Anti-corrosive plasmonic perovskite coating layer for photocatalytic disinfection
A novel A-site doped SrTiO3 nanoporous coating layer designed to enable stable, efficient solar energy conversion for photocatalytic disinfection. By engineering oxygen nonstoichiometry through controlled doping, the coating generates surface plasmon resonance-induced hot carriers, reducing optical loss at the metal-semiconductor interface and enhancing surface oxidation reactions for disinfection applications.
Overview
This solution offers a plasmonic perovskite coating layer based on A-site doped strontium titanate (SrTiO3) for photocatalytic disinfection. Conventional photocatalysis systems that rely on plasmonic metal-semiconductor composites suffer from high optical losses at metastable interfaces, limiting their practical efficiency for solar energy conversion. The proposed approach replaces traditional metal-semiconductor junctions with a defective SrTiO3 perovskite that generates surface plasmons through controlled structural defects, producing a coating with stable, well-engineered heterojunction interfaces. The result is improved solar energy conversion efficiency for photocatalytic disinfection driven by surface oxidation reactions.
Technical specifications
Key features:
- Plasmonic perovskite design: A-site doping of SrTiO3 with ions of varying valence and ionic radius (La3+, Ba2+, K+) substitutes Sr2+ to precisely control oxygen nonstoichiometry and generate surface plasmon resonance.
- Nanoporous coating layer: Hydrothermally synthesized defective SrTiO3 nanoporous coating layers (d-SrTiO3 NCL) provide high surface area for photocatalytic reactions.
- Hot-carrier generation: SPR-induced hot carriers enhance solar water splitting and surface oxidation reactions for disinfection.
- Stable heterojunction interfaces: Reduced optical loss compared to conventional metal-semiconductor composites, improving photochemical stability.
- Computational and experimental validation: Reaction kinetics, carrier dynamics (generation, transport, separation, and recombination), and light-matter interactions are studied through combined simulation and experimentation.
Technology readiness level
This technology is at an early research and proof-of-concept stage. Preliminary studies have supported the feasibility of defective SrTiO3 as a plasmonic perovskite for photocatalysis, but precise control of oxygen vacancies through A-site doping remains a key challenge. Ongoing validation focuses on controllable synthesis via hydrothermal reaction, comprehensive characterization of carrier dynamics, and demonstration of plasmon-enhanced photocatalytic disinfection as a proof-of-concept application.
About University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida is a comprehensive public research university in Orlando and one of the nation’s largest, classified as Carnegie R1. Industry partnerships are enabled by the adjacent Central Florida Research Park and a Health Sciences Campus in Lake Nona Medical City, anchored by a joint‑venture teaching hospital with HCA Healthcare; UCF also co‑leads the Florida High Tech Corridor. A university‑wide co‑op and internship infrastructure connects employers to talent, and the UCF Business Incubation Program offers soft‑landing sites and venture support across multiple locations. Research is backed by competitive federal funding, with DoD, NSF, NASA and NIH among UCF’s top sponsors. A dedicated Office of Technology Transfer streamlines IP protection, licensing and industry agreements, supported by the UCF Research Foundation.
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