C. R.

Chimie 9 (2006) 750–760

http://france.elsevier.com/direct/CRAS2C/

Account / Revue

Titanium dioxide photocatalysis:

present situation and future approaches
Akira Fujishima *, Xintong Zhang
Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology, KSP Building West 614, 3-2-1 Sakado, Takatsu-ku, Kanagawa 213-0012, Japan

Received 6 October 2004; accepted after revision 2 February 2005

Available online 07 October 2005

Abstract

Scientific studies on photocatalysis started about three decades ago. Titanium dioxide (TiO2), which is one of the most basic
materials in our daily life, has emerged as an excellent photocatalyst material for environmental purification. In this short account,
we will briefly discuss some fundamental studies on TiO2 photocatalysis, summarize the present commercialization of TiO2-
based products, and highlight several points for the future development of TiO2 photocatalysis. To cite this article: A. Fujishima,
X. Zhang, C. R. Chimie 8 (2005).
© 2005 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Résumé

Les études scientifiques sur la photocatalyse hétérogène débutèrent il y a trois décennies. Le bioxyde de titane, un des plus
important produit dans notre vie quotidienne, s’est avéré un très bon photocatalyseur pour la purification de l’environnement.
Dans ce bref exposé, nous discuterons de certains aspects fondamentaux sur la photocatalyse du bioxyde de titane, nous énumè-
rerons certains produits commerciaux oú le TiO2 joue un grand rôle, et nous soulèverons plusieurs points quant au développe-
ment futur de la photocatalyse par le bioxyde de titane. Pour citer cet article : A. Fujishima, X. Zhang, C. R. Chimie 8 (2005).
© 2005 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Titanium dioxide; Photocatalysis; Superhydrophilicity; Self-cleaning surfaces; Air purification; Photocatalytic sterilization; Water
purification

Mots clés : Bioxyde de titane ; Photocatalyse ; Superhydrophilicité ; Surfaces autonettoyantes ; Purification de l’air ; Stérilisation photocataly-
tique ; Purification de l’eau

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: [email protected] (A. Fujishima).

1631-0748/$ - see front matter © 2005 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.crci.2005.02.055
 A. Fujishima, X. Zhang / C. R. Chimie 9 (2006) 750–760 751

1. Introduction

Starting in the late 1960s, we have been involved in

an unfolding story whose main character is the fasci-
nating material titanium dioxide (TiO2). This story,
whose keywords are TiO2 and light, began with photo-
electrochemical solar energy conversion, and then
shifted into the area of environmental photocatalysis
and photo-induced hydrophilicity, and most recently
into the commercialization of TiO2-based photocata-
lytic products. In this account paper, we will briefly
trace the development of TiO2 photocatalysis on the
base of our own contributions, summarize the present Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of an electrochemical photocell. (1) n-type
TiO2 electrode; (2) platinum back counter electrode; (3) ionically
commercialized TiO2-based products, and highlight the
conducting separator; (4) gas buret; (5) load resistance and (6) volt-
future approaches for TiO2 photocatalysis. meter.

