Mersin University Initiates Proceedings for Two Patents

The Intellectual Property Rights Board, chaired by our Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Hakan Öztürk, convened on July 2, 2026, to begin the process of registering two significant innovative projects at our university. The meeting, coordinated by the Technology Transfer Office (TTO), addressed the official application processes to the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office for the innovative projects developed by researchers.

The board, which met in the Advanced Technology Education Research and Application Center (MEİTAM) meeting room, included Prof. Dr. Seyhan Şahan Fırat, Prof. Dr. Rükan Genç Altürk, Prof. Dr. Caner Özdemir, Prof. Dr. Suphan Karaytuğ, Prof. Dr. Nadir Dizge, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tuncay Turan Turaboğlu, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Onur Uca, and the Head of Intellectual and Industrial Property Rights, Ramazan Duman.

Mersin University and Middle East Technical University (METU) Take a Step Towards Environmentally Friendly “Green Chemistry” in Collaboration

The first study evaluated by the committee was the invention titled “A Novel Photocatalyst Compound and Method of Use for Photocatalytic Reactions,” developed in collaboration between Mersin University and Middle East Technical University (METU).

Developed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özgür Yılmaz and graduate student Leyla Can Kürtüm from the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Mersin University, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Çağatay Dengiz and graduate student Mehmet Efe Çelik from the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, METU, this invention demonstrates, for the first time, the photocatalytic property of an organic molecule and its potential use as an effective photocatalyst in organic synthesis reactions.

The developed metal-free organic photocatalyst enables chemical transformations to be carried out more efficiently and under environmentally friendly conditions by utilizing light energy. The invention offers a low-cost and sustainable alternative to the expensive iridium and ruthenium-based photocatalysts commonly used today.

This new molecule, supporting the green chemistry approach; It is considered a significant innovation due to its environmentally friendly structure, economic advantages, and potential applications in many fields such as drug development.

Modular Technological System Producing Fertilizer from Wastewater

Another innovative study evaluated was the invention titled "Controlled-Release Fertilizer Production by Electrochemical MAP Growth on Open-Porous Iron Foam," prepared by Prof. Dr. Nadir Dizge, a faculty member of the Department of Environmental Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, and researcher Dr. Zelal Işık. This invention recovers phosphorus and nitrogen, which are found in wastewater and cause environmental pollution, while simultaneously producing controlled-release fertilizer within the same integrated system. The system is based on the principle of electrochemically growing magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) crystals on a highly porous open-cell iron foam structure.

The invention eliminates chronic problems in existing technologies such as phosphorus and ammonium loss, difficulty in crystal collection, low mechanical strength, high chemical/energy consumption, and additional drying/granulation. Thanks to its low-cost raw materials and modular design, the invention has commercial potential and can be directly integrated into both wastewater treatment plants and industrial fertilizer factories.