Photocatalysis

The Chemistry of UV-PCO

Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) occurs when UV-A light (from sunlight, fluorescent light, or UV-A LEDs) activates MOM and triggers two chemical reactions that lead to the almost instantaneous formation of hydroxyl radicals and superoxide anions. These highly reactive chemical agents interact instantly on the treated surface to accelerate the environmentally beneficial decomposition of all organic contaminants (mold, oil, rubber, biofilm, methane, and VOCs) through oxidation and to reduce/neutralize inorganic contaminants (such as NOx and SOx).

Hydroxyl radicals (OH*), nature's strongest non-toxic oxidizing agent, are formed when light-energized MOM extracts a hydrogen atom from water vapor H2O in the air (humidity). The hydroxyl radicals formed on the treated surface act like Pac-Men, aggressively attacking the carbon hydrogen bonds present in all organic molecules over and over again until nothing remains from this oxidation process except water and a small amount of CO2. PCO life cycle analyses have found that the technology is a significant net environmental asset. The small amount of CO2 produced is more than offset by the gains from the reduction of methane, NOx, and VOCs (all major criteria pollutants) in the atmosphere and the gains from reduced water, chemical, and energy use through reduced maintenance.

Superoxide anions (O2-), one of nature's strongest reducing agents, are formed when oxygen molecules in the air (O2) interact with MOM with light energy and receive an extra electron that creates (O2-). When polluted air comes into contact with a surface treated with PURETI, these superoxide anions interact with NOx (the largest greenhouse gas that retains heat and is the key ingredient of acid rain and smog) and remove it from the atmosphere by reducing it to benign nitrates. The power of PCO technology, activated by light and reducing smog, is widely documented and definitively proven in scientific literature.

This process occurs in billionths of a second and continues to clean the air whenever there is light, moisture, PURETi and air flow. The self-cleaning function of photocatalytic surfaces is enhanced by the fact that photocatalytically active surfaces are hydrophilic. This water coating effect allows small amounts of water to remove any inorganic particles that may remain in contact with the surface due to gravity or electrostatic forces.