an external voltage, according to the following equa-

2. Fundamental studies tions:
– +
TiO2 + 2 hm → 2 e + 2 h (1)
2.1. Discovery: water photo-splitting on TiO2
electrodes + +
H2O + 2 h → (1/2) O 2 + 2 H (at TiO2 electrode) (2)
In the late 1960s, one of the authors of this paper
+ –
(AF) began to study oxide semiconductors that would 2 H + 2 e → H 2 (at Pt electrode) (3)
respond to light, while he was still a graduate student
at the University of Tokyo. In those days, the study of The overall reaction is:
the photocurrent response of ZnO semiconductor elec- H2O + 2 hm → (1/2) O2 + H 2 (4)
trodes in aqueous solution was very active in Germany
and the US [1]. Soon, it became apparent that the chemi- This study attracted worldwide attention, since it
cal reaction that was responsible for the flow of current demonstrated the possibility of generating hydrogen as
was the dissolution of the zinc oxide itself. About that a clean energy source from water and solar irradiation.
time, the author was able to obtain a single crystal of Further, the study on water photo-splitting was extended
the rutile form of titanium dioxide, another semicon- to the heterogeneous photocatalytic approach, i.e. essen-
ductor. The crystal was transparent, like glass, and most tially using photoelectrochemistry but without an exter-
importantly, it was an extremely stable material in the nal circuit. Photocatalytic water splitting has been stud-
presence of aqueous electrolyte solutions. The author ied intensively with TiO2 suspensions, with Pt deposited
(A.F.), connected a complete electrochemical circuit, on the TiO2 as a cathodic catalyst [3]. This field remains
with titanium dioxide and platinum black as the two active, with novel layered metal oxides being the
electrodes, as illustrated in Fig. 1. When the surface of favored materials [4].
the TiO 2 electrode was irradiated with light
(k < 415 nm), photocurrent flowed from the platinum 2.2. Photocatalysis
counter electrode to the TiO2 electrode through the
external circuit. The direction of the current revealed Ever since 1977, when Frank and Bard first exam-
that the oxidation reaction (oxygen evolution) occurred ined the possibilities of using TiO2 to decompose cya-
at the TiO2 electrode and the reduction reaction (hydro- nide in water [5], there has been increasing interest in
gen evolution) at the Pt electrode [2]. This fact shows environmental applications [6,7]. TiO2 is close to being
that water can be decomposed, using UV–visible light, an ideal photocatalyst in several respects. For example,
into oxygen and hydrogen, without the application of it is relatively inexpensive, highly stable chemically,
752 A. Fujishima, X. Zhang / C. R. Chimie 9 (2006) 750–760

and the photogenerated holes are highly oxidizing. As We found that, at these concentrations, weak UV light
shown in Fig. 2, the redox potential for photogenerated of 1 µW cm–2 was sufficient to decompose such com-
holes is +2.53 V versus the standard hydrogen elec- pounds when TiO2 photocatalysts were present. Actu-
trode (SHE) in pH 7 solution. After reaction with water, ally, the quantum yield for a simple photocatalytic reac-
these holes can produce hydroxyl radicals (•OH), whose tion, e.g., 2-propanol oxidation, on a TiO2 film in
redox potential is only slightly decreased. Both are more ambient air, reached a maximum value when the light
positive than that for ozone. The redox potential for intensity was extremely low, as shown in Fig. 3 [14].
conduction band electrons is –0.52 V, which is nega- The maximum quantum yield observed was ~28% for
tive enough to reduce dioxygen to superoxide, or to 1000 ppmv 2-propanol under tens of nW cm–2 UV illu-
hydrogen peroxide. Depending upon the exact condi- mination. The reported maximum QY for acetalde-
tions, the holes, •OH radicals, O2–, H2O2 and O2 itself hyde photocatalytic decomposition was even greater
can all play important roles in the photocatalytic reac- than 100%, due to the existence of a radical chain-type
tion mechanisms. process [15]. Thus, it is even possible to keep indoor
We started our research on photocatalytic environ- air clean with TiO2-containing wallpaper under the illu-
mental purification in the early 1990s. Besides the fun- mination of fluorescent lamps.
damental studies, we have been very interested in the The second example we show here is the antibacte-
practical environmental applications of TiO2 photoca- rial effect of TiO2 under weak UV illumination. In a
talysis. Thus, our research has been focused on the pho- typical experiment, 150 µl of an E. coli suspension,
tocatalytic processes and mechanisms on immobilized containing 3 × 104 cells was placed on an illuminated
TiO2 photocatalysts (glass, tile, and paper, etc.) under TiO2-coated glass plate (1 mW cm–2). Under these con-
weak UV illumination in the range from 1 µW cm–2 to ditions, there were no surviving cells after only 1 h of
1 mW cm–2 [8–13]. We have preferred weak UV illu- illumination [16]. By contrast, after 4 h under UV illu-
mination in our studies, since the ultraviolet light in mination without a TiO2 film, only 50% of the cells
direct sunlight is generally 2–3 mW cm–2 in Japan, and were killed. In addition, the dead cells could be decom-
that in a reasonably well-lit room is approximately posed completely by the TiO2 photocatalyst [17]. TiO2-
1 µW cm–2. Some interesting and important results have based antibacterial products, such as tiles, fibers, and
been reported during our studies, and these will be sprays, etc., have been commercialized in Japan. Anti-
described briefly below; most are closely related to prac- bacterial tiles have been applied to the floors and walls
tical applications. of several hospital operating rooms in Japan, where ster-
The first example we show here is the removal of ile conditions are crucial. After installing the tiles, the
indoor odors by immobilized TiO2 films under weak bacterial counts on the walls decreased to negligible
UV illumination. Odors that are objectionable to levels in a period of 1 h. Surprisingly, the bacterial
humans are due to compounds which are present only
on the order of 10 parts per million by volume (ppmv).

