Intervention

Photocatalytic oxidation

Part of: Air filtration and air purifiers

Also: TiO₂, PCO

Breaking down volatile organic compounds on a titanium-dioxide surface activated by ultraviolet or visible light. Promising in the laboratory; in real rooms it can produce formaldehyde and other by-products if oxidation is incomplete.

G-0070 · Updated 5 September 2026 · Coridum Research

Why it matters indoors

Photocatalytic coatings and purifiers oxidise organic gases to carbon dioxide and water in principle. In practice, at the low concentrations and high humidity of homes, the reaction often stops at intermediate products — formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, ozone — so independent testing of by-products is essential before use in occupied spaces. Research interest is high; the evidence of net benefit in real buildings is limited.

In the literature

  1. Design of Photocatalytic Composite Coatings for Formaldehyde Removal Based on the Visual Effects of Wood Furniture (2026). Adv Sci (Weinh). doi:10.1002/advs.76906 CKB 1240
  2. Enesca et al. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Removal from Indoor Air by Heterostructures/Composites/Doped Photocatalysts: A Mini-Review (2020). doi:10.3390/nano10101965 CKB 0799
  3. The Photocatalytic Efficacy of Potassium Hydroxide–Based Modification of Titanium Dioxide in the Oxidative Destruction of Gaseous Formaldehyde (2025). Small. doi:10.1002/smll.202501387 CKB 1146

Studies in the Coridum Knowledge Base in which this term is used. The definition follows standard usage in WHO, ISO and textbook sources; it is not quoted from these papers.

CKB = document number in the Coridum Knowledge Base, our curated library of peer-reviewed studies. Follow the DOI for the original paper.