researchers develop self-cleaning paint that filters volatile pollutants (VOCs)

No more white walls that turn gray after a few years, or ceilings that contain lots of traces of particles or smoke. There is now a self-cleaning paint, a new product that should please those who regularly paint and repaint their interiors.

A team of Austrian and Italian researchers has just developed an additive capable of automatically capturing and destroying any microparticles that are unfortunate enough to come near. So, no more need to wash the walls or iron diapers. It’s the paint that will clean itself.

No more VOCs and reasonable costs

In the added additive, nanoparticles trigger a chemical reaction as soon as the coating is illuminated by daylight. It is this chemical reaction which will separate and then destroy the polluting microparticles. We are talking about fairly common active components. But the genius of the researchers was to avoid releasing VOCs, the famous Volatile Organic Compounds which can cause cancer. There should therefore be no impact on air quality.

Details of their work have just been published in the scientific journal American Chemical Society. We learn in particular that the formulation is entirely based on recycled organic products. And that manufacturing costs should remain reasonable. They should therefore not excessively inflate the price of paint.

Give surfaces new properties

Marketing has not yet been launched. The formula will be offered under license to paint manufacturers who will be responsible for industrializing it.

In any case, it is indicative of the current trend in painting. The objective is no longer just to color a surface. But also to give it new properties. There are already antimicrobial or anti-odor paints. There are even some that store the heat of the day to release it at night. Now, we ensure that they will not pollute indoor air with these nasty VOCs.