# Project 4 - Advancing VOC Treatment with Novel Materials and Processes

> **NIH NIH P42** · UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE · 2024 · $254,576

## Abstract

SUMMARY
Volatile organic compound (VOC) exposure increases the risk for a variety of adverse health outcomes, including
cardiometabolic disease (CMD). VOC management, including remediation, is thus necessary to mitigate
exposure and thereby adverse health outcomes. Within the University of Louisville Superfund Research Center’s
overall mission, the primary goal of Project 4 is to develop and demonstrate novel, material-driven processes for
new VOC treatment strategies and technologies to meet the challenge of the complicated nature of VOC occurrence
and exposure. Towards this goal, Project 4 aims to achieve broad-based VOC treatment capacities, in both the gas and liquid
phases, with high efficiencies, flexible operation, low energy inputs, no chemical additives, and no harmful products.
We propose an innovative, three-pronged (as Project Aims) project structure, focused on materials that are
capable of harnessing various irradiation energies (e.g. solar irradiation, microwaves) for broad VOC treatment.
Specifically, three integrated Project Aims are designed to: 1) Develop and demonstrate a unique class of
hyperthermic nanomaterials, defined by their capacity to emit (localized, surface-based) heat when subjected to
microwaves, effectively acting as energy ‘antennas’, to generate extreme, surface localized heat gradients for
thermal treatment of VOCs; 2) Develop and demonstrate metal/oxide hybrid materials to achieve synergistic
photothermocatalytic effects for oxidative VOC degradation at significantly reduced temperatures (even room
temperature) compared with conventional thermocatalytic oxidation; and 3) Develop and demonstrate 3D,
crumpled graphene oxide (CGO) composites as a material platform for improving performance, and in some
cases underpinning novel (re)design strategies, for membrane-based (flow-through), photo-enhanced VOC
treatment. Project 4 is integrated into the larger Center effort(s) through training, shared and coordinated
(advance) analytical techniques, advanced data analyses, and critical data sharing regarding VOC composition
and concentrations, as a function of source(s), relating to the mission of the Center. Upon the successful
completion of the Project, newly developed materials, technologies, and processes as well as fundamental
insights will directly advance VOC treatment paradigms, leading to better VOC exposure management strategies
and thus potential health benefits.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10914087
- **Project number:** 5P42ES023716-08
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE
- **Principal Investigator:** John Fortner
- **Activity code:** P42 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $254,576
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-01 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10914087

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10914087, Project 4 - Advancing VOC Treatment with Novel Materials and Processes (5P42ES023716-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10914087. Licensed CC0.

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