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Center Innovation Fund: KSC CIF

Visible Light Responsive Catalyst for Air & Water Purification (VLR)

Completed Technology Project
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Project Description

Although this shows a titania catalyst/sorbent bed in a glass tube with a UV lamp, the same principle would be applied with a blue (visible) light source.  The air with trace contaminants is drawn through the photocatalytic reactors and where the lig

The objective for this project was to investigate and develop viable approaches to render the normally UV-activated titanium dioxide (TiO2) catalyst visible light responsive (VLR) and achieve high and sustaining catalytic activity under the visible region of the solar spectrum.

This study was aimed at the further development of visible light responsive catalysts by investigating new methods.  A library of catalysts was developed and screened for gas and aqueous phase applications. This project focused on the development of novel photocatalysts, using multiple preparation methods, to be utilized in air and/or water purification reactors. Developed catalyst samples were tested for both applications and underwent vigorous physical characterization.

Top-performing samples were also compared to commercially available visible light responsive (VLR) catalysts. While photocatalysis is a well-developed technology for both air and water purification, most processes use bare titanium dioxide as the catalyst, which requires UV light for activation. By altering the wavelength of light needed for activation, solar radiation or highly-efficient LEDs can be better utilized while eliminating hazardous Hg-containing fluorescent lamps.

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