Patent ID: 7371351

Claim:
A system for disinfecting fluids, comprising: a photocatalyst layer comprising a plurality of photocatalyst particles for photogenerating electrons and holes, said photocatalyst layer having a top and a bottom surface, wherein said bottom surface is secured to a solid surface; a source of photons having a wavelength corresponding to at least a band gap energy of said photocatalyst, and; an electrically conductive layer disposed on and in electrical contact with said photocatalyst layer for removing a portion of said photogenerated electrons, said electrically conductive layer being interposed between said source of photons and said photocatalyst layer wherein incident light from said source of photons is transmitted by said electrically conductive layer to said top surface of said photocatalyst layer, said electrically conductive layer reducing an electron-hole recombination rate involving said photogenerated electrons and holes resulting in an increase in a removal rate of microorganisms or chemical contaminants from a fluid.