Iron-Molybdenum-based Superfullerenes for Photocatalytically Effective Water Treatment

Contamination of the water circulation by different chemicals, drugs or even algae causes significant problems especially for the supply of drinking water. State of the art methods of water treatment incorporate mechanical, biological, and adsorptive processes. However, water-soluble harmful substances like many chemicals and drugs are particularly challenging for removing those from contaminated water.

The invention presented here continues the latest developments of photo catalysis. Here an iron- molybdenum-based cluster with a superfullerene shape is capable by using sun light at visible wavelengths as energy source and in presence of sodium peroxodisulfate to fully degrade different (even difficult to remove) substances under photocatalytic conditions with high efficiency. In laboratory experiments at the liter scale, the degradation of substrates commonly found in contaminated waters can be achieved to a high degree over just a few hours. As the immobilization onto a surface does not affect the catalytic efficiency, applications as highly active surfaces in common water treatment plants as additional processes are possible for further enhancements in water treatment of difficult to remove substances, which cannot be achieved by existing classical methods (e.g. adsorption, ozonization etc.).