Influence of Self‐Cleaning Photocatalysts on the Engineering and Functional Properties of Paints and Composite Materials

ABSTRACT

The present study investigates the incorporation of nickel‐doped barium titanate (Ni:BaTiO ₃ ) as a visible‐light‐responsive photocatalyst in paint and cement‐based composites for self‐cleaning applications. The photocatalyst was synthesized using the sol–gel method, and XRD analysis confirmed the formation of a pure tetragonal perovskite structure without secondary phases. The material was mixed in varying proportions (0.5%, 1%, and 2% by weight of cement) and evaluated for photocatalytic, mechanical, and durability performance. Photocatalytic activity assessed using Rhodamine B dye showed significant pollutant degradation, with modified samples exhibiting rapid discoloration compared to control specimens. Mechanical results indicated improvement in performance, with compressive strength increasing from 40.22 (control) to 42.44 MPa and flexural strength reaching up to 6.3 MPa. Durability evaluation under acidic conditions revealed enhanced resistance, with strength loss reduced from 15% in control mixes to 10%–11% in Ni‐doped composites, and a maximum retained strength of 38.52 MPa. Workability showed only a marginal reduction, with slump decreasing from 61 to 58 mm. The optimal performance was observed at 1% Ni:BaTiO ₃ incorporation, beyond which no significant improvement was achieved. The findings demonstrate that Ni‐doped BaTiO ₃ is an effective additive for developing durable, self‐cleaning construction materials with improved photocatalytic and engineering properties under practical conditions. The photocatalyst‐incorporated paint demonstrated effective pollutant removal under natural sunlight conditions, showing rapid degradation of surface contaminants compared to control paint. The Ni‐doped BaTiO ₃ modified paint exhibited enhanced self‐cleaning behavior, maintaining surface cleanliness and color stability during exposure. These results confirm the practical applicability of the developed self‐cleaning material for real‐world environmental pollutant mitigation.