BCMaterials paper on the cover page of Global Challenges

An investigation from BCMaterials, together with colleagues from the University of Minho, Portugal and the Technical University of Dresden, Germany, has been highlighted as journal cover in the journal Global Challenges, as a new approach in water decontamination. The contribution “Reusable Photocatalytic Optical Fibers for Underground, Deep-Sea, and Turbid Water Remediation” (DOI: 10.1002/gch2.201700124) shows the immobilization of photocatalytic titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles in a polymer (PVDF) onto the surface of polymeric optical fibers, which can be applied in environmental decontamination. As light is transmitted through the fibers until the end tip, remote environments deployed of light access, as it is the case of soil and deep water, can be reached and decontaminated. This work combines the practicability of the optical fibers to transport radiation, the chemical resilience of the PVDF coating, and the catalytic properties of TiO₂ into a single material.

" In article number 1700124, Pedro M. Martins, Senentxu Lanceros‐Méndez, and co‐workers show for the first time the immobilization of photocatalytic titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles in a polymer (PVDF) onto the surface of polymeric optical fibers, which can be applied in environmental decontamination. The optical fibers not only act as a material of light transportation but also an immobilization matrix for the PVDF/TiO2 composite, thus radiation and the photocatalytic effect are provided by the same material. The immobilization of TiO2 in the polymer improves the stability of the coating and consequently its reusability, which is important for practical applications. As light is transmitted through the fibers until the end tip, remote environments deployed of light access, as it is the case of soil and deep water, can be reached and decontaminated. This work combines the practicability of the optical fibers to transport radiation, the chemical resilience of the PVDF coating, and the catalytic properties of TiO2 into a single material."