A Microfluidic Device for Flow-Through Blood Oxygenation by Photocatalytic Action

The breakthrough work of Fujishima and Honda in 1972 [1], in which they achieved ultraviolet light-induced water cleavage with the use of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) in an electrochemical cell, has drawn considerable attention in recent years to the “acceleration of a photoreaction by the presence of a catalyst” [2] or photocatalysis. Research on photocatalysis has explored the decomposition of organic pollutants and microorganisms, the superhydrophilic self-cleaning properties of surfaces, and the photosplitting of water, among other applications. Semiconductors can act as photocatalysts because of their electronic structure and TiO₂, in particular, has been a popular choice. It is non-toxic and mechanically stable, can be fabricated at low-cost, and the anatase phase of TiO₂ has a bandgap of approximately 3.2 eV, ideal for excitation by light in the ultraviolet range.