A Novel Systematic Strategy Towards Air-Purifying, Corrosion Resistant and Self-Healing Concrete Infrastructure

Zhengxian Yang
Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:15:33 PDT

Transportation causes major emissions of harmful gases (NOx, CO, VOCs). These pollutants also travel long distances to produce secondary pollution such as acid rain. The most popularly used photocatalytic cementitious composites based on TiO2 achieve the air purification function under ultraviolet sunlight, significantly impeding a broader application of photocatalytic cementitious composites. This study focused on developing an environmentally friendly and durable cementitious system based on the multifunctional photocatalytic Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4). The photocatalytic cementitious composites (PCC) were prepared in three manners: (1) incorporating g-C3N4 nanosheets (CNNs) in cement at three mixing dosages (0.5%, 1% and 2% by weight of cement), (2) applying CNNs at various concentration levels as the coating on recycled asphalt pavement aggregate, (3) applying CCNs s with vinyl chloride/vinyl ester/ethylene copolymer (as a binder) as the coating on cement mortar. The photocatalytic performance and durability of the newly developed cementitious composites were evaluated systematically and the results showed that the PCC hold marked efficiency in terms of NOx removal and self-cleaning when the CNNs were applied in a proper way. The obtained knowledge sheds light on a future perspective of developing a novel systematic strategy towards air-purifying, corrosion resistant, and self-healing concrete infrastructure.