Fig. 2. Schematic diagram showing the potentials for various redox Fig. 3. Quantum-yield dependence on absorbed photons at various
processes occurring on the TiO2 surface at pH 7. initial 2-propanol concentrations [17].
 A. Fujishima, X. Zhang / C. R. Chimie 9 (2006) 750–760 753

counts in the surrounding air also decreased signifi-

cantly [8].
The third example we show here is a self-cleaning
TiO2 surface under weak UV illumination. In our study,
we found that organic compounds, such as octadecane,
glycerol trioleate, and poly (ethylene glycol) (MW
500 000), could be decomposed completely on the TiO2
surface under weak UV illumination (1 mW cm–2) at
significant rates, with the evolution of CO2 as the only
detectable gas-phase product [18]. This observation is
important, because it shows that the TiO2 surface has
the ability to self-regenerate. Most soilage of the inte-
riors of buildings comes from organic substances. Pho-
tocatalysts are not especially useful for breaking down Fig. 4. Concentration change of E1 in discharged water from a sewage
large volumes of soilage, but they are capable of treatment plant during photocatalysis [21]. The measurement was
repeated three times (UV light intensity, 1.2 mW cm–2; water tem-
destroying it as it accumulates. TiO2 photocatalysts thus perature, 15 °C).
hold great potential as quiet, unobtrusive self-cleaning
materials. 2.3. Photo-induced superhydrophilicity
The fourth example we show here is the photocata- The superhydrophilicity of TiO2 was actually dis-
lytic decomposition of endocrine-disrupter chemicals covered by accident in work that was being carried out
(EDCs) in water. Natural estrogens of 17b-estradiol at the laboratories of TOTO Inc., in 1995. It was found
(E2) and estron (E1) are basic female sex hormones that, if a TiO2 film was prepared with a certain percent-
and are well known to exhibit estrogenic activities age of SiO2, it acquired superhydrophilic properties,
potently, even at a very low concentrations (~ 10–9 M). i.e. a water contact angle of ~ 0° after UV illumination.
Recently, they have been reported to be important EDCs In further study, we found that the photo-induced supe-
in the aquatic environment, which may be associated rhydrophilicity was an intrinsic property of the TiO2
with increased incidences of hermaphrodite carp and surface, as shown in Fig. 5 [22,23]. The mechanism for
trout in British rivers that receive significant inputs of this process was proposed on the basis of the recon-
domestic effluents [19]. We found that the two com- struction of the surface hydroxyl groups under UV irra-
pounds (E1 and E2) dissolved in water could be decom- diation [24]. As illustrated in Fig. 6, photoexcited elec-
posed completely by TiO2 photocatalysts under weak
illumination [20,21]. Most importantly, the intermedi-
ates produced during photocatalytic reactions did not
exhibit any potent estrogenic activity in the treated
water. We designed a photocatalytic reactor using TiO2-
modified-PTFE mesh sheets as photocatalysts, and
applied this to treat the water discharged from the
Kitano sewage treatment plant at the Tama River near
Tokyo. Concentrations of E1 and E2 in the discharged
water were 140 and 15 ng l−1, respectively. Under UV
illumination (1.2 mW cm–2), about 90% of the initial
E1 was decomposed in a short time, with very good
reproducibility, as shown in Fig. 4 [21]. Thus, TiO2 pho-
tocatalysis can be applied in water treatment as a novel
method for removing natural and synthetic estrogens
effectively, without generating biologically active inter- Fig. 5. Water contact angle as a function of time under UV illumina-
mediates. tion (1.1 mW cm–2) for a polycrystalline TiO2 film on glass.
754 A. Fujishima, X. Zhang / C. R. Chimie 9 (2006) 750–760

the processing, the surface can have more photocata-

lytic character and less superhydrophilic character, or
vice versa.
There is an extremely wide range of applications for
superhydrophilic technology. For example, an antifog-
ging surface can be prepared by the superhydrophilic
effect. Fogging of the surfaces of mirrors and glass
occurs when humid air condenses, with the formation
of many small water droplets, which scatter light. On a
superhydrophilic surface, no water droplets are formed.
Instead, a uniform film of water can from on the sur-
face, and this film does not scatter light. The superhy-
drophilic property also helps the self-cleaning process
Fig. 6. Surface reconstruction on TiO2 during the reversible hydro- on TiO2, which will be discussed in the next section.
philic changes [24].

