SBIR Phase II: Nanostructured 3D Catalytic Coatings for High-Efficiency Pollution Control and Air Purification

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是解决日益增长的社会对室内空气净化的需求，因为室内空气质量（IAQ）直接影响人类的健康、生产力、认知功能和生活质量。由于研究成果、监测和传感技术的改进、美国肺脏协会、世界卫生组织和环境保护署等组织开展的公众宣传活动，以及最近的COVID-19大流行，人们对室内空气质量差的长期后果的认识有所提高。为室内空气质量差的问题找到可持续、经济和有效的解决办法，将极大地有利于公众健康和福祉，并有助于遏制病原体的传播，最大限度地减少保持社会距离的必要性。该项目将开发一种新的空气净化系统，可以处理病毒、有害化学物质、气味和超细颗粒物。这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目旨在扩大新型催化材料的生产方法和涂层工艺。这些材料是3D纳米结构多孔粉末，设计成多种长度尺度，以提高催化活性、稳定性和寿命，同时降低成本，并以对环境负责的方式利用原材料。该系统采用了一种基于纳米级构件自组织和湿化学工具的合成方法，以组装精细结构的涂层，集成到空气净化装置中。该项目的重点是将其扩展到生产规模，其中在生产规模上控制纳米颗粒的组成、结构、孔隙度和放置是具有挑战性的。材料平台的开发将包括适应高通量仪器，扩大材料生产和涂层工艺的规模以进行中试生产。在此过程中，该项目将开发更普遍的制造分层结构功能材料的工具和指南。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is addressing the growing societal need for indoor air purification, as indoor air quality (IAQ) directly affects human health, productivity, cognitive function, and quality-of-life. Awareness of the long-term consequences of poor IAQ has recently witnessed an increase due to research results, improvements in monitoring and sensing technology, public awareness campaigns by organizations such as the American Lung Association, World Health Organization, and Environmental Protection Agency, and, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. Finding sustainable, economical, and effective solutions to the problem of poor IAQ will greatly benefit public health and wellbeing and will help curtail the spread of pathogens, minimizing the need for social distancing. This project will develop a new system air purification, addressing viruses, harmful chemicals, odors, and ultrafine particulates.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project aims to scale up the production methodology and coating process of novel catalytic materials. The materials are 3D nanostructured porous powders that are designed at multiple length scales to achieve enhanced catalytic activity, stability, and longevity, while reducing costs and utilizing raw materials in an environmentally responsible manner. The system uses a synthetic approach based on self-organization of nanoscale building blocks and wet chemistry tools in order to assemble finely structured coatings for integration in air-purification units. This project focuses on expanding it to production scale, wherein achieving control over the composition, structure, porosity, and placement of nanoparticles on a production scale is challenging. The materials platform development will include adaptation to high-throughput instrumentation and scale-up of the material production and coating process to pilot production. In the process, this project will develop tools and guidelines for manufacturing hierarchically-structured functional materials more generally.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.