Molecular gel sorbent materials for environmental remediation and wastewater treatment

Molecular gels are promising new classes of materials for the treatment of polluted water owing to their large surface area for pollutant sorption and ease of chemical modification. In recent years, exceptional gel performance in the removal of pollutants such as oil, excess and/or toxic cations and...

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Published inJournal of materials chemistry. A, Materials for energy and sustainability Vol. 7; no. 32; pp. 18759 - 18791
Main Authors Lim, Jason Y. C, Goh, Shermin S, Liow, Sing Shy, Xue, Kun, Loh, Xian Jun
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cambridge Royal Society of Chemistry 2019
Subjects
Anions
Cations
Chemical modification
Chemical pollution
Gels
Graphene
Hydrogels
Iron
Material properties
Mechanical properties
Microorganisms
Nanoparticles
Oil pollution
Organic chemistry
Pollutant removal
Pollutants
Polymer matrix composites
Polymers
Recyclability
Sorbents
Wastewater treatment
Water pollution
Water treatment
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Summary:Molecular gels are promising new classes of materials for the treatment of polluted water owing to their large surface area for pollutant sorption and ease of chemical modification. In recent years, exceptional gel performance in the removal of pollutants such as oil, excess and/or toxic cations and anions, as well as dyes and pharmaceutical products have been reported. However, for them to be used in real-life settings, numerous practical considerations such as gel mechanical properties and recyclability also need to be taken into account. In this review, we highlight key advances in the development of this class of sorbent materials with an emphasis on hydrogels, comprising small molecule supramolecular gelators, polymers and composites comprising graphene/graphene oxide, microorganisms and iron nanoparticles achieved during the last decade. In our 'bottom-up' approach, we emphasise the key design features of each gel material accounting for its target pollutant adsorption characteristics and material properties, together with the most important practical considerations necessary for real-life usage. By putting these into perspective, we hope that this review will stimulate further strategic translational research into practical gel remediators capable of integrating with and complementing existing water treatment technologies. Exciting advances in the last decade regarding the applications of molecular gel sorbent materials for removal of pollutants from wastewater are reviewed, with emphasis on molecular design of the materials and practical considerations.
Bibliography:Dr Xian Jun Loh completed his basic and postgraduate studies at the National University of Singapore. A polymer chemist by training, he is currently the Head of Department of the Soft Materials Department at the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), A*STAR. As a pioneer in the area of biodegradable thermogels, he is highly knowledgeable in developing these materials for various applications spanning biomedical, engineering, cosmetics, personal care and food. His scientific contributions have earned him the position of Fellowship in both Fitzwilliam College in the University of Cambridge as well as in the Royal Society of Chemistry. He is also the current Vice President and member of the Executive Committee of the Singapore National Institute of Chemistry. With his extensive experience in authoring >200 journal papers, 38 patents and know-hows, >30 book chapters and 7 books, he currently sits on several editorial boards of international journals as an expert in his area. He has also successfully helped in the commercialization of 8 different products and is always interested in the translation of science to products.
Jason Y. C. Lim received his DPhil (2018) from the University of Oxford, where he worked on anion recognition and sensing using halogen- and chalcogen-bonding receptors with Prof. Paul D. Beer. After a postdoctoral stint with Prof. Charlotte Williams in the same institution on stereoselective ring-opening polymerisation of lactide using rotaxane organocatalysts, he returned to Singapore where he is now a research scientist at the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), A*STAR. Working on hydrogels and anion sensors at the moment, his main research interests centres around the applications of supramolecular chemistry in materials and sustainable chemistry.
ISSN:2050-7488
2050-7496
DOI:10.1039/c9ta05782j