US 12492134 B1Patent grantUnited States

Bismuth-Oxide Photocatalyst for Water Cleanup

Official patent title

Particulate crystalline nanocomposite

Arabic title: مركب نانوي بلوري جسيمي

Invention

Problem

Persistent organic contaminants in water can resist biodegradation and conventional treatment, while activated carbon lacks visible-light activity and unmodified g-C3N4 can suffer from limited surface area and rapid charge recombination.

Why it matters

A combined adsorptive and photocatalytic material could support treatment research for difficult organic contaminants, but degradation products, bismuth release, catalyst recovery, energy demand, mineralization, and effectiveness in real water require independent verification.

Approach

The method contacts contaminated water with a Bi2O3/CaSiO3/g-C3N4 particulate crystalline nanocomposite while applying radiation to promote adsorption and photocatalytic degradation.

Who may benefit

Potential beneficiaries include environmental laboratories, industrial wastewater researchers, photocatalyst manufacturers, membrane-system developers, and technology-transfer teams evaluating contaminant-removal materials.

Potential value

The disclosure integrates three crystalline phases, mesoporous nanosheets, a defined preparation route, and both batch and membrane-contact configurations for light-assisted organic-contaminant treatment.

Background

Industrial and urban discharges can introduce recalcitrant organic contaminants into water. Large or multi-ring molecules may be poorly available to microorganisms, making biodegradation slow, while coagulation, membrane filtration, ion exchange, and conventional adsorption each have practical limitations. Graphitic carbon nitride offers visible-light response and chemical stability, but its low surface area, limited exfoliation, and rapid electron-hole recombination can restrict performance. The publication proposes combining g-C3N4 with bismuth oxide and calcium metasilicate to create a porous, multiphase treatment material.

Technology overview

The claimed method irradiates an aqueous medium containing organic contaminants and a particulate composite of monoclinic Bi2O3, CaSiO3, and g-C3N4. At least part of the g-C3N4 forms mesoporous nanosheets, while embodiments use Bi2O3 and CaSiO3 nanowires. The radiation wavelength is about 100 to about 800 nm. Claims cover contaminant classes, phase ratios, pore structure, surface area, synthesis conditions, contact times, material loading, and either dispersed-batch or membrane-supported contact.

Potential applications

Potential photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants in water.
Batch-treatment research using dispersed nanocomposite particles.
Flow-treatment development using nanocomposite-bearing membranes.
Screening against dyes, phenols, and polyaromatic contaminants.

Evidence-supported advantages

Combines Bi2O3, CaSiO3, and mesoporous g-C3N4 in one material.
Supports both dispersed and membrane-supported treatment configurations.
Defines radiation, contact-time, and material-loading ranges.
Includes a detailed multistep preparation route for the crystalline phases.

Development stage

The patent publication specifies a preparation procedure and treatment configurations; actual treatment performance and commercialization were not established, and development stage was not independently verified.

Commercial opportunity

The technology could support photocatalyst formulations, coated membranes, or collaborative water-treatment pilots. Before commercialization, studies should confirm pollutant-specific kinetics and mineralization, energy consumption, byproduct toxicity, particle and bismuth release, catalyst recovery and reuse, membrane compatibility, and operation in complex effluents.

Patent classifications

WIPO IPC

C02F1/32Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
B01J21/16Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus

CPC

B01J21/16Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J23/18Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J27/24Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J35/39Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J35/45Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J35/613Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J35/695Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J37/08Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J6/00Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
C02F1/281Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F1/283Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F1/288Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F1/30Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F1/32Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F1/725Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F2101/30Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F2101/308Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F2101/327Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F2101/345Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F2305/08Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F2305/10Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge

Inventors

First inventorMohamed Khairy Abdel Fattah Omran
InventorBabiker Yagoub Elhadi Abdulkhair

Keywords

photocatalysis
Bi2O3
CaSiO3
g-C3N4
organic contaminants
water treatment
mesoporous nanosheets
membrane

Patent document and drawings

The patent publication is mapped to this record. Patent drawings remain within that publication; no separately cleared public media package has been supplied.