Open innovation interactive catalogue

https://www.inphocat.pl/

Since 2015, InPhoCat has been available for purchase. Both Wojciech Macyk, PhD, and Przemyslaw Labuz, PhD, work for Jagiellonian University's Department of Chemistry. The owners of the business are the authors of over a dozen articles, patents, and patent applications. They have overseen scientific endeavours, including those supported by structural and European grants. The business relocated in 2017 and got new offices and lab space. The equipment and instruments required for research and development are present in the laboratories. They are always being improved to make it possible to build prototypes of devices and use them for different purposes.

The primary focus of the company's work is on R&D projects intended to integrate cutting-edge technology and goods. For clients without access to their own R&D facilities, Wojciech Macyk and Przemyslaw Labuz's expertise and experience can be helpful. Innovative active coatings are created and tested in their labs.

For creating and putting into practice a novel method to activate self-cleaning photocatalytic coatings made of titanium dioxide (TiO2), making them sensitive to visible light and enhancing their effectiveness, we were named the winner of the 13th Innovator Malopolski (Polish small business category) competition in 2020. To activate the photocatalytic cleansing and disinfection effect, photocatalytic coatings containing unmodified titanium dioxide need to be continuously illuminated with ultraviolet light. After the TiO2 coating has been altered with a compensating solution, visible light—such as diffused indoor daylight or synthetic white light—must be utilized to activate the photocatalytic activity.

Numerous universal and adaptable photocatalytic filter types that can be utilized in a variety of devices were created by InPhoCat. Their main component is a photocatalytic cartridge, which consists of a photoactive coating applied on various supporting materials (such as fibre, foils, metal, and plastic) that have been adequately cleaned using the corona treatment technique. It also has a UV light source. In a variety of settings, this technology can be utilized to purify the air. The photocatalytic activity of titanium dioxide results in a thorough oxidation of any leftover organic materials, making the system more effective than a normal UV lamp. TiO2's photocatalysis in conjunction with the activity of other InPhoCat-developed chemicals has a fantastic impact on the removal of microbial and organic air pollutants.

The main target group includes medical laboratories, research laboratories in order to improve their research methods of chemical analysis and to provide effective solutions that can facilitate protection against microbiological and chemical pollution.

This method can be used in many fields of medicine and chemistry in general, including also pharmacies.

As an example, it can also be used to protect concrete and reinforced concrete structures, as described and developed in the SIMBA project. In this project, research and development activities are carried out with the goal of creating novel coatings or coating systems that offer concrete structures with new capabilities surface protection. The specially formulated coatings will allow the surface to self-clean, offer thermal protection (they will warm up in the winter and cool down in the summer), and lessen chemical and biological pollutants. The evaporation of water and the resulting cooling are ineffectual because commonly used coatings absorb heat and light, get dirty and darken, which causes them to absorb even more light, and become more hydrophobic.