Self-Luminous Wood Coatings with Carbon Dots/TiO(2) Grafted Afterglow SrAl(2)O(4): Eu, Dy Core-Shell Phosphors for Long-Lasting Formaldehyde Removal

Long-term relief of indoor volatile pollution has become a competitive issue worldwide in both visible and dark environments. A novel self-luminous wood coating with carbon dots (CDs)/titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) nanomaterial coated SrAl(2)O(4): Eu(2+), Dy(3+) (CDs/TiO(2)@SAO) composite was prepared for the long-term degradation of formaldehyde through a simple sol-gel method. The microstructure, chemical composition, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectra, and long-lasting fluorescence of the CDs/TiO(2)@SAO photocatalyst were analyzed to illustrate the mechanism for degrading formaldehyde. The obtained CDs with a particle size of ~2–7 nm have a good graphite structure and presented good absorption in visible light. In addition, owing to the synergistic effect of the CDs/TiO(2) nanomaterial coating layer and the long-afterglow luminescence of the SAO phosphor, the CDs/TiO(2)@SAO composite can absorb a part of the visible light for photocatalytic degradation and store luminous energy efficiently at daytime so as to give out visible luminescence continuously for a few hours in the darkness. Furthermore, the functional wood coatings with CDs/TiO(2)@SAO composite presented continuous and efficient photocatalytic activity in the presence and absence of light exposure. The current research could provide a new strategy for designing an efficient photocatalyst for degrading formaldehyde pollution in the daytime with a visible light supply and in an indoor dark environment without an external light source.