Ceramic Nanogrid Photocatalysts Clean Up With Sunlight

A new product from the laboratory of a ceramic scientist currently being readied for production by a startup company could make environment cleanup from oil spills as simple as throwing a net over the offending oil slick. Pelagia-Irene (Perena) Gouma, professor of materials science and engineering at State University of New York Stony Brook, lead a team that created a novel copper tungsten oxide nanogrid photocatalyst. Activated by sunlight, the net breaks down spilled oil, leaving behind only biodegradable compounds.