San Francisco company Molekule has partnered with London studio PostlerFerguson to design an air purifier that breaks down pollen and dust at a molecular level (+ slideshow).

While most air purifiers use a HEPA filter to collect and store pollutants, Molekule applies a new technology called photoelectrochemical oxidation, which features a filter coated in nanoparticles.

As air passes through the purifier, light activates the filter and creates a surface reaction that destroys allergens, bacteria, viruses and mould.

Molekule claims the technology can get rid of pollutants 1,000 times smaller than comparable products. The device is said to clean a 55-square-metre room in an hour.

PostlerFerguson designed the purifier to fit into a range of interiors without being intrusive, from larger spaces like offices and hospitals to home environments.

"A typical use case would be that of a busy office with a lot of bad air that would need the product to almost integrate into its infrastructure aesthetically," PostlerFerguson co-founder Martin Postler told Dezeen.

"On the other hand it should also stand quietly in the corner of an asthma-suffering baby's sleeping room without being too intrusive."

The studio used untreated metals and non-toxic plastics to ensure materials didn't counteract the purifier, and added an untreated leather handle as a "statement towards a natural feel".

"Indoor air pollution is a global problem, resulting in deteriorating respiratory and health conditions," said Molekule CEO Dilip Goswami. "The HEPA filter, today's market-leading technology, was developed in the 1940s as a part of the Manhattan Project and hasn't evolved much since."

"It has become a commodity found in most households and air purifiers, yet the [United States Environmental Protection Agency] still reports that indoor air is up to five times worse than outdoor air. It's time for a new approach."

Molekule is controlled using a companion smartphone app, which can also be used to order new filters.

A fresh approach to air purification has also come from French designer Patrick Norguet, who created a circular, wall-mounted purifier that expels air through a front funnel.

Meanwhile, air pollution tracking technology is evolving and being incorporated into some portable purifiers, as in the case of Royal College of Art graduate Sheana Yu's wearable design.