US-Egypt Joint Research Grants For Collaborative Research between Central Metallurgical R&D Institute CMRDI, and University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, US was recently approved. Associated professor Adel A. Ismail,  Head of Nanostructured Materials and Nanotechnology Division is the principal investigator from Egypt whereas  Prof.  Dionysiou, Environmental Engineering and Science Program is the principal investigator from US. The project started in September 2011 for two years. It focuses on preparation of non-metal-doped Anatase/Brookite Heterojunction TiO2 photocatalysts for the destruction of cyanotoxins which can poison and even kill animals and humans and also accumulate in other animals such as fish and shellfish, and cause poisonings such as shellfish poisoning. It aims also to removal of residual pharmaceuticals from aqueous systems under ultraviolet and visible light-activated TiO2. The outcome of this project are (i) novel approaches to synthesize and evaluate TiO2 for the degradation of cyanotoxins and residual pharmaceuticals from aqueous systems using visible and solar light, (ii) innovative studies to understand the basic mechanisms involving the generation and reactions of various radicals in TiO2 photocatalysis and specific probing investigations to identify the radicals formed, (iii) a meaningful research plan to obtain new information on the role of non-metal dopants on the fundamental photo-electrochemistry of TiO2, and (iv) detailed mechanistic studies to determine reaction intermediates and unveil reaction pathways in TiO2 photocatalysis during the degradation of cyanotoxins in water.

Figure 1 Mechanism of TiO2 Photocatalysis