Innovation and development of anti-pollution glasses with frequency-selective surfaces

The FOTOFREC (PHOTOFREQ, loosely translated) project seeks to solve two very different challenges, namely the reduction of air pollution and the reduction of the obstruction of mobile phone frequency signals. It does this through research and development into innovative anti-pollution (PHOTOcatalytic) glazing with selective FREQueny surfaces.​ Today the primary component used in glazing is soda-lime glass, which is very transparent and chemically stable. Solar control and low-emission coatings are applied to the glass as one technique to improve energy insulation. These layers are made of metals that reflect the sun’s radiation. However, they have a drawback, which is that they obstruct the transmission of mobile phone frequencies. To overcome this issue and improve communication inside rail vehicles, the project sought to develop frequency-selective surfaces that allowed a given range of frequencies to pass through the coated glass.​ Air pollution is a global environmental concern and causes serious damage to people’s health and to ecosystems. To help reduce air pollution, we sought to design glass with photocatalytic properties that would help eliminate harmful gaseous pollutants, using solar energy and water.