trons are captured by molecular oxygen, while the holes

3. Present situation of TiO2 photocatalysis
diffuse to the TiO2 surface, being trapped at lattice oxy-
gen atoms. Subsequently, the hole trapping weakens 3.1. General
the binding energy between the Ti atom and the lattice
oxygen, and another adsorbed water molecule breaks The commercialization of TiO2-based photocata-
this bond, forming new hydroxyl groups. In the dark, lytic products commenced in the mid-1990s in Japan.
the hydroxyl groups gradually desorb from the surface However, this industry has grown very quickly, and its
in the form of H2O2 or H2O + O2. market reached ca. 30 billion Japanese yen in Japan in
The photo-induced hydrophilic conversion is a dif- 2003. More than 2000 companies have joined in this
ferent process from the photocatalytic decomposition new industry, whose products can be mainly divided
of organic contaminants. Strontium titanate, which has into five categories, i.e. exterior construction materi-
almost the same photocatalytic oxidation power as TiO2, als, interior furnishing materials, road construction
does not become hydrophilic by means of UV irradia- materials, purification facilities, and household goods,
tion [25]. However, WO3, which shows a photo-induced etc., as shown in Table 1. Among the five main catego-
hydrophilic conversion, does not exhibit photocata- ries, the self-cleaning exterior construction materials
lytic activity [26]. It is one of the unique aspects of occupied the biggest market share, as depicted in
TiO2 that there are actually two distinct photo-induced Table 2. However, the market share of purification facili-
phenomena, i.e. the photocatalytic phenomenon and the ties grew at the highest rate, from 9% in 2002 to 33%
photo-induced superhydrophilic phenomenon. Even in 2003, which was mainly due to the contribution of
though they are intrinsically different processes, they air purification products, including air cleaners and air
can, and in fact must, take place simultaneously on the conditioners. We will emphasize the above two catego-
same TiO2 surface. Depending on the composition and ries in the next section.
Table 1
TiO2-based photocatalytic products that have appeared on the market in Japan
Categories Products Properties
Exterior construction materials Tiles, glass, tents, plastic films, aluminum panels, coatings, Self-cleaning
Interior furnishing materials Tiles, wallpaper, window blinds, Self-cleaning, antibacterial
Road-construction materials Soundproof walls, tunnel walls, road-blocks, coatings, traffic signs and Self-cleaning, air-cleaning
reflectors, lamp covers
Purification facilities Air cleaners, air conditioners, purification system for wastewater and Air-cleaning, water-cleaning,
sewage, purification system for pools antibacterial
Household goods Fibers, clothes, leathers, lightings, sprays Self-cleaning, antibacterial
Others Facilities for agricultural uses Air-cleaning, antibacterial
 A. Fujishima, X. Zhang / C. R. Chimie 9 (2006) 750–760 755

Table 2 superhydrophilic properties of TiO2. That is, as shown

Market share of the photocatalytic products by categories in 2 recent in Fig. 7, gradually adsorbed organic soilage such as
years
oil is decomposed by the photocatalytic property of
Year 2002 (%) 2003 (%)
TiO2, while organic contaminants and dust can be
Exterior construction materials 61 44
washed off by rainwater because of the superhydro-
Interior furnishing materials 20 13
Road-construction materials 6 4
philic property of TiO2. It is not true that a superhydro-
Purification facilities 9 33 philic self-cleaning surface will never turn dirty, since
Household goods 4 5 the self-cleaning process is dependent on the illumina-
Others – 1 tion conditions of sunlight, the amount of rainfall, and
the accumulation rate of soilage, etc. But it is really
3.2. Self-cleaning exterior construction materials true that such a self-cleaning surface will retard the rate
of contamination, and thus save a lot of time and cost
TiO2-based self-cleaning exterior products, includ- for cleaning maintenance, which is very difficult for
ing tiles, glass, tents, etc., have been widely applied in high buildings and flexible plastic materials (e.g. domes,
Japan. Such products can keep clean by the action of canopies and tents).
sunlight and rainwater, based on the photocatalytic and TOTO Inc. is the main producer of TiO2-based self-
cleaning tiles in Japan. Its self-cleaning tiles have been
applied on more than 5000 buildings in Japan accord-
ing to statistical data for 2003. Among these, the most
famous building is the Maru building, which lies in the
central business district of Tokyo. As shown in Fig. 8,
the self-cleaning tiles are resistant to staining from water
that runs off a roof. Generally, the common tile-
covered building has to be cleaned every 5 years. How-
ever, the self-cleaning tiles are predicted to stay clean
for more than 20 years by TOTO Inc., and thus save
much of the cost for maintenance. In addition, self-
Fig. 7. Schematic diagram of the decontamination process occurred cleaning tiles can decompose air pollutants such as
on the superhydrophilic self-cleaning surface. nitrogen oxides (NOx), and reduce the amounts of deter-

