Servicenavigation

Project Details

Back

Projekt Print View

Materials for Selective and Sustainable HydroCarbon Removal from Water

Subject Area Physical Chemistry of Solids and Surfaces, Material Characterisation
Synthesis and Properties of Functional Materials
Term from 2019 to 2023
Project identifier Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 430901937
 
Final Report Year 2024

Final Report Abstract

Water is essential for all life on earth – yet the supply of clean water in sufficient quantities is at risk. A crucial class of contaminants relate to the excessive use of hydrocarbons (HCs) including fossil fuels and all oil-based chemical refined products, which differ in their chemical structure, their molecular weight, and their properties. The concept of magnetic water cleaning is to collect HC contaminants magnetically. Naturally, HCs and their derivatives are not magnetic, but they can adsorb on surfaces of magnetic carriers. Once added, the loaded carriers (super paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles - SPIONs) can be removed from the water phase using common magnetic separation approaches. (SPIONs) exhibit large surface-to-volume ratios of > 100 m2ꞏ g–1 and attract efficiently to external magnetic fields. Chemically, SPIONs are particles smaller than 30 nm diameter of magnetite (Fe3O4) or maghemite (Fe2O3) – basically, they are harmless inexpensive rust. Within the project we have developed tailored surface functionalization of SPIONs, that allow to efficiently adsorb and to remove HCs from water - or more specifically to implement chemical recognition motifs towards dedicated HC contaminants to upgrade the simple rust to “smart rust”. We have realized SPION systems that are able to remediate HCs from small molecular hexane (liquid molecule with six carbon units) to cross-linked polyethylene (PE) microplastics (solid with infinite number of carbon units). Besides targeting simple alkylbased HCs [-CH2)n-], we have developed smart SPIONs that are able to remediate microand nanoplastics of different size (100 nm – 100 µm) and chemical composition (PS, PMMA, melamine resin, PE) as well as charge derivatives of aromatic compounds or soaps. We have created a huge library of novel smart SPIONs that allow further tailoring towards other classes of contaminants (e.g. hormones). In collaboration with groups from our university and external partners we could gain a fundamental understanding in the active principle of the interaction of contaminants with functional SPION surfaces and we have shown that these chemical recognitions can be used in highly responsive and highly selective sensors. Additional to efficient remediation of HCs with SPIONs we have addressed the aspect of sustainability of our concept/materials. We have demonstrated full loop recycling of SPIONs and even an upcycling concept as well as their non-toxicity. As output of the project we have published (so far) 9 peer-reviewed original research articles and we have widely contributed to scientific communication to the public audience by articles, TV reports or public events (e.g. panel discussions or pupil seminars).

Publications

 
 

Additional Information

© 2026 DFG Disclaimer / Copyright / Privacy Policy

Textvergrößerung und Kontrastanpassung