Innovative ways to disinfect surfaces using catalysis

Background

At present surface cleaning is typically carried out using molecules that contain reactive oxygen species (e.g. hypochlorite) that enable disinfection to be achieved. It has been this way for generations but this needs to change and catalysis is the answer.

You will spend periods of research placement with Selden Research https://www.selden.co.uk/ This will involve the testing of the ability for the new catalytic approach to eliminate pathogens on surfaces as Selden are set up for this research. Selden will be fully involved in the research. They will provide direct financial support to this project over the 4-year project as well as providing additional in kind support when you visit Selden Research.

Project aims and methods

The starting point will involve obtaining a knowledge of current technology gained from the literature and known from previous collaborations between Selden and CCI. Initially the project will explore the generation of hydrogen peroxide in situ and we will contrast the rate of formation when using hydrogen and isopropanol as potential hydrogen sources. Catalysts for this will be based on palladium catalysts which have been developed in the CCI.1-3 This will involve using a range of reactors to explore a range of conditions and will involve active involvement in a major current CCI project area. The second stage will be to develop novel photocatalysts that can split hydrogen from water. Gold palladium alloys have shown some activity for this reaction4 and this will be our starting point.

The aim of this research is to investigate the creation of the active oxygen species in situ by the application of catalysis. One approach is to make in situ hydrogen peroxide and this requires the provision of hydrogen.1-3 While this approach can work for larger scale applications it will be limited for applications such as surface cleaning.

To achieve this we either have to provide an alternative molecule to activate the oxygen or use photocatalysts to create reactive oxygen species. This project will consider both possibilities. For the first approach we will explore the possibility of hydrogen borrowing from molecules such as isopropanol as the by-product acetone will only be formed in small amounts. In this case we will use Pd catalysts capable of making hydrogen peroxide in situ with oxygen from the air. In the second approach we will explore the use of perovskite catalysts that can photocatalytically generate hydrogen and we will explore the use of LED illumination as only low amounts of hydrogen are required.

Academic criteria

Applicants for a studentship must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a 2:1 degree or higher in a relevant subject or a master’s degree with distinction in the research dissertation in a relevant discipline.

Supervisors

Dr Jennifer Edwards - https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/people/view/38516-edwards-jennifer

and

Professor Graham Hutchings - https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/people/view/38519-hutchings-graham

Deadline for application - 31st August 2018
We reserve the right to close applications early should sufficient applications be received.