Fig. 8. Photograph showing alternating self-cleaning (A) and ordinary (B) exterior wall tiles that have been placed so that water from a corru-
gated metal roof runs off onto the wall [23].
756 A. Fujishima, X. Zhang / C. R. Chimie 9 (2006) 750–760

gents used; therefore, it is truly an environmentally

benign construction material.
TiO2-based self-cleaning glass is also an important
commercial self-cleaning product. Such glass can main-
tain extreme visual clarity even on a rainy day, since
water does not bead, but instead spreads evenly across
the surface. If the amount of water is relatively small,
the water layer becomes very thin and evaporates
quickly. If the amount of water is larger, it forms a sheet-
like layer that also has high visual clarity. It may be
surprising that TiO2-coated glass can maintain the light
transmittance properties of common glass, since the
higher refractive index of TiO2 enhances the surface
reflection. Actually, TiO2 nanoparticles are dispersed
in a SiO2 matrix in the coating for self-cleaning glass.
The composition of the coating is carefully controlled
so that its refractive index is close to that of glass.
Another important TiO2-based self-cleaning prod-
Fig. 9. Photograph of TiO2-based porous ceramics filters for air clea-
uct is self-cleaning polymer film materials. Taiyo
ner uses.
Kangyo Co. is the main manufacturer of self-cleaning
tents for storage uses in Japan. The tent material, made ventional air cleaners, the TiO2-based photocatalyst fil-
from flexible poly (vinylchloride) film, is difficult to ter can decompose the adsorbed pollutants instead of
clean. Coating the PVC film with a TiO2 layer can accumulating them, and thus it exhibits better air-
resolve the soilage problem. However, an intermediate cleaning performance, as shown in Fig. 10. In addition,
layer with an inorganic-organic graded structure is nec- the photocatalyst-type air cleaner can also kill the bac-
essary to avoid the photodegradation of the PVC film teria floating in indoor air, which is very important for
by the TiO2 coating. Based on this technique, a self- the applications in hospitals, institutions for the eld-
cleaning tent showed high stability during a 4-year out- erly, and schools, etc.
door exposure test.

3.3. Uses in air cleaners

Another important application of TiO2 photocata-

lysts is in the purification of indoor air. Malodorous
substances such as ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, acetal-
dehyde, toluene, methyl mercaptan, etc., involve seri-
ous risks to health or comfort. Their concentrations in
indoor air are always low, which is very suitable for
TiO2-based air purification. A photocatalyst-type air
cleaner is typically composed of TiO2-based filters, UV
lamps, and a fan for air circulation. The filters feature
honeycomb-type construction or three-dimensional
porous structure for minimum pressure drop. Fig. 9 Fig. 10. Example of cleaning nitrogen oxide (NOx) in a typical apart-
shows a picture of TiO2-coated porous ceramics filters ment room. Curve a: natural decrease of NOx in room; curve b: NOx
for air cleaner uses. TiO2 nanoparticles are coated on concentration change when an air cleaner containing only activated
carbon adsorbent was working; curve c: NOx concentration change
or dispersed in the body of filters with active carbon, when an air cleaner containing irradiated photocatalyst on activated
zeolite, etc., as co-adsorbents. In contrast to the single carbon was working; curve d: environmental standard for NOx (data
function of adsorption for active carbon filters in con- courtesy of Daikin Industries, Ltd.).
 A. Fujishima, X. Zhang / C. R. Chimie 9 (2006) 750–760 757

