17 innovations from Bar-Ilan University, available for licensing, co-investment, or spin-out through BIRAD.
Nessim Gilbert
The innovation described here consists of synthesizing in a one-step process a self-standing electrode with single-atom catalysts (SACs) supported on a nanocarbon matrix that will outperform the established standards at a much cheaper cost for most electrocatalytic reactions. The scientific breakthrough supporting this research is based on the simultaneous delamination and doping of a thin film stack using chemical vapor deposition (CVD).
Margel Shlomo
Using conventional pesticides poses significant risks to both human health and the natural environment, with detrimental effects on beneficial organisms that could otherwise assist in reducing pesticide reliance. Moreover, the emergence of resistance among numerous pest insects has led to a substantial decline in their efficacy. Consequently, many of these products have been delisted as approved control options. The urgent need for an effective, environmentally friendly solution to reduce pest populations and enhance crop yield and economic returns has become paramount. The present disclosure provides an eco-friendly species-specific solution to minimize insect pest populations in precision agriculture. The insecticide of the present disclosure relies on porous silica microcapsules encapsulating minute quantities of a species-specific sex pheromone of the targeted pests and essential oil/s. The sex pheromone volatile specifically attracts the pests towards the microcapsule area, where they come into contact with the essential oil volatile, resulting in a lethal impact on their enzymatic systems. This synergistic approach effectively targets and controls insect pests while promoting a greener and more sustainable agricultural practice. In experiments conducted in a laboratory setting, male moths were subjected to different conditions within large cages. When exposed to perforated SiO2 microcapsules containing the combination of the appropriate pheromone and essential oil, the male moths exhibited a significant decline in their lifespan compared to their counterparts placed in similar cages and were exposed to the same amount of perforated silica microcapsules in the absence of a pheromone and/or essential oil. In addition, addition of PVP or paraffin wax to the SiO2 microcapsules containing encapsulated pheromone and essential oil prolongs the evaporation rate of the active ingredients, resulting thereby in increase in their lifespan compared to those microcapsules in absence of PVP or paraffin oil.
Aurbach Doron
An electrochemical reactor that works in asymmetric method using flow electrodes to produce low cost green hydrogen gas. The electrochemical cell produces hydrogen using faradaic reaction for hydrogen evolution and capacitance electrostatic adsorption instead of oxygen evolution. Based on our Nofar scholar research, we developed and improved the device that is based on the described patent named:"METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION BY ELECTROLYSIS". Instead of using a static electrodes for the capacitance behavior we use flow electrodes that allows the regeneration of the electrodes outside the reactor in a different cell; hence, we do not require to pause the evolution of hydrogen for electrode regeneration and we need less electrodes that lower the cost of the electrochemical reactor.
Aurbach Doron
Brought herein a novel system for periodic capture and release of CO2 from air using asymmetric configuration electrochemical cells. The capture and release mechanism are based on the "pH swing" principle in which CO2 is efficiently being absorbed into alkaline solution and being released when the solution becomes acidic. Adjustment of the pH of the solution is controlled by passing current through a special asymmetric electrochemical reactor where the solution passes through the reactor. Absorption of CO2 from the air or exhaust gas ("flue gas") is facilitated by passing the solution and CO2 through ordinary absorption column (or tower).
Margel Shlomo
The invention relates generally to the field of adhesive thin coatings comprising essential oils, hydrogen peroxide & ethanol and their use via a controlled release process.
Yehoshua Yaron
The current research deals with the development of an innovative technology for the future food industry, by growing different types of microalgae in unique hydrogel capsules made of polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinyl pyrrolidone/alginate (PVA/PVP/A)). The macrocapsules will serve as a basis to produce cultured seafood. These algae-based macrocapsules will be used as food supplements rich in nutrients, and as food for humans and other animals such as fish, poultry, etc. In this work, these unique hydrogel macrocapsules were developed and their composition and structure were optimized, and the ability to grow algae in them was demonstrated. The technologies that currently exist for growing algae are based on growing in a medium, in plates, and artificially in reactors, encountering many difficulties stemming, among other things, from various bacterial and fungal infections. In addition, to ensure adequate growth, an increased amount of expensive growth medium is used. As part of the present work, an innovative and unique technology for growing algae was developed instead of the technologies that exist today. We introduce microalgae plus growth mediums into macrocapsules that have been uniquely developed by algae encapsulation processes during the preparation of the hydrogel macrocapsules. The confinement of the algae is done to provide them with a place to grow and to protect the algae cells from infections and harmful microorganisms. We also provide microalgae the conditions they need for their growth: light, temperature, and growth medium. The capsules may also contain fragrances, flavors and chosen color. The monitoring of the growth of the microalgae was carried out in two main ways: 1. Tracking the intensity of the color of the macrocapsules, which increases as the concentration of algae in the macrocapsules increasing, 2. Monitoring the concentration of chlorophyll (absorbance at 680 nm) which increases as the concentration of algae in the macrocapsules increasing. It was most clearly demonstrated that the growth of the microalgae entrapped in the macrocapsules is significantly faster than their growth in the conventional methods. The capsules could be used as a basis for various food products by combining them as a raw material or as "ink" for 3D printing. In growing algae with the proposed technology, there is a significant saving in water growing areas compared to the technologies that exist today. The proposed technology of enclosing the algae in capsules will reduce the cases of pollution and at the same time reduce the amount of expensive medium required to grow the cells. This will reduce the growing expenses and make it possible to create future food at a cheaper price. Also, we save on the growing costs of the stage of separating the algae from the water, which is an expensive stage that requires resources and consumes a lot of energy. Furthermore, the capsule shell itself is used as a protein substitute and edible. In addition, if necessary, the separation of the cultured algae from the hydrogel polymeric macrocapsules can easily be achieved by adding chelating metal ions such as EDTA or sodium citrate. in conclusion, the use of the aforementioned macrocapsules will enable a controlled and clean process in a configuration close to the final food product, resulting in significant cost savings.
