High-tech polymers for decontamination
Drinking water is increasingly contaminated by synthetic organic compounds, including pesticides, pharmaceuticals and endocrine-disrupting compounds, which pose a major threat to human health. Current treatment methods are not specific to these compounds and often result in ineffective or incomplete water treatment. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are a promising new material that can be imprinted with the template of common pollutants, creating a specific lock-and-key recognition mechanism. A European consortium seeking to produce functional MIPs for selective and effective water purification initiated the EU-funded WATERMIM (Water treatment by molecularly imprinted materials) project. Scientists first used computational modelling and high-throughput screening to determine optimal MIP composition for selectivity. MIP nanoparticles were then created using large-scale, cost-effective polymerisation techniques. Researchers selected the most promising techniques and used them to produce MIPs for three trial compounds. Investigators produced composite membranes containing the MIPs and studied their performance in continuous purification processes. Scientists also investigated combined systems for separation and breakdown of pollutants, concluding that a two-step process was more effective than a simultaneous approach. Finally, the project examined the breakdown of pollutants to better understand the action of the MIP membranes at a molecular level. WATERMIM will deliver highly selective and sensitive water purification technology for hazardous synthetic chemicals that threaten public health. The membranes can be used for monitoring and sensing as well, and applications to numerous other fields are likely to follow.
Keywords
Decontamination, polluted water, synthetic organic compounds, molecularly imprinted polymers, water treatment
