To date, the use of photocatalytic TiO₂ nanoparticles in water suspension has been demonstrated the most efficient method for water purification by organic pollutants because of the large surface-area-to-volume ratio, the efficient charge separation and  trapping at the physical surface of the nanocatalysts. However, this approach is affected by some critical issues which prevent its real employment in a large-scale water treatment process: the dispersion of nanoparticles in the water requires expensive and complicated filtration processes and the low light absorption in the TiO₂ nanoparticles is very critical when operating the process under natural sunlight illumination.  

We have developed in collaboration with the Catania Unit