Photoactivated semiconductor photocatalytic air purification
AssigneePromethium, Inc.
InventorsXavier Isaiah Morgan-Lange, Devon Paul Scheg, Harry Larson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In various embodiments, an air purifier capable of destroying and deactivating airborne contaminants such as SARS-CoV-2 is described. The air purifier comprises a photocatalytic system comprising at least one photoactivated semiconductor photocatalyst and a lamp configured to irradiate and excite the at least one photoactivated semiconductor photocatalyst to generate reductive and/or oxidative reactive species from oxygen and/or water on the photocatalyst surface. In various embodiments, the photocatalytic system comprises a stack of PCB cards, each card having a photocatalytic layer disposed thereon, or a 3-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3-DOM) structure comprising an open cell lattice.
Claims33
An air purifier comprising:
- a photocatalytic system comprising at least one photoactivated semiconductor photocatalyst;
- and
- a lamp configured to irradiate the photoactivated semiconductor photocatalyst with incident radiation configured to excite the photoactivated semiconductor photocatalyst,
- wherein the photocatalyst system is configured to generate at least one reductive or oxidative reactive species in the presence of at least one of oxygen or water in contact with the photoactivated semiconductor photocatalyst, and
- wherein the at least one photoactivated semiconductor photocatalyst has an energy bandgap (Eg) of from about 12.4 eV to about 1.24meV, referenced to NHE.
A method of destroying or deactivating airborne contaminants present in contaminated air, the method comprising:
- contacting the contaminants present in the contaminated air with a surface of a photoactivated semiconductor photocatalyst irradiated with incident radiation configured to excite the photoactivated semiconductor,
- wherein irradiation of the photoactivated semiconductor photocatalyst generates reductive and/or oxidative reactive species from at least one of oxygen or water present on the surface of the photoactivated semiconductor photocatalyst, and
- wherein the reductive and/or oxidative reactive species thus generated destroy or deactivate the airborne contaminants, and
- wherein contacting the contaminants with a surface of a photoactivated semiconductor photocatalyst further comprises conveying the contaminated air through a serpentine airflow pathway configured between a plurality of spaced apart PCB (printed circuit board) cards stacked in a parallel arrangement, wherein each PCB card comprises a layer of the at least one photoactivated semiconductor photocatalyst.
An air purifier comprising:
- a photocatalytic system comprising at least one photoactivated semiconductor photocatalyst;
- a lamp configured to irradiate the photoactivated semiconductor photocatalyst with incident radiation configured to excite the photoactivated semiconductor photocatalyst;
- and an ionizer configured to negatively or positively charge airborne contaminants in an air pathway leading into the photocatalytic system;
- wherein the photocatalyst system is configured to generate at least one reductive or oxidative reactive species in the presence of at least one of oxygen or water in contact with the photoactivated semiconductor photocatalyst.
An air purifier comprising:
- a photocatalytic system comprising at least one photoactivated semiconductor photocatalyst having a 3-DOM (3-dimensionally ordered macroporous) structure;
- and
- a lamp configured to irradiate the photoactivated semiconductor photocatalyst with incident radiation configured to excite the photoactivated semiconductor photocatalyst, wherein the photocatalyst system is configured to generate at least one reductive or oxidative reactive species in the presence of at least one of oxygen or water in contact with the photoactivated semiconductor photocatalyst.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.