Biodegradable photocatalytic nanocomposite microsponges of polyactic acid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9764316-B2
Application number	US-201214125371-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2012
Priority date	Jun 18, 2011
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

Despite significant progress in the synthesis of nanocomposite materials, integration of several components with various functions remains a big challenge, which significantly limits control over nanocomposite properties. The disclosure provides a multifunctional micro particle based on incorporation of titania nanoparticles combined into a porous polylactic acid (PLA) matrix. PLA is used as a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer and titania nanoparticles represent photocatalytically active nanofillers capable of degradation of organic compounds under solar irradiation. Titania nanoparticles are integrated with PLA by using ‘mixed’ and ‘in situ grown’ approaches. The hybrid systems effectively absorbed and degraded organic impurities from water. The sorption capacity, dye degradability, and PLA disintegration were controlled by varying the concentration of incorporated titania. The hybrid degradable systems can be applied as novel non-toxic photocatalytic materials for such as environmental cleanup of contaminated waters.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hybrid non-hollow non-calcined microparticle comprising photocatalytically active anatase titanium dioxide nanoparticles generated by methanol mineralization at a temperature less than 60° C. embedded within a polylactide matrix, wherein the polylactide matrix is a porous sponge.

2. The hybrid microparticle of claim 1 , wherein the polylactide is a poly-(D,L-lactic acid) or a poly-(lactic-co-glycolic acid).

3. The hybrid microparticle of claim 1 , wherein the titanium dioxide is embedded in a polymer comprising poly-(D,L-lactic acid).

4. The hybrid microparticle of claim 1 , wherein the titanium dioxide comprises anatase titanium dioxide nanoparticles coated in a polymer comprising poly-(D,L-lactic acid).

5. The hybrid microparticle of claim 1 , wherein the hybrid microparticle has at least one dimension in the range of about 50 μm to about 400 μm.

6. The hybrid microparticle of claim 1 , wherein the hybrid microparticle has at least one dimension in the range of about 100 μm to about 300 μm.

7. The hybrid microparticle of claim 1 , wherein the microparticle is degradable on prolonged irradiation by light energy.

8. A method of photocatalytically degrading an organic compound in an aqueous liquid comprising:
(i) adding hybrid microparticles according to claim 1 to an aqueous liquid having an organic compound desired to be degraded; and
(ii) irradiating the hybrid microparticles with light energy, thereby photocatalytically degrading the organic compound in contact with the titanium dioxide of the hybrid microparticles.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the organic compound is a hydrocarbon, a biomolecule, an industrial waste product, or an agricultural waste product.

Assignees

• Kharlampieva Eugenia P
• Yancey Benjamin
• Uab Res Found

Inventors

• Kharlampieva Eugenia P
• Yancey Benjamin

Classifications

• B01J2235/15

  X-ray diffraction · CPC title

• B01J2235/00

  Indexing scheme associated with group B01J35/00, related to the analysis techniques used to determine the catalysts form or properties · CPC title

• B01J2235/30

  Scanning electron microscopy; Transmission electron microscopy · CPC title

• B01J35/70

  characterised by their crystalline properties, e.g. semi-crystalline (catalysts comprising carbon B01J21/18; molecular sieves B01J29/00) · CPC title

• B01J35/004

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic