LET LIGHT PURIFY THE AIR

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been breaking out since 2019, and it’s still a major problem in the world, causing various diseases. The pandemic has profoundly changed the way people live. For fear of catching the virus, most people wear masks to avoid gathering, while some people are unwilling to wear masks and seal themselves at home. Heavily armed decontamination workers in protective suits spray pungent white fog around the city, which creates fear and discomfort in people. Is there a gentler way to intervene, to purify the public space, to make the urban public space radiate new vitality, restore the vitality of the past? So that people will not be afraid of disinfection spray.This pandemic scale disease is caused by the infection of the SARS-CoV-2-virus, mainly through airborne transmission of droplets or aerosols produced by infected persons. In addition to the risk of person-to-person contact, active coronaviruses have also been detected on the surfaces of objects in public places. Therefore, antiviral chemicals like alcohol and hydrogen peroxide are useful for inactivating bacteria and viruses on surfaces of various objects. However, their antiviral effect is not sustained over the long term because of their evaporation or dissipation. Conversely, solid-state antiviral compounds are useful because of their robustness and feasibility for use as coating materials. Among these various materials, titanium dioxide (TiO2)-based photocatalysts are promising because of their non-toxic, economical, chemically and thermally stable properties. In the past, TiO2 can only function under UV light. But recently scientists have found out a kind of TiO2-composite, as a visible active photocatalyst material. It efficiently kills viruses it touches with photocatalysis, and even without sunlight. Therefore, it has the great potential in fighting against the SARS-CoV-2-virus.While social distancing and health safety precautions will become the necessary attributes to incorporate in the future, open air spaces will be something we will crave for. Addressing the eminent human need for parks and gardens to interact with nature, while keeping in mind the mandatory aspects for a safe environment for all. We explore the power of sunlight to purify air. We hope to purify public space in a gentle way, to create safer outdoors where people can gather without the fear of contracting coronavirus. The installation can be applied to all kinds of outdoor space, only need to be a little modification on the ground. It’s a kind of raised outdoor flooring system consisting of walkable photovoltaic tiles, air atomizing nozzles and photocatalyst filters. It absorbs solar energy through the photovoltaic tile to spray mist, the mist through photocatalyst filter, using photocatalytic effect, TiO2-based photocatalyst as a kind of safe disinfection, can disinfect the air as much as 99.9% of coronavirus, sterilize, filter and spray harmless air with purifying factors, under the irradiation of sunlight, eliminate all kinds of bacteria, viruses in the air, but also reduce dust and slow down the heat island effect, the remaining solar energy can also be connected to the grid. It cannot cure people of the coronavirus, and it in no way promises to get rid of the virus. What it does, instead, is reduce the risk of infection outdoors and inspire hope for a better future, where people can meet outside again freely, bravely, safely.