I-Corps: PHOTOCATALYSTS for WATER REMEDIATION

这项建议涉及该团队的重点工作，将目前由美国国家科学基金会资助的用于水修复的可见光催化剂(纳米格栅)的研究结果转化为修复市场的实际产品。纳米颗粒--即这些纳米催化剂的小型化“渔网”--就像漂浮在水面上的自我支撑的垫子--利用太阳辐射快速分解原油和其他污染物，并以低成本快速地将它们转化为水、二氧化碳和可生物降解的有机物。因此，这些纳米颗粒可能会有效地清理漏油，无论这些漏油是在海边还是在海洋中央，在炼油厂，还是在净水设施。拟议的项目涉及用于纳米格栅的合成方法的可扩展性，并旨在生产用于修复石油污染的纳米格栅技术的原型。该团队正在开发的光催化纳米颗粒技术涉及绿色光化学；使用太阳辐射的整个光谱(不同于仅对紫外光做出反应的工业催化剂)，从而提供显著提高的催化效率；它对各种类型的污染物做出响应(从而实现多种用途)；并将碳氢化合物完全氧化为生态友好的物种。工艺条件的潜在灵活性(与污染物的接触时间、可浮性、回收、再利用)，以及对经济的水修复技术的迫切需求的事实，以及在几个月内从实验室进入市场的潜力，使纳米颗粒成为一种值得进一步探索商业化的突破性纳米技术。石油衍生品是对环境最危险的化合物之一。光催化纳米颗粒技术提供了一种以最具成本效益和最环保的方式控制和清洁石油污染，特别是水中的污染的方法。虽然目前的光催化剂只被大约2%的太阳辐照度激活，但纳米格栅对来自整个太阳光谱的辐射做出反应。而太阳能发电是免费的。除了水修复外，纳米格栅技术还有望立即用于过滤，以及生物医学和制药行业。扩大纳米制造过程将在降低成本和增加实际商业产品中使用的纳米颗粒的可用性方面提供显著的好处。将这项技术商业化将创造新的就业机会，将提供机会培训劳动力使用纳米技术和纳米制造来制造真实和多功能的市场产品，并将造福环境和人类福祉。

This proposal involves the focused effort by this team to translate the results of current NSF funded research on visible light photocatalysts for water remediation (nanogrids) into actual products for the remediation market. Nanogrids -i.e. miniaturized "fishing nets"-like self-supported mats that float on water- of these nanocatalysts rapidly decompose crude oil and other contaminants using solar irradiation, and fast and at low cost turn them into water, carbon dioxide, and biodegradable organics. Therefore, these nanogrids may clean oil spills effectively, whether these are near the seashore or in the middle of the ocean; at a refinery, or at a water cleaning facility. The proposed project addresses the scalability of the synthesis method used for the nanogrids and aims to produce a prototype of the nanogrids technology for use in remediating oil pollution. The photocatalytic nanogrids tehnology that this team are developing involve green photochemistry; uses the whole spectrum of the solar irradiation (unlike the industrial catalysts that respond to UV-light only) thus providing significantly improved catalytic efficiency; it responds to various types of contaminants (thus enabling diverse uses); and offers complete oxidation of hydrocarbons into ecofriendly species. The potential flexibility of process conditions (contact time with pollutant, floatability, recovery, reuse), the fact that it responds to an urgent need for economic water remediation technologies, and its potential to go from the lab to the marketplace within months, make the nanogrids a breakthrough nanotechnology worth exploring further towards commercialization. Oil derivatives are among the most dangerous compounds for the environment. The photocatalytic nanogrids technology provides a means to contain and clean oil contamination, especially in water, in a most cost-effective and ecofriendly manner. While current photocatalysts are activated by only about 2% of the solar irradiance, the nanogrids respond to radiation from the full solar spectrum. And solar power is free. Apart from water remediation, immediate uses of the nanogrids technology are envisioned in filtration, as well as in biomedical and pharmaceutical industries. Scaling-up the nanomanufacturing process will provide significant benefits in terms of reducing the cost and increasing the availability of the nanogrids to be used in actual commercial products. Commercializing this technology will create new jobs, will provide the opportunity to train the workforce in using nanotechnology and nanomanufacturing to make real and versatile market products, and it will benefit the environment and the human welfare.