A new photocatalytic composite powder incorporated into a siloxane epoxy polymer has been shown to yield a highly efficient self-cleaning coating. The composite, which makes greater use of light in the visible/near-infrared (NIR) region, was prepared by coating a nano-particle photocatalytic TiO2 with 3% w/w of F64PcZn photosensitizer resulting in a dark green powder. The F64PcZn/P25 TiO2 composite exhibited a greater photo-induced degradation of methyl red, a model surface contaminant, compared to traditional nano-particle photocatalytic TiO2. Singlet oxygen (1Δg 1O2), generated form the F64PcZn, is believed to be the primary species responsible for the observed photo-activity. The durability of the coating was evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) due to the potential for unwanted photo-oxidation of the polymer by the photocatalytic material. After 11 weeks of atmospheric sunlight exposure, the coating containing the composite displayed a small drop in impedance value but still remained >10 GOhm cm2, indicating the formation of a strong barrier that is able to protect the underlying metal surface. A control coating containing uncoated nano-particle photocatalytic TiO2 dropped slightly lower to ~10 GOhm cm2. The novelty of the disclosed composite for producing self-coatings was recognized by the US Patent Office, US 9,260,630 B2.
","abstract_html":"<p>A new photocatalytic composite powder incorporated into a siloxane epoxy polymer has been shown to yield a highly efficient self-cleaning coating. The composite, which makes greater use of light in the visible/near-infrared (NIR) region, was prepared by coating a nano-particle photocatalytic TiO<sub>2</sub> with 3% w/w of F<sub>64</sub>PcZn photosensitizer resulting in a dark green powder. The F<sub>64</sub>PcZn/P25 TiO<sub>2</sub> composite exhibited a greater photo-induced degradation of methyl red, a model surface contaminant, compared to traditional nano-particle photocatalytic TiO<sub>2</sub>. Singlet oxygen (<sup>1</sup>Δ<sub>g</sub> <sup>1</sup>O<sub>2</sub>), generated form the F<sub>64</sub>PcZn, is believed to be the primary species responsible for the observed photo-activity. The durability of the coating was evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) due to the potential for unwanted photo-oxidation of the polymer by the photocatalytic material. After 11 weeks of atmospheric sunlight exposure, the coating containing the composite displayed a small drop in impedance value but still remained >10 GOhm cm<sup>2</sup>, indicating the formation of a strong barrier that is able to protect the underlying metal surface. A control coating containing uncoated nano-particle photocatalytic TiO<sub>2</sub> dropped slightly lower to ~10 GOhm cm<sup>2</sup>. The novelty of the disclosed composite for producing self-coatings was recognized by the US Patent Office, US 9,260,630 B2.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Sullivan, James F."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MS Chemistry","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Chemistry and Biochemistry","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Sergiu M. Gorun, Ph.D","James E. Hanson, Ph.D","Wyatt R. Murphy, Ph.D"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-05-14T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2016-05-14T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:33:15Z","subjects":["Photocatalyst","Self-cleaning coating","Singlet oxygen","Phthalocyanine","Titanium dioxide","visible light","Chemistry","Inorganic Chemistry"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarship.shu.edu/dissertations/2171","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Sergiu M. Gorun, Ph.D","James E. Hanson, Ph.D","Wyatt R. Murphy, Ph.D"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Sullivan, James F."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2021-05-03T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Chemistry and Biochemistry"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MS Chemistry"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Photocatalyst","Self-cleaning coating","Singlet oxygen","Phthalocyanine","Titanium dioxide","visible light","Chemistry","Inorganic Chemistry"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarship.shu.edu/dissertations/2171"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["A new photocatalytic composite powder incorporated into a siloxane epoxy polymer has been shown to yield a highly efficient self-cleaning coating. The composite, which makes greater use of light in the visible/near-infrared (NIR) region, was prepared by coating a nano-particle photocatalytic TiO2 with 3% w/w of F64PcZn photosensitizer resulting in a dark green powder. The F64PcZn/P25 TiO2 composite exhibited a greater photo-induced degradation of methyl red, a model surface contaminant, compared to traditional nano-particle photocatalytic TiO2. Singlet oxygen (1Δg 1O2), generated form the F64PcZn, is believed to be the primary species responsible for the observed photo-activity. The durability of the coating was evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) due to the potential for unwanted photo-oxidation of the polymer by the photocatalytic material. After 11 weeks of atmospheric sunlight exposure, the coating containing the composite displayed a small drop in impedance value but still remained >10 GOhm cm2, indicating the formation of a strong barrier that is able to protect the underlying metal surface. A control coating containing uncoated nano-particle photocatalytic TiO2 dropped slightly lower to ~10 GOhm cm2. The novelty of the disclosed composite for producing self-coatings was recognized by the US Patent Office, US 9,260,630 B2.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Epoxy Siloxane Self-Cleaning Coating using F64PcZn/TiO2 Photocatalyst Composite"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Sergiu M. Gorun, Ph.D","James E. Hanson, Ph.D","Wyatt R. Murphy, Ph.D"],"dc:creator":["Sullivan, James F."],"dc:date.available":["2021-05-03T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["A new photocatalytic composite powder incorporated into a siloxane epoxy polymer has been shown to yield a highly efficient self-cleaning coating. The composite, which makes greater use of light in the visible/near-infrared (NIR) region, was prepared by coating a nano-particle photocatalytic TiO2 with 3% w/w of F64PcZn photosensitizer resulting in a dark green powder. The F64PcZn/P25 TiO2 composite exhibited a greater photo-induced degradation of methyl red, a model surface contaminant, compared to traditional nano-particle photocatalytic TiO2. Singlet oxygen (1Δg 1O2), generated form the F64PcZn, is believed to be the primary species responsible for the observed photo-activity. The durability of the coating was evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) due to the potential for unwanted photo-oxidation of the polymer by the photocatalytic material. After 11 weeks of atmospheric sunlight exposure, the coating containing the composite displayed a small drop in impedance value but still remained >10 GOhm cm2, indicating the formation of a strong barrier that is able to protect the underlying metal surface. A control coating containing uncoated nano-particle photocatalytic TiO2 dropped slightly lower to ~10 GOhm cm2. The novelty of the disclosed composite for producing self-coatings was recognized by the US Patent Office, US 9,260,630 B2.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarship.shu.edu/dissertations/2171"],"dc:subject":["Photocatalyst","Self-cleaning coating","Singlet oxygen","Phthalocyanine","Titanium dioxide","visible light","Chemistry","Inorganic Chemistry"],"dc:title":["Epoxy Siloxane Self-Cleaning Coating using F64PcZn/TiO2 Photocatalyst Composite"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Chemistry and Biochemistry"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["MS Chemistry"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:33:15Z"}