The air cleaners are available in various sizes, which However, this attempt failed, since no semiconduc-
have been developed to clean the air in a car or in an tors thus far could meet the requirements of band
entire factory or hospital. After long-term use, the filter gap, chemical stability, and photocatalytic activity
may be poisoned by HNO3 or H2SO4 formed during together. The recently reported InTaO4 photocata-
removal of ammonia or hydrogen sulfide. The poi- lyst can photo-split water with visible light, but its
soned filter can be regenerated by simple washing with efficiency was lower than 1% [4].
water. Now, there are more than 30 companies manu- • Doping of photocatalysts with metal ions (for ex-
facturing photocatalyst-type air cleaners in Japan. Some ample Cr3+, Fe3+), which create local energy levels
air-conditioners have also been equipped with TiO2 within the band gap of the photocatalyst, with cor-
photocatalytic filters. responding absorption bands lying in the visible
spectral range [27,28]. It was assumed that the pho-
toexcitation of such impurities should lead to the
4. Future perspectives generation of free charge carriers to initiate surface
chemical processes. However, the efficiency of such
4.1. Visible-light photocatalysts
systems under visible light strongly depended on the
One of the major challenges for the scientific com- preparation method used. In some cases, such doped
munity involved in photocatalytic research is to increase photocatalysts showed no activity under visible light
the spectral sensitivity of photocatalysts to visible light, and lower activity in the UV spectral range com-
which composes the largest part of solar radiation. Ana- pared to the non-doped photocatalysts because of
tase TiO2, which is the most photoactive phase of TiO2, high carrier recombination rates through the metal
only absorbs ultraviolet light with wavelengths shorter ion levels.
than 380 nm, as shown in Fig. 11. However, the UV • Doping of photocatalysts with non-metal atoms, such
part of direct sunlight is generally in the range of as N, S and C. Asahi et al. reported significant red
2–3 mW cm−2 in Japan. The content of ultraviolet light shifts (up to 540 nm) of the spectral limit of the pho-
in indoor illumination is significantly smaller than that toactivity of TiO2 photocatalysts doped with N [29].
in sunlight, because the fluorescent lamp mainly emits They interpreted such results in terms of band gap
visible light. narrowing due to mixing of the p states of the dopants
To utilize the visible light for photocatalysis, sev- with O 2 p states forming the valence band of TiO2,
eral different approaches have been proposed: as illustrated in Fig. 12. A similar conclusion has
• Utilization of semiconductors, such as CdS, Cu2O, also been reached by Ohno et al. [30] for the spec-
Fe2O3, WO3, etc., which can absorb visible light [6]. tral changes observed for S-doped TiO2.
Among the three approaches, the third one tends to
be the best for the development of photocatalysts uti-

Fig. 11. Spectra of AM 1.5G sunlight (solid line) and a fluorescent Fig. 12. Schematic diagram of the electronic structures of TiO2 (left),
lamp (dashed line), and absorption spectrum of anatase film photo- TiO2 with light N-doping (middle) and TiO2 with heavy N-doping
catalyst (dotted line). (right).
758 A. Fujishima, X. Zhang / C. R. Chimie 9 (2006) 750–760

lizing visible light. Actually, commercial visible light-

type TiO2 (VL-TiO2) photocatalysts based on the third
method, i.e. the anion doping method, have been com-
mercially available in the form of powders and colloi-
dal solutions in Japan. VL-TiO2-based filters for air
cleaners are also available commercially. It is apparent
that all of the applications of TiO2 photocatalysis dis-
cussed above can be promoted with VL-TiO2, espe-
cially for indoor antibacterial and self-cleaning appli-
cations, and the applications in water cleanup with solar
light. The present problem for the anion-doped TiO2
photocatalysts is that their photocatalytic activities
under visible light are much lower than those under
ultraviolet light. Much effort must be devoted to over- Fig. 13. Emission spectra of the UVLED with central emission at
come this obstacle. 400 nm (straight line) and the UVLED with central emission at
370 nm; and absorption spectra of anatase TiO2 photocatalyst (dot-
4.2. Light source ted line) and VL-TiO2 photocatalyst (dash-dotted line).

