TOTO Ltd. Photocatalyst Business Division 1.Introduction When a photocatalyst titanium dioxide (TiO2) captures ultraviolet light (UV), it forms activated oxygen from water or oxygen in the air. This process is similar to photosynthesis, in which chlorophyll captures sunlight to turn water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and glucose. The formed activated oxygen is strongenough to oxidize and decompose organic materials or smelling gas, and kill bacteria. Recently, photocatalyst coating technology has made it possible for building materials to have advanced functions, that is, sterilizing, deodorizing, and anti-fouling properties. TOTO has been collaborating with Professor Fujishima of University of Tokyo(He is now Chairman of KAST(Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology.)) in the photo-catalyst technology. We succeeded in finding a novel phenomenon on the photocatalyst. That is, when the surface of photocatalytic film is exposed to light, the contact angle of the photocatalyst surface with water is reduced gradually. After enough exposure to light, the surface reaches super-hydrophilicity. In other words, it does not repel water at all, so the water cannot exist in the shape of a drop, but spreads flatly on the surface of photocatalyst. The photo-catalytic super-hydrophilicity is important technology, because it has wider applications, including anti-fogging and self-cleaning properties, than the usual photocatalyst technology already known. This document provides information about an outline and applications of the super-hydrophilic photocatalyst .
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