Photocatalytic pom-tio2 nanocomposites for visible-light antimicrobial and pollutant degradation

Overview

This research program develops photocatalytic nanocomposites that combine titanium dioxide (TiO2) with polyoxometalates (POMs) to produce materials with synergistic antimicrobial activity and visible-light-driven photocatalysis. TiO2 is a low-cost, non-toxic semiconductor widely used for antimicrobial coatings and pollutant degradation, while POMs are molecular photocatalysts with demonstrated antimicrobial properties and the ability to break down organic contaminants. By grafting POMs onto the surface of TiO2, the resulting composites aim to overcome the limitation of TiO2 requiring ultraviolet light, instead operating efficiently under visible light and sunlight.

The value proposition for industry partners is a versatile photocatalyst material suitable for water treatment, surface disinfection, and environmental cleanup. The composites are designed to function in aqueous conditions across a broad pH range, making them adaptable to varied operational environments.

Technical specifications

• Core materials: Titanium dioxide (TiO2) combined with polyoxometalates (POMs) via surface grafting
• Synthesis approach: Sol-gel preparation of TiO2 combined with established POM incorporation techniques developed by the collaborating research groups
• Photocatalytic performance: Operates under visible light (including sunlight), unlike standard TiO2 which requires UV activation
• Antimicrobial properties: Synergistic antimicrobial activity from the POM-TiO2 combination
• Environmental remediation capability: Demonstrated efficacy in photocatalytic reduction of contaminants (including technetium as 99TcO4-) and degradation of organic pollutants such as vanillin
• Operational range: Functions across all pH values in aqueous conditions
• Prior validation evidence: Nitrogen-doped TiO2 showed a 10% increase in photocatalytic activity over standard P25 TiO2 under visible light at 575 nm

Technology readiness level

The project builds on established expertise from two collaborating research groups at CUNY (Hunter College and Lehman College) with prior validated work in POM-based environmental remediation and sol-gel synthesis of TiO2 coatings and nanocomposites. The team is currently creating POM-TiO2 composites using established grafting techniques and plans to test these composites for photocatalytic antimicrobial properties and visible-light functionality. The project is seeking industry partnership to provide consultation on desired material properties and funding for key personnel and materials to advance the composites toward application-ready photocatalyst materials.