higher than that of the tube-type black light, due to the

So far, the most common light source in use in TiO2 usage of a GaN-based luminescent layer. Further reduc-
photocatalysis is the black-light-type UV lamp, which tions in production costs are necessary for the practical
emits light in the UV-A bands (kmax = 355 nm). A black- application of UVLEDs in photocatalysis.
light tube is basically a fluorescent lamp with a differ-
ent phosphor coating. This coating absorbs harmful 4.3. Standardization
short-wave UV-B and UV-C light emitted from ener-
gized mercury atoms, and emits UV-A light. The black To establish a set of standard evaluation methods for
glass tube itself blocks most visible light, so in the end, photocatalytic products is another urgent subject for
only benign long-wave UV-A light and some blue and TiO2-based photocatalysis. The market for photocata-
violet light pass through. The tube-type black light is a lytic products has grown to tens of billion Japanese yen
relative cheap, low power UV source, and most impor- in Japan in a short period from the mid-1990s and is
tantly, TiO2 can utilize its emission highly efficiently. expected to reach one trillion yen in the near future.
Therefore, it has been widely applied in commercial However, despite the vast enthusiasm of the photoca-
air cleaners and water cleaners. talysis industry, consumers often cannot understand
However, the volume of the tube-type black light is well the performance of photocatalytic products, or can-
relative large, so that it cannot meet the requirements not make reasonable comparisons among the products
of miniaturized photocatalytic devices. Recently, light- from several producers, because of a lack of standard
emission diodes that can emit ultraviolet light have evaluation methods for photocatalytic products.
appeared on the market. Fig. 13 shows the spectral dis- We started the Photocatalysis Standardization Com-
tribution of two ultraviolet light LED (UVLED) devices mittee in Japan in September of 2002. This committee
produced by the Izumi Optical Devices Co., Japan. Each is made up of four subcommittees, in charge of stan-
device (5 × 5 × 0.3 cm), consisting of 25 isolated LEDs, dard evaluation methods for self-cleaning products, air
operates at DC 24 V. The peak emissive wavelengths purification products, water purification products, and
are 370 and 400 nm for the two devices, respectively. antibacterial products. The committee, composed of ca.
The device with the emission of 370 nm is well suited 60 members from experts, manufacturers and users, is
for anatase-type TiO2 photocatalysts. The device with sponsored by the ministry of economy, Trade and Indus-
the peak emission of 400 nm, however, may be utilized try (MITI) of Japan. The first proposal, photocatalytic
by rutile-type or VL-type TiO2 photocatalysts. UVLED materials–air purification test procedures, has been pro-
devices are almost ideal light sources for miniaturized posed to the Japan Industry Standardization (JIS) com-
photocatalytic devices. However, their price is much mittee, and has also been proposed to ISO/TC206. This
 A. Fujishima, X. Zhang / C. R. Chimie 9 (2006) 750–760 759

committee has also made great progress in the evalua-

tion methods for self-cleaning products, antibacterial
products, and water purification products, etc.
The standardization of photocatalytic products has
also started in Europe. In Asia, China and South Korea
have also started standardization procedures. We expect
that international standard evaluation systems for pho-
tocatalytic products, which are vital for the healthy
development of the photocatalysis industry, will come
into being in the world in the near future.

4.4. Popularization

This past April, Professor Ken-ichi Honda and the

author (A.F.) were awarded the Japan Prize for Chemi- Fig. 14. Photograph of a tent (Taiyo Kangyo Co.) whose left half has
cal Technology for the Environment, for our pioneer- been coated with a TiO2 self-cleaning layer after an outdoor expo-
sure test for 2 months in the Photocatalyst Museum of KAST.
ing work on photochemical catalysis and its applica-
tions for the environment. It is a great academic honor expect that the Museum can help the visitors to liter-
for us, and it means that the importance of TiO2 photo- ally get in touch with TiO2 photocatalysis, and thus it
catalysis for environmental cleanup has received wide can popularize the concepts of photocatalytic environ-
acceptance from the academic community. However, mental cleanup to the public. We also expect to see more
the future of TiO2 photocatalysis is dependent more on and more public facilities similar to the Photocatalysis
the acceptance from the public. Museum appearing in the world.
On July 21 of this year, we opened the Photocataly-
sis Museum in the Kanagawa Academy of Science and
Technology (KAST). It is the first museum for photo- Acknowledgements
catalysis in the world. More than 40 main manufactur-
ers exhibit their photocatalytic products in the Museum, The authors thank Dr. D.A. Tryk for carefully read-
which represents the current commercialized photo- ing the manuscript.
catalytic products in Japan. Also, there is a corner for
all kinds of books on semiconductor photocatalysis
inside the Museum, which are available for visitors. References
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