Patents by Inventor Thomas J. Dichristina

Thomas J. Dichristina has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Degradation of organic contaminants by a microbially-driven fenton reaction
    Patent number: 6627428
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a microbially-driven Fenton reaction for the transformation of organic contaminants. The microbially-driven Fenton reaction combines abiotic and biotic reactions in one system by utilizing the H2O2— and Fe(II)-producing microorganism Shewanella putrefaciens to generate Fenton reagents as metabolic by-products of alternating aerobic and anaerobic respiration. Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a process for oxidatively degrading organic contaminants comprising reacting Fe(III) citrate with S. putrefaciens under alternating anaerobic and aerobic conditions to generate Fenton reagents Fe(II) and H2O2, further reacting the Fenton reagents under neutral pH conditions with the organic contaminant to produce degraded transformation products of the contaminant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corp.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Dichristina, Adonia M. McKinzi