Tischler Yaakov Raphael
The invention is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform physically and optically linked to a remote base station via a flexible, high-bandwidth optical fiber tether. The architecture decouples the heavy, high-cost, and environmentally sensitive components of a spectroscopic system (such as high-power pulsed/tunable laser engines, complex modulation optics, and laboratory-grade spectrographs or gas-phase analysis hardware) from the mobile flight platform. The flexible tether is optimized for advanced optical transport, supporting single-fiber configurations (utilizing co-axial transceiver optics or double-clad fibers to route both excitation and collection paths through a single line) or multi-fiber bundles (separating excitation and collection lines). To eliminate fiber-induced background noise and accommodate ultra-fast pulses, the system incorporates hollow-core photonic crystal fibers (HC-PCFs), or alternatively utilizes standard, cost-effective solid silica fibers combined with an on-board micro-optical filtering payload head on the UAV. This payload head incorporates high-performance laser cleanup bandpass filters that actively strip away fiber-induced silica Raman sideband spectral peaks and autofluorescence before the excitation light hits the target, alongside longpass/notch/shortpass edge filters that isolate the target's weak spectroscopic signals from backscattered pump light. The UAV payload head features a dynamically adjustable optical delivery system capable of switching between a tightly focused beam configuration (for high-power density point-and-shoot spectroscopy like spontaneous/resonance Raman or LIBS) and a collimated beam configuration (for wide-area illumination, plume absorption, or thermal-ignition mitigation of sensitive energetics). Additionally, the drone features an extractive sampling configuration containing an enclosed internal gas cell for high-precision Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy (CRDS) or Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (TDLAS). To operate in intense ambient-light environments (such as bright daylight) without blinding the spectrometer, the system incorporates distributed optical and electronic noise-suppression packages. These include: An excitation/collection package using ultra-fast time-gating to physically slice out daylight; A spectral-modulation package utilizing Shifted Excitation Raman Difference Spectroscopy (SERDS) under both continuous-wave and pulsed regimes to mathematically subtract invariant background light; and A payload-filtering package on the UAV utilizing tunable Fabry-Pérot etalons or narrow-band collection filters to isolate the signal before it propagates down the return line. The system also supports hybrid photo-acoustic and laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV) tracking, using phase-locked lock-in demodulation distributed on-board or down-fiber to isolate target signatures from UAV motor and rotor noises.
