Exact sciences

Licence offers:

Method for production of biobased phenols

The production of industrially relevant aromatic chemicals from lignin requires efficient methods for defunctionalization, that is, removing extra substituents. A new synthetic methodology developed by the University of Antwerp provides a cheap and scalable way for the production of biobased phenol derivatives. The method can be used by companies active in fine chemicals or speciality chemicals sectors. More info

Sustainable and efficient biotemplate silica-titania photocatalytic composites out of diatom frustules

The University of Antwerp developed a novel photocatalytic composite displaying photocatalytic nanoparticles at the inner surface of bio-based diatom frustules. The material significantly reduces VOC
and NOx concentrations in polluted air, especially in interior applications. More info

Transparent self-cleaning coatings powered by sunlight

Photocatalytic technology converts light into chemical energy. Transparent photocatalytic thin films hold great potential in the development of self-cleaning surfaces, but suffer from a poor visible light response that hinders the use of natural sunlight. As a solution the film is modified with plasmonic nanoparticles that act as thousands of visible light antennas. The DuEL group at the University of Antwerp has developed a new method to embed such structures in the catalyst matrix to fully exploit this effect. These self-cleaning coatings can play a role in air and water purification, self-cleaning glazing (e.g. for construction, solar panels...) and antibacterial surfaces. Photo is purely illustrative: ARoS Aarhus Art Museum (via Pixabay) More info

Extraction of high resolution information from coarsely sampled data

Researchers at the University of Antwerp developed a sub-Nyquist regular sampling scheme that delivers superresolution output by a combination of recent results in sparse interpolation and approximation theory. More info

Measurement procedure for personalizing 3D audio experiences

3D audio through headphones is the next step in new media technologies. After widespread adoption of 3D vision in games, virtual, augmented and mixed reality, 3D audio is key to a truly immersive experience. A low-cost, high-quality measurement procedure for personalizing 3D audio has now been developed. The university is looking for investors to further develop the current prototype into a commercial product, content providers that wish to exploit the full potential of their 3D audio content, and/or technology providers looking for a 3D audio personalization method for shipment with their virtual reality products/services. More info

Bio sensors, singlet oxygen based detection of phenolic compounds

The University of Antwerp has developed a new sensing technique to detect phenolic compounds in water streams on bases of photocatalysis and electrochemical detection. The sensors have a very low detection limit (0.012 μM for 8-hydroxyquinoline) and fast response time (< 10 s). The sensors are a fast and robust alternative for COD measurements used today for phenolic compounds. More info

Active filtering technology for algae harvesting

The commercial cultivation of microalgae is a rapidly growing industry worldwide. The main technical challenge nowadays is harvesting the microalgae, as centrifugation and classic filtration come with high cost. The University of Antwerp has developed a novel method to enable a more efficient harvesting, based on filtration combined with algae cake removal using a magnet brush. This allows for lower energy consumption, but safeguards high harvesting rates and minimal wear of the microalgae. A functional prototype has already been build, and we are now looking for device manufacturing companies, and companies working in the field of algae cultivation, to bring this method to the market. More info

Human variability with 3D scanning

At the Vision Lab of the University of Antwerp, new technologies have been developed to deal with human variability in product design. The effectiveness of the approach has already been proven in the design process for earphones, the construction of fracture fixation plates, modelling of head variability, etc.  More info