comparative study of the effect of cool materials containing TiO2 photocatalytic nanoparticles on air temperature as an urban microclimate parameter, in the horizontal and vertical surfaces of the urban space, case study: Mahalle-Jolfa Square; Esfahan

In recent years, awareness of how urban surfaces can improve the microclimate has grown. Meanwhile, the challenge of using cool materials in urban spaces to change the microclimate is significant. Because urban surfaces are made up of two types of vertical surfaces (urban facades) and horizontal surfaces (pavements), each of which has a different impact based on where it is set.

This research investigates the cooling effect of titanium dioxide (TiO2)-based photocatalytic self-cleaning material (P-S-TiO2) in an urban square.

This study experimentally studied the evaluation of these materials on horizontal and vertical urban surfaces using ENVI-met software in the space of an urban square, a topic unexplored in earlier research.

The findings show that when these materials were used in the square's pavement, the air temperature of the urban space of the square at the height of 1.5 meters decreased by about 0.6°C because the square's pavement is about 16°C cooler. Meanwhile, the simulation results showed that if these materials are used in the urban facades of the square, there will be no noticeable change in the air temperature.

The conclusion of this research will increase awareness of how to use P-S-TiO2 on both vertical and horizontal surfaces. In other words, using these materials on horizontal surfaces benefits the urban microclimate. Improving the urban microclimate increases the quality of the urban space of JOLFA neighborhood square.