Nanoscale Energy & Surface Engineering Group

Photocatalysis for waste water treatment and CO2 reduction 

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One of the key bottlenecks of photocatalysis is the inability to translate the amazing properties of the catalyst (e.g. metal oxide, 2D materials etc.) to larger scales due to the inability to engineer them with control and to respond to the visible light. We have been pursuing approaches to scalably with plasma functionalisation and integration in to nano fibres etc, with plasma activated deposition of these materials with control of the interfaces between these layers. Good adhesion to surfaces of this building process could yield unique materials with tunable density, structure, morphology and properties and could lead to several interesting applications, for example waste water treatment, CO2 reduction etc.,

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A simple photocatalysis process as below                  Some examples of oxides, we use many materials and one such material is TiO2  

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Over the years our research focusses on extraction of hydrogen energy, dye degradation and removal organic pollutant from waste streams using photocatalysis and designing commercial scale reactors. 

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The overarching objective of this project is to develop nanomaterial-based photocatalysis and biocatalysis strategies for both efficient water treatment and carbon-neutral energy production. Specifically, the project proposes a new paradigm of catalysis based on three related themes: (1) the synthesis of magnetically recyclable oxide and nitride photocatalysts with reductive properties using advanced material techniques; 2) the application of the synthesized oxide photocatalysts for contaminant removal and water treatment; and 3) the application of these catalysts for enzymatic conversion of CO2 to formic acid and other value-added fuel chemicals.

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Waste2fresh.eu for more information 

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Funders 

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