The fruits of data shepherding: A collection of open FAIR datasets for titanium dioxide coated photocatalytic surfaces

This paper presents a large-scale collaborative effort within a multi-partner consortium, to systematically structure, curate, and openly share data in alignment with the FAIR principles. The data result from a case study of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanomaterials (NMs) for photocatalytic depolluting surfaces, produced via various spray coating techniques under the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) approach. The data are publicly available through a dedicated Zenodo community (https://zenodo.org/communities/asina/records), comprising of individual records that separately host the data and the corresponding metadata. Each dataset is systematically named to reflect its context beginning with “ASINA dataset,” followed by i) the relevant life cycle stage (LCS) from synthesis to end-of-life, ii) the SSbD dimension (i.e., functionality, safety, and environmental aspects), and iii) the assessed features (e.g., physicochemical properties, hazard evaluation, functionality assessment) facilitating searchability. The data files include “descriptors” excel tab, which is a harmonized version derived from primary data for visualization, data integration and future modeling applications. Metadata are provided in separate records and include detailed information such as contributor name and affiliations, experimental protocols, instrumentation, dictionary definitions, ontologies, and licensing terms. The data and metadata files are mutually paired in Zenodo using related identifiers, where each data file includes the DOI of its corresponding metadata file, and vice versa. In total, 43 interlinked records are provided capturing the case study, offering structured and machine-actionable resources that support modeling, data integration and harmonization efforts within the nanosafety and nanoinformatics communities. This effort was coordinated through dedicated data shepherding, which enabled trust-building, metadata alignment, and consistent FAIR implementation across partners.