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| Project ID/Title: | 07-06. Simultaneous Destruction and Separation of Cyanobacterial Toxins Using Nanostructured TiO2 Photocatalytic Membranes | | Advisor: | Dion D. Dionysiou | | Academic Title: | Associate Professor | | Department: | Civil and Environmental Engineering | | Department Website: | www.eng.uc.edu/dept_cee | | Email: | dionysdd@ucmail.uc.edu | | Phone: | 513-556-0724 | | Fax: | 513-556-2599 | | Graduate Program(s): | Civil and Environmental Engineering | | Co-Advisor(s): | | | Project Description: | The increase of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in freshwater estuaries used as sources of potable water in the USA is a source of growing concern. The presence of harmful cyanotoxins produced by HABs in drinking water supplies is a serious threat to human and environmental health. There is an urgent need to develop an effective and practical water treatment technology to eliminate cyanotoxins from drinking water. This research proposal aims at exploring novel nanostructured TiO2 photocatalytic membrane systems for the simultaneous destruction and separation of harmful cyanobacterial toxins under ultraviolet or visible radiation. The TiO2 membrane is synthesized using innovative self-assembling-based sol-gel procedures that employ the formation of surfactant micelle-based templates to tailor-design its structural properties. The membrane synthesis approach is the outcome of applying novel concepts of nanotechnology to provide new direction in the synthesis of advanced catalytic membranes with unique structures and functionalities for their bio-medical, environmental, and public health applications. Fundamental mechanistic aspects of the oxidative degradation pathway of cyanobacterial toxins by the TiO2 membranes will also be explored. |
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