Info from the CORDIS database:

Water purification is a key issue of the 21st century. Slurries or thin films of illuminated titanium dioxide have been shown to provide a means for photooxidising organic pollutants in water. The project aims at working out the basic concepts and studying the reaction mechanisms for drinking and waste water purification by photoelectrochemical means, with the ultimate aim to power these systems with solar energy. More specifically, the two main objectives of the project are the elaboration of efficient, inexpensive photoelectrode materials in thin-layer form, and the determination of the physico-chemical mechanisms leading to oxidative degradation of pollutants and microorganisms. Inexpensive oxide-based photoanodes in thin-layer form and large surface area will be prepared by a number of different techniques. These films will be characterised by physical and photoelectrochemical means, and their performance for the photooxidation of model organic pollutants or microorganisms will be assessed quantitatively in laboratory-scale test reactors.