Fresh, clean water coming directly from the tap is a true luxury. In developing countries, people often have no choice but to use a contaminated river for drinking water. Water filters can help by quickly converting polluted surface or ground water into safe drinking water. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, researchers have now introduced a novel multifunctional composite material that removes inorganic, organic, radioactive, and microbial impurities from water.
Usually, water purification involves a series of filters, each designed to remove a single type of impurity. In contrast, this new filter material is an all-rounder. Scientists from the Universities of Ulm (Germany) and Zaragoza (Spain) have now seized upon a relatively new approach for designing materials, which allows molecular components to be assembled into multifunctional composites called SILP materials (supported ionic liquid phases). An ionic liquid is a salt that is melted at room temperature, making it liquid without being dissolved in a solvent. When such an ionic liquid is adsorbed onto a solid substrate it forms a solid composite material with properties that can be selectively tuned through chemical modification.
The researchers led by Scott G. Mitchell and Carsten Streb have now produced the first SILPs based on polyoxometallates (POM). POMs are molecular transition metal-oxygen clusters in which the metal atoms are bridged by oxygen atoms to form a three-dimensional network. For the new filter materials, they selected polyoxotungstate anions. These anions have a binding site which can trap heavy metal ions. The counterions they selected are voluminous tetraalkylammonium cations known for their antimicrobial effect. The resulting ionic liquids are hydrophobic, immiscible with water, and form stable thin layers on surfaces. By using a porous silicon dioxide support, the researchers obtained dry, free-flowing powders that are easy to transport and handle.
In laboratory experiments, the anions of the new composites reliably removed lead, nickel, copper, chromium, and cobalt ions. Radioactive uranium in the form of UO22+ was trapped directly by the silicon dioxide support. Similarly, the water-soluble blue trityl dye commonly used in the textile industry was also removed as a result of the lipophilic character of the ionic liquid. The antimicrobial cations effectively halt the growth of E. coli. bacteria.
The researchers hope that their new “POM-SILP” filter materials will form the basis for the development of contaminant-specific chemically designed filter systems that can be used for the reliable purification of water in remote areas and developing nations, as well as after natural disasters and chemical accidents.
[osd_subscribe categories=’water-purification-2′ placeholder=’Email Address’ button_text=’Subscribe Now for any new posts on the topic “WATER PURIFICATION”‘]
Receive an email update when we add a new WATER PURIFICATION article.
The Latest on: Water purification
[google_news title=”” keyword=”water purification” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Water purification
- Nama Water Services conducts pilot project for decentralised treatment unit accreditationon April 27, 2024 at 8:39 am
MUSCAT: Nama Water Services, in partnership with Fuji Clean Company and Green Technology Company, embarked on a groundbreaking initiative focused ...
- Ellsworth secures $7M for crucial water treatment overhaulon April 26, 2024 at 1:01 am
The Village of Ellsworth is eligible to receive a $2,081,000 loan and $5,528,000 grant to construct a wastewater collection and treatment system.
- Nonunion contractors sue Springfield Water and Sewer Commission to block labor agreement at $325M treatment planton April 25, 2024 at 12:52 pm
Nonunion contractors sued the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission this week, seeking to block a project labor agreement at a $325 million water filtration plant that construction unions achieved ...
- Spearheading the New Era of Water Purification: ANGEL Space Master Series New Product Launch Event Held Successfullyon April 25, 2024 at 9:33 am
Finally, Kong Na announced the new global brand ambassador—Xiao Zhan. In the future, ANGEL will work hand in hand with Xiao Zhan to promote China's water purification technology to global audiences, ...
- Butler County community to get new water treatment planton April 24, 2024 at 1:52 pm
A small Butler County community is days away from something it has wanted for decades: a functioning water treatment plant. It may not look like much, but the two sewage treatment pits have people ...
- Boil water advisory lifted in Fairburn after pump malfunctions at water treatment planton April 24, 2024 at 10:19 am
The boil water advisory for the city of Fairburn has been lifted. The City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management (DWM) issued the advisory on Tuesday after a pump malfunctioned at the ...
- Advancing water treatment: UMass startup Elateq Inc. wins state grant to deploy new technologyon April 24, 2024 at 7:03 am
AMHERST — In the four years since its founding on the UMass campus, startup Elateq Inc., a water treatment and hardware company, has landed contracts big (think PepsiCo) and small (think town of ...
- This LifeStraw Filter Gives You Clean Drinking Water Anywhere—And It’s Only $15 Right Nowon April 24, 2024 at 3:05 am
Get a LifeStraw personal water filter on sale at Amazon for just $15 right now. During this deal, you can save on the best filter for camping and survival.
- Riviera water treatment plant estimates explode to $300 million. Will water bills rise?on April 23, 2024 at 2:12 am
Estimates for a new water treatment plant in Riviera Beach have reached $300 million, and the city does not have the borrowing capacity to cover it.
via Bing News