Diatom frustules were extracted from the species Thalassiosira pseudonana and functionalized with titania to be used as photocatalysts in the abatement of acetaldehyde. The synthetic procedure is water-based and environmentally friendly. The synthesis parameters were optimized to give the highest possible photocatalytic activity. The optimized material, visualized with TEM and STEM-EDX, shows the TiO₂ nanoparticles grafted inside the frustule pores, as well as on the silica surface. The titania particles, stabilized by the frustules, are 2.5 times more active than the P25 benchmark material. The photocatalyst is then tested in conditions of elevated relative humidity, to simulate indoor air. The catalytic activity only shows a minor decrease at 50% relative humidity, which is a better result than for the P25 benchmark. When tested over an extended period of time, the photocatalyst only shows a minor decrease in activity.

从拟南芥（Thalasiosiraira pseudonana）物种中提取了硅藻壳，并用二氧化钛进行了功能化，可用作光催化剂来减少乙醛。合成程序是水基的且对环境友好的。优化了合成参数，以提供尽可能高的光催化活性。通过TEM和STEM-EDX可视化的优化材料显示了TiO ₂纳米颗粒接枝在视锥孔内部以及二氧化硅表面上。钛合金颗粒通过壳层稳定后，其活性是P25基准材料的2.5倍。然后在相对湿度升高的条件下测试光催化剂，以模拟室内空气。相对于50％的相对湿度，催化活性仅在50％的相对湿度下略有下降。当在延长的时间内进行测试时，光催化剂仅显示出轻微的活性降低。