starts when UV-A light (from sunlight, fluorescent light or UV-A LED) activates titanium dioxide (TiO2) and triggers two chemical reactions that lead to the almost instantaneous formation of hydroxyl radicals and superoxide anions. These highly reactive chemicals interact instantly on the treated surface to accelerate the environmentally beneficial breakdown of all organic contaminants (mold, oil, rubber, biofilm, methane, and VOC) through oxidation.
The action mechanism of the catalyst of the ENERGIO air system is designed to eliminate any organic compound dissolved in the air that passes through the photocatalysis reactor, from volatile organic compounds (VOCs), to prokaryotic cells with cell walls, thus reaching all the microorganisms present in the air: viruses, molds and yeasts, bacteria, fungi and their products (mycotoxins, allergens ...).
Its great advantage is the high power of deactivating the DNA of microorganisms, such as viruses and bacteria.
ENERGIO air photocatalytic oxidation
The system currently uses two semiconductors as catalysts (UV / TiO2 ZrO2) that uses photons in the UV range of the solar spectrum as an energy source, generating free radicals that act by oxidizing organic compounds and disinfecting the air.
When the photocatalyst of titanium dioxide and zirconia (TiO2 / ZrO2) absorbs the ultraviolet (UV) light coming from the lamps, the absence of an electron is produced in the valence bands, also called the electron-hole pair, the hollow electron contributes to the passage of electric current in semiconductors.
Electrons in the valence bands of titanium dioxide and zirconia are excited if a beam of UV light of suitable wavelength is incident. The energy associated with light makes the electrons rise up to the conduction band of both dioxides, creating positive and negative electron hollow pairs in the catalyst. This stage of the action of the photo-catalyst is called the "photo-excitation state" of the semiconductor.
The positive gap of titanium dioxide and zirconia forms hydrogen gas and hydroxyl radicals. The negative electron reacts with the oxygen molecule to form superoxide anion. This cycle continues indefinitely as long as light is available. Organic molecules are coupled in the same way with the active sites of the catalyst (positive hole and negative electron) and with the free radicals generated on the surface of titanium and zirconia dioxides. The result is a complex series of cascade reactions whose end products are CO2 and H2O in trace amounts.
MAIN ADVANTAGES OF THE USE OF PHOTO-CATALYTIC OXIDATION TECHNOLOGY:
From the health sector we find different advantages, such as the continuous elimination of agents that can harm our respiratory system. The air expelled from the catalyst does not contain organic matter. The air flow that passes through the catalyst is calculated so that the yield of the catalyst is greater than 99.99%, involving both the composition of the TiO2 / ZrO2 matrix and the placement of the supports, of crystalline origin, whose design leads to maximum performance.
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