VATIS UPDATE Article

According to Iran Nanotechnology Initiaitve Council (INIC), researchers from Semnan University, Islamic Republic of Iran, have designed a photocatalyst with high efficiency and rate to eliminate organic pollutants at laboratorial scale to obtain an optimum water and wastewater purification system. The nanocatalyst has a long life, and it can be used in successive cycles. The use of sustainable energy in the purification system is another advantage of the research.

The nanophotocatalyst is able to perfectly purify waters contaminated by organic pollutants such as textile synthetic dyes and pharmaceutical compounds. The important advantage of the research is the application of solar photovoltaic cells (solar panels) as sustainable source of energy. Based on the results, the system can be used in the purification of industrial water and wastewater, elimination of oil industry pollutants, disinfection, pharmaceutical purification and refinery, and other scientific and technical fields after production at industrial scale.

The designed nanophotocatalyst is made of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles in the presence of zeolite particles stabilized on a bed of low density polyethylene (LDPE). In this research, a photocatalyst has been produced with high porosity, strength and reactivity, and its rate and efficiency in the elimination of pollutants have significantly increased. Results of the research have been published in Applied Catalysis B: Environmental.