Photocatalyst Synthesis & Facet Engineering Patent Landscape
The field is in a Growth stage, with a 43% increase in filings over the most recent three-year window versus the prior three years, though annual volume has eased from its 2023 peak. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research leads by patent records, and China is the dominant filing jurisdiction, reflecting a broadly distributed but research-institution-heavy competitive structure.
Research institutions dominate a moderately concentrated field
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research holds the top position with 7 patent records, followed by the Regents of the University of Colorado with 6. The top five filers account for 29% of the combined total across the hundred largest filers, indicating moderate rather than extreme concentration.
A clear tier gap separates the top two applicants from the rest of the ranking, where most entrants hold two or three patent records. This pattern is typical of an emerging-to-growth field still populated primarily by academic and government research bodies rather than established industrial IP portfolios.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | COUNCIL OF SCI & IND RES | 7 | |
| 2 | The Regents of the University of Colorado | 6 | |
| 3 | National Institute of Technology Rourkela | 3 | |
| 4 | Zhejiang Wanli University | 3 | |
| 5 | University of South Africa | 2 | |
| 6 | CASTELLANOS BELTRAN IGNACIO | 2 | |
| 7 | The Regents of the University of Michigan | 2 | |
| 8 | Heilongjiang University | 2 | |
| 9 | Jiangsu University | 2 | |
| 10 | Tianjin University | 2 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | SABIC Global Technologies B.V. | 2 | |
| 12 | CERKOVNIK LOGAN JEROME | 2 | |
| 13 | Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences | 2 | |
| 14 | MR SAMPAT R SHINGDA | 1 | |
| 15 | Guozhong Chuangye (Beijing) Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. | 1 | |
| 16 | PSG INST OF TECH & APPLIED RES | 1 | |
| 17 | Qujing Normal University | 1 | |
| 18 | DR NILESH V GANDHARE | 1 | |
| 19 | University of Ulsan Foundation for Industry-Academy Cooperation | 1 | |
| 20 | The University Court of the University of Aberdeen | 1 |
The dominance of universities and national research institutes signals that core enabling IP is still being staked out. Industrial entrants such as SABIC Global Technologies and Toshiba Lighting & Technology have filed but have not yet accumulated comparable depth, leaving room for industrial players to build positions.
The most recent 18–24 months of filing data are subject to publication lag and likely undercount actual activity; read near-term figures conservatively. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Multi-year growth with a dominant catalysis core and diversifying applications
The filing trend reveals sustained expansion on a multi-year basis, while the technology composition chart shows that chemical and physical catalysis processes dominate but adjacent application branches are accumulating share.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings grew from 2 records in 2017 to a peak of 10 in 2023, with 2024 and 2025 also at high levels; note that 2024–2025 figures are understated by publication lag and should not be read as a plateau. The 43% multi-year growth rate confirms the field remains in expansion.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
B01J (Chemical/physical processes and catalysis) dominates the IPC distribution, reflecting the primacy of catalyst synthesis methodology. C01B (non-metallic elements and inorganic compounds), C04B (ceramics and refractories), C02F (water and wastewater treatment), and C25B (electrolytic production) each hold meaningful shares, indicating that facet engineering is being applied across photocatalytic hydrogen production, environmental remediation, and electrochemical synthesis.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
IN-SITU-PHOTOKATALYSATORNANOSTRUKTURWACHSTUM ZUR M…
Method for synthesizing photocatalyst semi-conductor nanostructure (16) into a continuous flow rate microfluidic reactor (1) for fluid purification, comprising the following steps: realizing a nanocristallite seedlayer (12) on a substrate (2) by: applying a homogeneous layer (13) of a seed solution (11) composed by precursors and a spreader compound… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nanostructured photocatalysts and doped wide-bandg… | 42 |
| 2 | Nanostructured photocatalysts and doped wide-bandg… | 30 |
| 3 | 一种硼掺杂含特定晶面二氧化钛晶体的制备方法 | 25 |
| 4 | Nanostructured photocatalysts and doped wide-bandg… | 20 |
| 5 | 暴露活性｛001｝晶面TiO<sub>2</sub>/TiC MXene复合光催化剂的制备方法与应用 | 14 |
| 6 | 一种碳纤维负载二氧化钛纳米薄片的制备方法 | 11 |
| 7 | 光触媒合成法、光触媒材料、光触媒涂料以及光触媒体 | 11 |
| 8 | 一种金属-有机骨架的多孔纳米线及其制备方法和应用 | 9 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the competitive structure means for R&D investment decisions
The landscape combines a clear growth signal with open application branches, suggesting that targeted R&D investment can still establish meaningful IP positions, particularly outside the dominant catalysis synthesis core.
Growth stage with annual volume easing from 2023 peak
The field is classified as Growth: the most recent three-year filing window is 43% above the prior three-year window on a multi-year basis. Annual volume peaked in 2023 and has eased since, though recent years are further understated by publication lag. Core synthesis methodologies are being actively claimed, and the window for foundational filing remains open.
Growth stageModerate concentration with a visible leader tier
The top five filers hold 29% of the combined total among the hundred largest filers — moderate rather than entrenched concentration. The gap between the top two applicants and the rest of the field is meaningful, but with most competitors holding only one to three patent records, displacement or leapfrogging is plausible for a well-resourced entrant with a differentiated synthesis route.
