Words Ria Rivera
Folks who have had to spend time in the bathroom wiping tiles and scrubbing the floor would definitely be happy to know that scientists in Australia are thinking up ways to keep bathrooms squeaky clean - all by themselves. Professor Rose Amal and her team at the University of New South Wales have developed an environmentally-friendly coating that contains special nanoparticles capable of cleaning and disinfecting on their own. When applied to surfaces like walls and floors, the coating can act as a self-cleaning product with its oxidizing ability that's stronger than your regular chlorine bleach.
While the concept of a self-cleaning agent is not entirely new, this special nanoparticle coating is different from those currently used on outdoor applications that use ultraviolet light to activate the molecules in the coatings. The new coating contains modified particles of titanium dioxide that have been modified by adding other elements like iron or nitrogen so that it can use light of a longer wavelength. This means that unlike current ones that need direct sunlight to be activated, the new coating can start working with the help of your typical bathroom light.
Lab tests show that the surface of a coated glass could kill E. coli bacteria as well as degrade volatile organic compounds. The coating also works well against fungi so no fungus will ever have to grow in your bathroom again. And as if those weren't reasons enough to get this as soon as it becomes available, surfaces with the coating have the property called superhydrophilicity - the situation when water does not form droplets but rather run straight off the surface, taking with it the dirt and grime as it goes.
Professor Amal says that the coating would best be used on tiles, glass screens, and benches in bathrooms and hospitals; it may also be used to improve current outdoor self-cleaning surfaces. One possible problem though that Amal and her team would try to determine is whether or not it could be recycled or disposed of safely. We'll know the answers in about a year when the nanoparticle coating is estimated to be ready for large-scale production. Until then, better hang on to your brushes and gloves.
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