Harnessing Nanomaterials for Indoor Air Quality Improvement and Sustainable Architecture

The quality of indoor air is of great importance to inhabitants as its pollution incur great health risks, also leads to compromise of the sustainability of built environments, lending credence to the urgent need for innovative lasting solutions that would enhance air quality without reducing the standard of sustainable architecture principles.Nanomaterials through the emergence of nanotechnology in this fourth industrial revolution have led to the production of nanoparticles with unique physico-chemical properties greater than the parent materials.These particles that are a thousand times smaller than a micron have offered transformative potential in this domain.This review explores the role of nanotechnology in improving indoor air quality (IAQ) and advancing sustainable architectural practices.The mechanisms through which metallic nanoparticles improves indoor air quality are unprecedented.Nanoparticles such as photocatalytic Titanium Dioxide (TiO) nanoparticles and adsorptive agents like graphenso e and carbon nanotubes which are capable of removing pollutants like particulate matter, bioaerosols and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) indoors.Also, antimicrobial silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles which are potent against mycotoxigenic fungi; their antifungal potentials help in reducing moulds exospores in indoor air thus improving its quality.The integration of these materials into building components, such as paints, coatings, and structural elements to mention a few are discussed within the confines of architectural sustainability, air purification and quality.With the interplay of IAQ improvement and sustainable architecture, this article exemplifies nanotechnology's role in innovation toward healthier, greener indoor environments and further advocates for innovation and collaborations across disciplines in this area.