Khalifa University researchers have created a novel polymer that can remove colours from industrial effluent. The new substance is inspired by mussels and is constructed of a polymer called polydopamine that has been treated with an ionic liquid.
This results in the formation of a novel adsorbent material for the removal of anionic contaminants from water.
Prof. Hassan Arafat, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Director of the Research and Innovation Center in Graphene and 2D Materials (RIC-2D), was part of the team, as were Rawan Abu Alwan, Research Associate, Botagoz Zhuman, Research Assistant, Dr. Mahendra Kumar, Research Scientist, and Prof. Enas Nashef, Professor of Chemical Engineering. Their findings were reported in the Chemical Engineering Journal.
Anionic pollutants have a negative charge and are frequently found in industrial wastewaters from a range of sources such as metal plating, mining, and textile dyeing.
“Surface and groundwater pollution caused by industrial dye-loaded wastewater effluents threatens human health and ecological systems, causing a serious environmental problem in many countries,” stated Prof. Arafat.
“Several treatment techniques have been used to remove dyes from wastewater, with adsorption being the most economically viable and easily applied.” Traditional adsorbents, on the other hand, have little selectivity, and the process might generate secondary waste.”
A highly selective adsorbent is required for enhanced dye removal from wastewater. The focus of recent research has shifted to nanomaterials, which have large removal capacities, quick kinetics, and great selectivity.
However, nanoparticles have significant drawbacks: they are pricey, not usually reusable, and can be hazardous.
As a material with many functional groups, extraordinary self-adhesive properties, and biocompatibility, the potential applications for polydopamine-based materials are abundant
Instead, the KU research team turned to nature for inspiration.
Mussels are saltwater invertebrates that connect to a variety of surfaces with byssus threads, which are comprised of a dopamine-containing protein. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that has a role in reward-motivated behavior in humans and mammals, but it works as a natural adhesive in mussels.
Polydopamine is a synthetic polymer that is structurally similar to this dopamine-containing protein. It can coat a range of surfaces and serves as a versatile platform for surface alterations.
“As a material with many functional groups, extraordinary self-adhesive properties, and biocompatibility, the potential applications for polydopamine-based materials are abundant,” Prof. Arafat said. “However, its adsorption capacity is low compared to other conventional adsorbents.”
To generate a novel adsorbent material, polydopamine was treated with an ionic liquid. Ionic liquids have gained popularity as viable replacements to standard solvents in recent years due to their low volatility, thermal stability, and ability to dissolve a wide spectrum of molecules.
Because of their low volatility and ability to be recycled, they are also considered eco-friendly and sustainable. This project’s ionic liquid was chosen because of its capacity to create hydrogen bonds with anionic contaminants, increasing their affinity for the modified polydopamine.
By combining polydopamine and ionic liquid, a material with enhanced adsorption properties for anionic pollutants is created: the polydopamine provides a versatile platform for surface modifications, while the ionic liquid provides selectivity and affinity for the pollutants.
The materials used by the team are also reusable. Methanol was used to clean the material and desorb the colors employed in the experiments.
The researchers subjected the material to four cycles of adsorption-desorption with no substantial performance degradation or loss of structural integrity, demonstrating its promise as an adsorbent material for use in industrial wastewater treatment applications.
Source:Khalifa University