Salomon Adi
The META-SERS-NET substrates described herein provide a versatile, scalable, and highly sensitive platform for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) detection of a wide range of organic and inorganic analytes in aqueous environments. Owing to their three-dimensional nanostructured architecture, broad electromagnetic enhancement, negligible background, and compatibility with lightweight machine-learning (ML) models, these metasurfaces are suitable for multiple commercial and industrial applications, including but not limited to: Environmental Monitoring and Water Quality Control META-SERS-NET substrates are designed for rapid, label-free detection of organic contaminants (e.g., dyes, pesticides, pharmaceuticals) and inorganic ions (e.g., Li⁺, Mg²⁺, B⁺, Na⁺) directly in water. The high enhancement factor, combined with the ability to detect analytes at concentrations down to 10⁻⁹ M, enables: Salomon_SERS_Spec_V3-M Online and offline monitoring of drinking water quality. Surveillance of industrial effluents, wastewater treatment plants, and surface waters. Early detection of persistent organic pollutants and heavy-metal–related species when coupled with appropriate ion-selective polymers. Portable and Field-Deployable Sensing Devices The META-SERS-NET architecture maintains strong SERS performance even when used with low-NA optics (e.g., NA = 0.15), which are typical in portable and handheld Raman instruments. Salomon_SERS_Spec_V3-M This optical tolerance enables: Integration into handheld Raman probes for in-field environmental monitoring. Compact sensors for on-site industrial process control, pipeline monitoring, and spill detection. Low-cost, battery-operated point-of-use devices for municipalities, utilities, and emergency response teams. Industrial Process Control and Quality Assurance The reproducible enhancement and negligible substrate background of META-SERS-NET allow robust quantification of analytes across several orders of magnitude in concentration. Salomon_SERS_Spec_V3-M This makes the platform suitable for: Real-time tracking of dyes, intermediates, and by-products in chemical and pharmaceutical production. Quality control in manufacturing processes requiring precise monitoring of residual contaminants. Inline or at-line sensors for continuous verification of feedstocks, solvents, and process streams. Food and Beverage Safety By enabling sensitive detection of trace dyes, adulterants, and ionic species, META-SERS-NET can be incorporated into: Screening tools for contaminants in beverages and liquid food matrices (e.g., juices, dairy, brewing lines). Rapid verification of cleaning and sanitation processes via detection of residual chemicals in rinse water. Biomedical and Clinical Research Tools (Non-diagnostic Use) In research settings, META-SERS-NET can serve as a high-performance SERS platform for: Studying drug–polymer and ion–polymer interactions using the polymer-assisted detection mode. Salomon_SERS_Spec_V3-M Investigating model bio-relevant ions and small molecules in simulated physiological media. Serving as a robust reference substrate for SERS method development in analytical and bioanalytical laboratories. AI-Augmented Analytical Platforms The integration of the metasurface with a dedicated machine-learning spectral reconstruction module provides enhanced peak separation, noise suppression, and analyte classification. Salomon_SERS_Spec_V3-M This joint optical–computational architecture enables: Automated, high-accuracy detection and quantification of multiple analytes in complex mixtures. Cloud-connected or on-device AI-SERS platforms for routine monitoring tasks operated by non-experts. “Smart” SERS instruments that self-calibrate using the internal Si reference and adapt to device-specific spectral distortions. Calibration Standards and Reference Substrates Due to their ligand-free, additive-free fabrication and high reproducibility over large areas, META-SERS-NET substrates can function as: Salomon_SERS_Spec_V3-M Standard SERS reference substrates for instrument calibration and inter-laboratory comparisons. Internal standards in commercial Raman instruments, ensuring consistent performance across devices and over time. Long-Lifetime, Low-Maintenance Sensing Modules The metasurfaces exhibit lifetimes of at least one year under standard storage and operating conditions and demonstrate efficient heat dissipation and stability at low excitation powers. Salomon_SERS_Spec_V3-M This durability supports: Long-term deployment in remote or difficult-to-access locations. Low-maintenance sensor cartridges for subscription-based monitoring services. Replacement-ready “plug-and-measure” chips that can be exchanged in field devices without complex recalibration.
Naveh Doron
The invention includes the integration of multi-layer graphene inside printed cards (PCB) and is designed to help with the solution of power dissipation problems, emitted as heat to the environment . the dissipated heat damage the function of the card and creates a waste of energy. multi-layer graphene known as high thermal conductivity value material (calculated and measured), but has not been integrated into cards or motherboards to date so far.
Margel Shlomo
Preparation and use of free, entrapped, and surface bound hollow non-functional and functional SiO2 microparticles with controlled porosity for various applications (liquid solidification, superhydrophobic, self-cleaning, acceleration sensors, cosmetics, food, encapsulation, controlled release in liquid and gas phase, plastics, etc.)
Banin Ehud
A novel formulation to produce pickering emulsion that utilizes a green solvent and allows production of superhydrophobic coatings with antibiofilm activity.
Margel Shlomo
The present invention describes the synthesis of polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVA/PVP) hydrogels containing water soluble and insoluble functional active materials, e.g., fungicides, fertilizers, essential oils, oxidants, metal ions, drugs, dyes, etc.) for different applications in agriculture, environment, cosmetics, and medicine. For this purpose, two methods have been used, direct and a swelling method. In the direct method, PVP was added to warm PVA aqueous solution, e.g., 90-95 °C. After a while the system was cooled down slowly to room temperature. During the cooling process and the PVA/PVP hydrogel formation appropriate concentration/s of water soluble, e.g. hydrogen peroxide, urea, methyl orange or trichloro acetic acid, or water insoluble materials, e.g., essential oils such as thymol or benzoyl peroxide was/were added. The water-soluble functional materials were dissolved in the aqueous phase of the hydrogel while the water insoluble in the organic (PVP and/or PVA) part. The formation of the PVA/PVP hydrogels (due to hydrogen bonds between PVP and PVA) leads to gradual increased viscosity which enable to mold the formed hydrogel to any desired shape. The mechanical properties of the final material were improved by repeated freezing-thawing cycles. If necessary, surface crosslinking of the hydrogel for controlled release is accomplished by reacting surface PVA (hydroxyl groups) with glutaraldehyde under acidic conditions via formation of polyacetal bonds.
