According to the inventive concept, a carbon dioxide photo-reactor includes a body having a closed interior space, provided with a photocatalytic material in the interior space, and that generates a reaction gas and a liquefied fluid from carbon dioxide through a photoconversion reaction, a gas injector that provides a passage, through which the carbon dioxide flows, a vapor injector that provides a passage, through which vapor flows, a gas discharger, through which the generated reaction gas is discharged, a liquid discharger, through which the generated liquefied fluid is discharged, and at least one elongate structure disposed to cross the interior space in a predetermined direction.

A photocatalytic system for reducing airborne contaminants using an ultraviolet (UV) emitter and photocatalytic cells, the system comprises a housing comprising a front side having an opening therethrough, and a rear side opposite the front side, the rear side also having an opening therethrough. A first photocatalytic cell is located in the housing adjacent to the front side. Likewise, a second photocatalytic cell located in the housing adjacent to the rear side. A unitary removable structure slidably positionable within the housing between the first photocatalytic cell and the second photocatalytic cell.

A reactor that operates with ultraviolet light emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) to attain UV photoreactions or UV photo-initiated reaction in a fluid flow for various applications, including water purification. The UV-LED reactor is comprised of a conduit means for passing fluid flow, an ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV-LED), and a radiation-focusing element to focus the UV-LED radiation to the fluid in the longitudinal direction of the conduit proportionally to the fluid velocity in the cross section of the conduit.

Catalyst preparation systems and methods for preparing reduced chromium catalysts are disclosed, and can comprise irradiating a supported chromium catalyst containing hexavalent chromium with a light beam having a wavelength within the UV-visible light spectrum. Such reduced chromium catalysts have improved catalytic activity compared to chromium catalysts reduced by other means. The use of the reduced chromium catalyst in polymerization reactor systems and olefin polymerization processes also is disclosed, resulting in polymers with a higher melt index.

A device and method is provided for converting oxygen within air into ozone. The device has a portable housing with an air inlet and an enhanced ozone air outlet. A lamp housing is positioned within the portable housing and has a plurality of UV lamps for emitting UV radiation, the plurality of UV lamps extending from one end of the lamp housing to the other in a generally parallel configuration. The device also has a blower positioned within the portable housing for moving the air into contact with UV radiation from the plurality of UV lamps. The device further includes a plurality of baffles positioned within the lamp housing for dispersing the air as the air moves through the lamp housing. The device can be used to eliminate odors and contaminants found in the air, as well as to eliminate oils and contaminants found in water and to kill insects.

A method of forming three-dimensional shaped microparticles in a microfluidic device includes flowing a mixture of a monomer and photoinitiator in a microfluidic channel having a plurality of pillars disposed therein to define a flow stream having a pre-defined shape and temporarily stopping the same. One or more portions of the flow stream are polymerized by passing polymerizing light through one or more masks and onto the flow stream, the polymerization process forming a plurality of three-dimensional shaped microparticles. The three-dimensional shape of the microparticle may be geometrically complex by using non-rectangular 2D orthogonal shapes for the flow and/or masked light source. The microparticles may include protected regions on which cells can be adhered to and protected from shear forces. The flow stream is restarted to flush out the newly formed microparticles and prepare the device for the next cycle of particle formation.

The inventive device efficiently cools, with a simple construction, heat generated from an ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV-LED). The UV-LED is accommodated in a housing that has an open end and an ultraviolet-transparent closing end. A portion of the housing adjacent to the closing end contacts to-be-treated liquid, ultraviolet rays generated from the UV-LED are irradiated to the to-be-treated liquid, and the housing is cooled by the to-be-treated liquid. In this way, the heat generated from the UV-LED can be cooled with a simple construction without use of arrangements for introducing dedicated cooling fluid for cooling the UV-LED. A heat discharge block for discharging to the outside the heat generated from the UV-LED may be provided at or adjacent to the open end of the housing. Further, the present invention may be constructed in such a manner that a portion of the discharge section directly contacts the to-be-treated liquid.

This invention relates to cost-effective methods for synthesizing metallic nanoparticles in high yield using non-dendrimeric branched polymeric templates, such as branched polyethyleneimine. This invention also provides a high-throughput apparatus for synthesizing metallic nanoparticles under conditions that produce less waste than conventional nanoparticle synthesis methods. Also provided are metallic nanoparticles and multi-metallic nanoparticle compositions made by methods and high-throughput apparatus of the invention.

An apparatus for the treatment of a liquid that includes a chamber having at least one inner surface, the chamber adapted for passage of a fluid therethrough. The chamber is at least 80 percent enclosed. The apparatus also includes an optional ultraviolet-transmissive tube disposed within the chamber and also adapted for the passage of the liquid therethrough. The apparatus further includes an ultraviolet lamp disposed within the chamber and, optionally, within the ultraviolet-transmissive tube. A reflective material is interposed between the chamber and the transmissive tube. The reflective material is adapted so as to reflect at least a portion of light emitted by the ultraviolet lamp, wherein the reflective material is at least 80 percent reflective.

An apparatus includes a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat to a fluid and to absorb heat from the fluid as the fluid flows between a warm end and a cold end of a cryocooler. The heat exchanger includes at least one section having a substrate of at least one allotropic form of carbon and a layer of nanoparticles on or over the substrate. The heat exchanger could include multiple sections, and each section could include one of multiple substrates and one of multiple layers of nanoparticles. The heat exchanger can further include pores through the multiple sections of the heat exchanger, where the pores are configured to allow the fluid to flow through the heat exchanger and to contact the substrates and the layers of nanoparticles. The nanoparticles could include at least one lanthanide element or alloy, and the substrate could include carbon nanotubes or graphene.