Moderate concentrationUniversity of Colorado anchors the most active co-filing cluster
The most active co-applicant cluster centres on the Regents of the University of Colorado, which co-filed with five named collaborators — Vivek Singh, Prashant Nagpal, Yuchen Ding, Logan Jerome Cerkovnik, Castellanos Beltran Ignacio, and Yahya Alivov — each with four joint records. This tight cluster accounts for a significant share of the university’s portfolio and suggests a single coordinated research group rather than broad institutional collaboration.
Clustered co-filingChina leads by filing volume; the US and India are active secondary offices
China is the lead jurisdiction with 27 patent records, followed by the United States with 11 and India with 10. Eight filings have entered the PCT route, and five have been filed at the EPO, indicating selective international protection. The strong India presence aligns with the prominence of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and the National Institute of Technology Rourkela in the applicant ranking.
China-led, globally spreadGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| SINGH VIVEK | The Regents of the University of Colorado | 4 |
| NAGPAL PRASHANT | The Regents of the University of Colorado | 4 |
| DING YUCHEN | The Regents of the University of Colorado | 4 |
| CERKOVNIK LOGAN JEROME | The Regents of the University of Colorado | 4 |
| CASTELLANOS BELTRAN IGNACIO | The Regents of the University of Colorado | 4 |
| ALIVOV YAHYA | The Regents of the University of Colorado | 4 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research leads; University of Colorado drives electrolytic synthesis
The two largest applicants differ markedly in technical emphasis: the top-ranked institution focuses on classical catalysis methodology, while the second-ranked group has a strong footprint in electrolytic compound production alongside catalysis.
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
Holding 7 patent records, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research focuses tightly on chemical and physical catalysis processes (B01J35, B01J37, B01J21), reflecting deep investment in core photocatalyst synthesis methodology. Its momentum is marked as a new entrant in the recent filing window, indicating that most of its portfolio was filed in the recent three-year period — a sign of rapid, concentrated IP-building rather than long-accumulated position.
patent records: 7The Regents of the University of Colorado
With 6 patent records, the University of Colorado group combines catalysis process coverage (B01J35, B01J23) with a notable position in electrolytic production of compounds (C25B3), distinguishing it from the leader’s purely synthesis-focused portfolio. The university files through a dense co-inventor cluster, and its collaboration network represents the most active co-filing arrangement in the dataset.
patent records: 6| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Council of Scientific and Industrial Research | 6 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches adjacent to the catalysis core
Several IPC branches appear at lower share alongside the dominant B01J core; they are observations of relative sparsity and are noted here where they also carry plausible technical value and a realistic entry path.
C25B · Electrolytic production of compounds
This branch holds 10 patent records — lower share relative to B01J — yet facet-engineered photocatalysts that drive electrolytic hydrogen evolution or CO2 reduction are a scientifically active frontier. The University of Colorado group has already staked positions here via C25B3, but the branch remains sparsely populated overall. Teams with expertise in both surface crystallography and electrochemistry have a realistic entry path through photoelectrochemical cell design.
Search this in Eureka →C04B · Ceramics, cement & refractories
With 11 patent records, the ceramics and refractories branch is relatively sparse given the broad applicability of facet-controlled oxide photocatalysts to structural and construction materials. Italcementi (Italcementi S.p.A.) holds an early position here through co-assignments across B01J35 and C04B14/C04B20, but the branch has few other active filers. Entrants with materials-processing capabilities and access to construction-sector deployment channels have a plausible path to differentiated filings.
Search this in Eureka →How leading filers differ across technology routes
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | B01J 35 · Chemical/physical processes & catalysis | B01J 37 · Chemical/physical processes & catalysis | B01J 23 · Chemical/physical processes & catalysis | B01J 27 · Chemical/physical processes & catalysis | B01J 21 · Chemical/physical processes & catalysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council of Scientific and Industrial Research | Strong · 7 | Strong · 6 | Moderate · 2 | Absent | Moderate · 3 |
| The Regents of the University of Colorado | Strong · 6 | Absent | Strong · 4 | Strong · 4 | Absent |
| CASTELLANOS BELTRAN IGNACIO | Strong · 4 | Absent | Moderate · 2 | Moderate · 2 | Moderate · 1 |
| CERKOVNIK LOGAN JEROME | Strong · 4 | Absent | Moderate · 2 | Moderate · 2 | Moderate · 1 |
Frequently asked questions
The analysis covers 50 patent families in the photocatalyst synthesis and facet engineering space.
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research leads with 7 patent records, followed by the Regents of the University of Colorado with 6 patent records.
The most recent three-year filing window is 43% above the prior three-year window, placing the field in a Growth lifecycle stage. Annual volume peaked in 2023 and has eased since; the most recent years are further understated by publication lag.
China leads with 27 patent records, followed by the United States with 11 and India with 10. Eight filings have entered the PCT route and five have been filed at the EPO.
B01J (Chemical/physical processes and catalysis) is the dominant IPC class. C01B (non-metallic elements and inorganic compounds), C04B (ceramics and refractories), C02F (water and wastewater treatment), and C25B (electrolytic production of compounds) each appear as secondary branches.
The most active co-filing cluster centres on the Regents of the University of Colorado, which co-filed with five named collaborators — each pairing producing 4 joint records — reflecting a single coordinated research group operating as a collective filer.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
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