Chlorella vulgaris meets TiO2 NPs: Effective sorbent/photocatalytic hybrid materials for water treatment application

A new class of bio-nano hybrid catalyst useable in downstream wastewater treatment was developed. We combined the sorption potentialities of Chlorella vulgaris microalgae with the photocatalytic properties of TiO2 NPs in order to investigate unexplored synergistic effects that could push the algal remediation technology toward a more promising cost-effective balance. We exploited non-living C. vulgaris, which keeps the biosorption properties of the living microalgae, but greatly enhancing the overall processability.