UCL/Imperial joint venture wins £2M nanotech contract in Saudi

The product development consultancy, Bio Nano Consulting (BNC) has been chosen to lead the UK arm of a collaboration in nanotechnology with a major research institution in the Middle East. The agreement, worth in excess of £2 million over two years, will utilise the expertise of the London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN), a joint venture between Imperial College and University College London, on two projects examining the use of nano-catalysts for wastewater treatment and the use of nano-catalysts for the synthesis of fine chemicals.

Solar energy can be harnessed to oxidise pollutants in wastewater, allowing the water to be recycled. For this project, BNC will provide expertise of nano-structure development in solar cells and nanometrology, to complement the in-house catalysis and characterisation expertise of its collaborator in the Middle East.

BNC will also provide access to the nanotechnology facilities at the LCN for the development of environmentally-friendly heterogeneous catalysts in the second project. Many current chemical synthesis processes rely on homogenous catalysts in the liquid phase; as a result, a lack of catalyst regeneration, side reactions and salt formation cause problems with effective waste disposal. The development of heterogeneous nano-catalysts could result in a reduced waste stream, easier separation and reuse of the catalyst.

BNC is a specialist research and development consultancy operating in the convergent field of bionanotechnology. This joint venture between Imperial College London and University College London, is funded through the Technology Strategy Board with support from the London Development Agency.