A porous hybrid material for air particulate matter reduction

Abstract This chapter presents a sustainable and innovative solution to air-borne particulate matter (PM) capture in cities through a porous hybrid material called SUNSPACE: “SUstaiNable materials Synthesized from by-Product and Alginates for Clean air and better Environments.” The material synthesis is based on the use of industrial by-products and low-cost materials. It is proposed to apply SUNSPACE, as a coating, on the available surfaces, such as wall, tiles, roof, street borders, and thus it was designed to be applied by spraying and by painting. SUNSPACE has pores with an ink-bottle shape, and different dimensions suitable for entrapping also ultrafine PM, the most dangerous for humans. SUNSPACE is a nature-inspired solution. As it happens in nature for leaves, after PM capture, SUNSPACE can be regenerated, simply by rainfall. The contaminated waters flow into the urban sewerage systems and so they are conveyed to the urban wastewater treatment plants.