ppi was beneficial to the degradation rate in liquid phase, taking phenol degradation

as the model reaction, due to a better flow of solution through the macroporous
Centre for
Advanced foam structure and the better access of light to the active TiO2 surface, even if they
Separa0ons
Engineering observed a 25% loss of activity after immobilization compared to a standard slurry
configuration [81, 82]. It was worth noting that no measurable release of deposited
TiO2 was observed after successive photocatalytic cycles, and the prepared films
exhibited sufficiently good adhesion, even in the case of strongly cracked TiO2 thick
films. Alumina foam was also used in the photocatalytic degradation of H 2S and
CH 3SH by Kato et al. [83] for immobilizing TiO2 powder coated by photodeposited
Centre for Advanced Separa0ons Engineering
nanosized Ag particles. Taking the photooxidation of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-
7-ene in water as the target reaction, therecent work of Ochuma et al. also evidenced
the interest in using aTiO2-coated alumina reticulated foam monolith (at 15 ppi) in-
serted insidean annular photoreactor compared to aconventional slurry reactor [84].
Targeting the development of air cleaners incorporating three-dimensional
2-year Postdoctoral
through-pore position
structure filters, in of cordierite foams for supporting TiO2
the use
for photocatalysis purpose was reported by Yao et al., TiO2 nanoparticles being
immobilized firmly onto the cordierite surface through a simple impregnation
P HOTOCATALYTIC REACTOR DESIGN FOR WATER TREATMENT
procedure followed by calcination at 500 ◦ C [85]. TiO2/ cordierite foam exhibited
a high bactericidal rate toward five types of airborne or droplet-based infectious
The accumulation, in the environment pathogens (E.and in humanaeruginosa,
coli, Pseudomonas food supply chain, Klebsiella
L. pneumophila, of organic
pneumoniae,
micropollutants, drugs, hormones and or endocrine disruptors,
methicillin-resistant represents
Staphylococcus aureus), as today
well as aone
highof the
photocatalytic
biggest challenges to public health and the environment in the EU and elsewhere. Legacy
degradation ability on gaseous acetaldehyde. So, it could display not only high bac-
tericidal performance to remove pathogens from
technology comprising the majority of water treatment plants in the EU and other developeddroplets the air and from water
but also strong decontaminating/ deodorizing functionality.
countries cannot remove micropollutants. Photocatalysis is considered the leading
Works on the use of alveolar self-bonded β-SiC foams in photocatalysis remain
technology to treat micropollutants, but suffers
very scarce. The morefrom a twin-set
interesting of limitations
and flexible synthesis methodthat for
havepreparing
hindered more widespread adoption so far: β-SiC
alveolar open-cell Photocatalytic
foam with medium specific surface
nanoparticles slurries
area iscan
the shape
effectively degrade micropollutants memory synthesis costly
but require (SMS) downstream
replica method, retention
in which aof preshaped polyurethane
the particles
foam is transformed into its corresponding carbide (Figure 6.7). The SMS process
to avoid their leaching into the environment. Immobilised photocatalysts, on the other hand,
has been first developed at the laboratory scale for transforming an sp2 or sp3
have significantly lower activity due to lower
carbon performcontact
into the area and higher
corresponding β-SiClight scattering.
structure, from the nano- to the

10 ppi F

UV

P
metal powder 3D printed metal
(a) photocatalytic30membrane
ppi (b) photocatalytic
1 cm degradation
(c)of micropollutants
1 cm
FoAMM concept
Figure 6.6 Cellular alumina foams with different pore sizes: (a) 10 and 30 ppi, (b) 10 ppi,
and (c) 15 ppi. (Source: Taken from Refs. [56] and [82].)
This 2-year post-doctoral position is provided as part of FoAMM, a 5-year EPSRC
Established Career Fellow in Water Engineering awarded to Prof Davide Mattia. As part of
this large project, you will address these twin challenges by focusing on the design of
photocatalytic reactors optimised to work with the novel photocatalytic foams being
developed in our lab. You will be part of a growing team of 5 researchers with
complementary expertise in materials, chemistry and photocatalysis.

The appointment if for 2 years, with potential for extension.

Contacts: For inquiries please contact Prof Davide Mattia, phone: +44(0)1225-383961;
email: d.mattia@bath.ac.uk;
web: http://www.bath.ac.uk/chem-eng/people/mattia/index.html,
and https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/persons/davide-mattia.
To apply, please use the following link: https://www.bath.ac.uk/jobs/Vacancy.aspx?ref=SS6868