Nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide (combined known as NOx) and their contribution to ozone and photochemical smog generation are a persistent issue in urban environments. Many different technologies have been developed to attempt to alleviate this issue Including photochemical transformation. While previous experiments have focused on incorporating photocatalysts into paving and building materials, we report coating solar panels that are inherently positioned to optimize the amount of solar exposure they receive creating a surface that is compatible with photocatalytic coatings. As most photocatalyst materials absorb in the ultraviolet spectrum outside the light range used for energy production, this approach could enable dual functionalized solar panels for energy generation and air remediation. Proof of concept testing was conducted to determine the effectiveness of TiO2 based photocatalytic products to oxidize NOx to NO3-/ HNO3. It was found that the tested TiO2 based photocatalytic products can successfully reduce NOx concentrations by up to 36%. With the success of laboratory proof of concept experiments, field testing was conducted to determine if glass panels coated in TiO2 products can reduce NOx concentrations in environmental conditions. Deionized water washes of the coated glass panels were analyzed through ion chromatography to determine the concentration of NO3- formed on the surface of the coated glass panels. Preliminary field testing resulted in flux values up to 33 mg of NO3-/m2/day representing an order of magnitude value for evaluation of possible large-scale implementation.
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