9601557 Gaddam This award supports a 24 month Science and Technology Agency of Japan (STA) Postdoctoral Fellowship for Ms. Pranitha Gaddam at the National Institute of Materials and Chemical Research (NIMC), Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. Ms. Gaddam will work with Dr. Keiichi Tanaka, Director of the Process Synthesis Laboratory, on a research project entitled, "Titaniumdioxide Films as an Efficient Photocatalyst for the Degradation of Organic Pollutants in Waste Water". The proposed research will examine how catalytically-active high-surface area titaniumdioxide films act as an efficient photocatalyst for the degradation of organic pollutants. Although titaniumdioxide powders are used widely for this purpose, there has been complications using catalyst powders in slurry photoreactors as a result of filtration problems. One of the main objectives of this research will be to improve the surface area distribution of the catalyst so as to improve its relative effect in the degradation process. The primary goal of the research is to develop a viable catalyst that would effectively and immediately mineralize environmentally harmful pollutants, volatile hydrochlorocarbons in particular, to harmless chemicals. ***
