Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) Research Professor Ragnamay Mohapatra (Department of Quantum System Engineering) and Professor Seunghwa Yoo (Department of Quantum System Engineering, Dept. of JBNU-KIST Industry-Academia Convergence Research) have demonstrated their leading expertise in the field by publishing a review paper on the application of specific photocatalysts to address water pollution in a prominent journal in the fields of chemistry and engineering.

The JBNU research team published a groundbreaking review entitled "Superwetting Materials as Catalysts in Photocatalysis: State-of-the-Art Review" in the latest issue of the Chemical Engineering Journal (IF: 15.1, JCR: top 3.2%), a leading journal in chemical and environmental engineering.

The paper proposes the potential application of triphasic superwetting photocatalysts to solve the global problem of water pollution. It advances understanding of innovative triphasic (solid–liquid–air) photocatalysts and outlines application strategies to respond to various environmental threats. The review organizes recent research and development trends for triphasic superwetting photocatalysts, emphasizing their unique properties that induce photocatalytic reactions at triphasic interfaces.

Unlike conventional photocatalysts, where reactions occur at solid–liquid interfaces with low oxygen concentrations and slow diffusion rates, triphasic photocatalysts offer new possibilities for rapid and efficient removal of organic pollutants.

In particular, the paper emphasizes wetting phenomena, surface properties, and the pivotal role of gas/liquid/solid interfaces in promoting reactions within triphasic photocatalysts. The authors surveyed triphasic photocatalysts with various wettabilities (from superwetting to superhydrophobic) and demonstrated applications for forming nanoarray catalysts with unparalleled efficiency.

Ragnamay Mohapatra, Research Professor and first author of the paper, said, "The triphasic superwetting photocatalytic materials explored in this review represent a paradigm shift in pollutant mitigation technologies. These photocatalytic materials are a promising, sustainable, and environmentally friendly approach capable of overcoming the limitations of existing systems."

Meanwhile, this research was supported by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and ICT and was carried out through the National Research Foundation of Korea's Regional University Outstanding Scientist Support Program, the Basic Research Laboratory Program, and a pilot project to establish an industry–academia collaboration platform funded by the Science and Technology Commercialization Promotion Agency.