SBIR Phase I: Removal of VOCs using Novel Photocatalytic Table-Top Luminaires

SBIR 第一阶段：使用新型光催化台式灯具去除 VOC

• 批准号: 1721968
• 负责人: Melissa Petruska
• 金额: $ 22.5万
• 依托单位: SONATA SCIENTIFIC LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-07-01 至 2019-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1721968&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Removal; VOCs; using

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is establishment of sustainable, cost-effective technology to mitigate local volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) and other indoor air pollutants by using photocatalysts to effectively destroy them at their point of generation. VOC exposure is pervasive in many commercial environments, including nail salons, where employees work with materials that emit VOCs which can pose health risk without adequate protection. The proposed innovation addresses key gaps limiting the successful application of photocatalysts to these environments, specifically the need to eliminate by-products that may form during VOC destruction and the use of visible light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as alternatives to the harmful ultraviolet (UV) lights currently employed for photocatalysis. Novel photocatalytic materials will be applied to achieve safe, facile implementation at the point of exposure in commercial activities where employees are directly impacted. An improved understanding of the activity of innovative photocatalysts in the visible light range will enhance the overall understanding of photocatalytic materials. The technology will also form the core foundation of high performance and attractive residential products, which will improve indoor air quality in homes. Together, these applications hold the promise to broadly impact society by providing improved health for millions of people.This SBIR Phase I project proposes to improve indoor air quality by developing a technology platform to enable efficient and effective point-of-use VOC removal in commercial, residential, and select industrial environments. Photocatalysts are widely known as effective chemical scrubbers and disinfectants. When exposed to UV light, the surfaces become chemically active via formation of reactive oxygen species. This surface chemistry has been proven effective to decompose toxic VOCs and to kill spores, bacteria, and viruses. Because it is harmful to humans, the use of UV light to activate the photocatalyst greatly limits implementation of this technology. Additionally, ineffective photocatalyst designs can result in incomplete decomposition of the VOCs. The goal of the current research is to develop a visible-LED-activated photocatalyst engineered to completely convert target VOCs to carbon dioxide and water. The improvements to the photocatalyst design will enable its implementation in luminaires that are easily integrated into the work environment at the point of VOC generation. The decomposition of VOCs at concentrations typically found in commercial and home environments will be explored using the developed photocatalyst, with particular attention given to the mitigation of by-products and the enhancement of photocatalyst lifetime.

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是建立可持续的、具有成本效益的技术，通过使用光催化剂在产生点有效地破坏当地挥发性有机化学品（VOCs）和其他室内空气污染物，从而减少它们。在包括美甲沙龙在内的许多商业环境中，挥发性有机化合物的暴露是普遍存在的，在美甲沙龙中，员工工作的材料会释放挥发性有机化合物，如果没有充分的保护，这些材料可能会对健康构成威胁。提出的创新解决了限制光催化剂在这些环境中成功应用的关键差距，特别是需要消除在VOC破坏过程中可能形成的副产物，以及使用可见光发光二极管（led）作为目前用于光催化的有害紫外线（UV）灯的替代品。新型的光催化材料将被应用，以实现安全，方便地在员工直接受到影响的商业活动暴露点实施。对创新光催化剂在可见光范围内的活性的进一步了解将增强对光催化材料的整体认识。该技术还将形成高性能和有吸引力的住宅产品的核心基础，这将改善家庭的室内空气质量。总之，这些应用有望通过改善数百万人的健康状况，对社会产生广泛影响。SBIR第一期项目建议通过开发技术平台，在商业、住宅和部分工业环境中高效和有效地去除挥发性有机化合物，从而改善室内空气质量。光催化剂被广泛认为是有效的化学洗涤剂和消毒剂。当暴露在紫外线下时，表面通过形成活性氧而具有化学活性。这种表面化学已被证明能有效分解有毒的挥发性有机化合物，并杀死孢子、细菌和病毒。由于对人体有害，使用紫外光激活光催化剂极大地限制了该技术的实施。此外，无效的光催化剂设计可能导致挥发性有机化合物的不完全分解。目前研究的目标是开发一种可见光led活化光催化剂，将目标VOCs完全转化为二氧化碳和水。光催化剂设计的改进将使其能够在灯具中实现，从而在VOC生成点上轻松集成到工作环境中。将利用开发的光催化剂探索在商业和家庭环境中通常存在的浓度下分解挥发性有机化合物，特别注意减少副产物和延长光催化剂的使用寿命。