Improving the Sunscreen Properties of TiO through an Understanding of Its Catalytic Properties.

The use of particulate titanium dioxide (TiO) as an active sunscreen ingredient has raised concerns about potential risks from TiO-mediated free radical formation. To date, remediation attempts have concentrated on reducing the yield of free radical generation by TiO upon sunlight exposure. The problem with this approach is that given the band gap in TiO, production of radical and the ensuing reactive oxygen species (ROS) is completely normal.