Novel Nanoparticle-loaded Coatings for Temperature Regulation and Fire Safety

Researchers at the Qingdao University of Science and Technology have developed a novel nanoparticle-loaded coating that incorporates titanium dioxide nanotubes and silver nanoparticles to enhance temperature regulation and fire safety in buildings. This breakthrough coating addresses the limitations of traditional organic shell materials in phase-change materials (PCMs) by offering improved thermal conductivity and antimicrobial properties. The innovative "dots-tubes-balls" structure prepared by the researchers shows a 41.3% reduction in peak heat release rate and a 25.5% decrease in bacterial fluid concentration after 24 hours of co-culture. These properties make the coating a promising solution for improving building comfort and safety.

Key Takeaways:

• The researchers developed a novel "dots-tubes-balls" structure by incorporating titanium dioxide nanotubes (TNTs) with large specific surface area to enhance thermal conductivity and antimicrobial properties.
• The coating showed a 41.3% reduction in peak heat release rate, making it more resistant to fires.
• The antimicrobial properties of the coating were demonstrated by a 25.5% decrease in bacterial fluid concentration after 24 hours of co-culture.
• The coating was prepared using a combination of titanium dioxide nanotubes and silver nanoparticles.
• The research has been peer-reviewed and published in the International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer journal.
• The coating is expected to improve building comfort and safety by regulating temperature and preventing bacterial growth.
• The study was funded by the Shandong Province Youth Innovation Team of Higher Education Institution, Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, and Shan-dong Provincial Major Science and Technology Innovation Program.
• The research team includes Jiaji Cheng, Jielin Zeng, Ying Wang, Shaoxiang Li, Zhengang Gao, Chenyang Tang, Yapeng Wang, and Xiaogang Yang.

Statistics:

• 41.3% reduction in peak heat release rate (pHRR) of the novel coating.
• 25.5% decrease in bacterial fluid concentration after 24 hours of co-culture with the coating.
• 167 as the journal volume of International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer where the research is published.
• 2025 as the year of publication for the research study.

Sources:

• A Novel Nanoparticle-loaded Tube Embedded Phase-change Microcapsules Coatings for Temperature Regulation Performance and Fire Safety of Buildings. International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer, 2025;167.
• NewsRx. Studies from Qingdao University of Science and Technology Have Provided New Data on Nanoparticles (A Novel Nanoparticle-loaded Tube Embedded Phase-change Microcapsules Coatings for Temperature Regulation Performance and Fire Safety of Buildings). Nanotechnology Weekly. September 1, 2025; p 3768.