Dyes from industries like textiles, cosmetics and paper manufacturing pose a major challenge for wastewater treatment — carrying high toxicity and potential carcinogens that are difficult to remove. A team from the College of Engineering may have found a solution using a nanofilament material that can break down these pollutants under visible light.

An NSF-supported study led by Distinguished University Professor Michel Barsoum with lead author Adam Walter, a doctoral student in Barsoum’s research group, discovered that a titanium oxide nanofilament with a lepidocrocite structure effectively degrades two common dye pollutants, rhodamine 6G and crystal violet.

In just 30 minutes, the material reduced dye concentrations in water by 90% and 64%, respectively. Unlike conventional methods that merely separate dyes from water, this process fully breaks them down into harmless byproducts.

The key to this breakthrough is the nanofilament’s ability to self-sensitize under visible light, reducing the need for energy-intensive UV treatment. The research, published in Matter, suggests that using this material in existing water treatment processes could be less toxic and more affordable than other methods.

“This is an exciting finding because it helps to address a problem that has been a real challenge for the water treatment process,” Barsoum says. “We anticipate that integrating our titanium-oxide photocatalyst into the current processes could improve its effectiveness in removing these chemicals, as well as reduce the amount of energy required to do so.”