Nanomaterials can be used in a number of technologies in order to create good indoor environments. This paper takes a unified view on this issue from a solar-energy-based perspective and specifically considers electrochromics for achieving good day-lighting jointly with energy efficiency, sensors aimed at air quality assessment, and photo-catalysis for air cleaning. Recent results, mainly from the author’s laboratory, are reported for all of these areas. Work performed by PhD students and other collaborators from Peru are highlighted. 

Los Nanomateriales pueden ser utilizados en una gran variedad de tecnologías con el objeto de crear buenas condiciones en ambientes interiores. Este articulo toma una visión unificada de este concepto desde el punto de vista de las tecnologías basadas en energía solar y específicamente considera materiales electrocrómicos para conseguir un control adecuado de la luz del día, juntamente con eficiencia energética; sensores con el objetivo de monitorear el aire y fotocatálisis para la limpieza del aire. Resultados recientes, obtenidos mayormente por los investigadores de este laboratorio, son reportados en todas estas áreas en el presente artículo. Los trabajos realizados por estudiantes, de doctorado y otros colaboradores del Perú son resaltados.

Nanomaterials can be used in a number of technologies in order to create good indoor environments. This paper takes a unified view on this issue from a solar-energy-based perspective and specifically considers electrochromics for achieving good day-lighting jointly with energy efficiency, sensors aimed at air quality assessment, and photo-catalysis for air cleaning. Recent results, mainly from the author’s laboratory, are reported for all of these areas. Work performed by PhD students and other collaborators from Peru are highlighted. 

Polycristalline Ti oxide this films were prepared by reactive DC magnetron sputtering of Ti in O2+Ar onto Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) coated glass. Rutile and anatase phase films were obtained by heating the substrate during the deposition. Incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) was studied as a function of several sputtering prameters such as temperature of the substraate, film thickness, and O2/Ar. The IPCE increased as the crystallinity of Ti oxide was systematically varied from amorphous to a mixture of anatase and rutile, and it was also enhanced in films deposited at low O2/Ar ratios. The photoresponse was measured using a three-electrode set-up with an electrolyte consisting of an aqueous 0.1 M KI solution purged with nitrogen. Action spectra were scanned between 280 and 400 nm in wavelength. The photogenerate current was found to be highly dependent on the composition thickness,...

Películas de óxido de Ti policristalino fueron depositadas empleando DC "sputtering" reactivo con magnetron de platos de Ti en una atmósfera de O2+Ar sobre láminas de vidrio pre-cubiertas con ITO (óxido de indio dopado con estaño). Las fases anatasa y rutilo se obtuvieron por calentamiento del sustrato durante el depósito de las películas la eficiencia en la conversión foton-incidente-corriente (denominado "IPCE" de la expresión inglesa Incident Photon-to-Current Eficiency) se estudió en función de diferentes parámetros de preparación, tales como la temperatura del sustrato, el espesor de la película y la relación de flujos O/A r. la fotorespuesta se midió usando un sistema de tres electrodos empleando un electrolito acuoso de O.1 M de KI, que fue purgado con nitrógeno. El espectro de la fotorespuesta se obtuvo en un rango de longitud de onda entre 280 y 400 nm. Se enco...

Polycristalline Ti oxide this films were prepared by reactive DC magnetron sputtering of Ti in O2+Ar onto Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) coated glass. Rutile and anatase phase films were obtained by heating the substrate during the deposition. Incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) was studied as a function of several sputtering prameters such as temperature of the substraate, film thickness, and O2/Ar. The IPCE increased as the crystallinity of Ti oxide was systematically varied from amorphous to a mixture of anatase and rutile, and it was also enhanced in films deposited at low O2/Ar ratios. The photoresponse was measured using a three-electrode set-up with an electrolyte consisting of an aqueous 0.1 M KI solution purged with nitrogen. Action spectra were scanned between 280 and 400 nm in wavelength. The photogenerate current was found to be highly dependent on the composition thickness,...

Presentado en MST12 - 12th Workshop on Technical and Scientific Aspects of MST Radars, London, Ontario, Canada, 17-23 May 2009.