Portland cement based materials occupy leading position in the construction industry nowadays. The constantly growing volume of construction and the development of modern technologies requires to provide new multifunctional characteristics to traditional cement composites. Thus, the introduction of various kinds of admixtures into the cement composition can affect its structure formation, improve physical and mechanical characteristics or give special properties to cement stone. Admixtures can be classified as accelerating, water reducing, retarding, etc, some of them are capable of providing extraordinary properties to the surface of the cement stone, some of them combine several functions at once. With the development of nanotechnology the particles of admixtures can be of nano scale. Many studies has been performed to create biocide admixtures: compounds capable of eliminating bacteria, viruses and fungi with various mechanisms of activity. The list of additives is constantly updated with new compounds and formulas. Ultrafine titanium oxide doped with bismuth can be considered as a promising admixture to cement systems with accelerating, biocide and photocatalytic properties. This article is a brief review of admixtures with biocidal activity.
Keywords: construction materials, portland cement, biocides, fungicides, fungi, titanium dioxide, photocatalysis