Cyclodextrin Polymer Adsorbent for Rapid Water Purification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for removing organic pollutants from water, such as adsorption, photocatalytic, and biological methods, are costly and inefficient, with existing adsorbents like activated carbon and resins having high production costs and slow adsorption rates, and cyclodextrin polymers requiring organic solvents and taking hours to reach adsorption equilibrium.
Innovation Solution
A novel cyclodextrin polymer is synthesized using a non-rigid and rigid crosslinking agent with a quaternary ammonium salt in an alkaline aqueous solution, resulting in a material with ultra-fast adsorption performance and a three-dimensional network structure, capable of quickly removing organic pollutants from water without the need for organic solvents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If traditional adsorbents like activated carbon and resin are used, then adsorption capacity is achieved, but adsorption rate is slow and production cost is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the adsorbent by introducing quaternary ammonium salt functional groups and using specific crosslinking agents (rigid and non-rigid) to create a cyclodextrin polymer with enhanced adsorption kinetics. This modifies the surface chemistry and pore structure to achieve faster adsorption rates while maintaining cost-effectiveness through water-based synthesis
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material by combining cyclodextrin units with quaternary ammonium salt functional groups and crosslinking agents to form a multifunctional polymer. This composite structure integrates the host-guest inclusion capability of cyclodextrin with the cationic surfactant properties of quaternary ammonium salts, achieving both fast adsorption and cost-effectiveness
2Speed
If cyclodextrin polymer is synthesized using traditional crosslinking agents, then polymer structure is formed, but adsorption equilibrium takes several hours to reach
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by introducing regions of different crosslinking density and pore size within the polymer structure. The rigid crosslinking agent creates stable microporous regions for fast diffusion, while the non-rigid crosslinking agent provides flexible regions for guest molecule accommodation, collectively achieving rapid adsorption equilibrium
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes porous materials by designing a polymer structure with controlled microporosity through the use of rigid crosslinking agents. These pores facilitate rapid mass transport of organic pollutants to the active cyclodextrin cavities, significantly reducing the time to reach adsorption equilibrium
3Ease of manufacture
If cyclodextrin polymer is prepared in organic solvent, then crosslinking reaction proceeds, but synthesis process is not environmentally friendly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the chemical system (organic solvent) with a water-based system for the crosslinking reaction. This substitution eliminates the environmental harm associated with organic solvents while maintaining the simplicity of the synthesis process through aqueous-phase reaction conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the solvent parameter from organic to water, enabling the crosslinking reaction to proceed in an environmentally friendly medium. This is achieved by selecting crosslinking agents and reaction conditions that are compatible with aqueous environments, thus eliminating harmful organic solvent usage while keeping the manufacturing process simple
4Reliability
If activated carbon is used for adsorption, then organic pollutants are removed, but regeneration cost is high and adsorption performance after regeneration is difficult to recover
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables easy recovery of the adsorbent by designing a polymer structure that allows simple desorption of adsorbed organic pollutants. The quaternary ammonium salt functional groups and cyclodextrin cavities facilitate reversible adsorption, allowing the polymer to be regenerated through washing with appropriate solvents, thus maintaining high adsorption performance after multiple cycles at low cost
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The cyclodextrin polymer exhibits rapid adsorption of organic pollutants, achieving high removal efficiencies within minutes, outperforming traditional adsorbents like activated carbon and resins, and can be easily regenerated and reused, making it suitable for industrial applications.
Implementation Method 1
Due to its special external hydrophilic and internal hydrophobic annular cavity structure, it can form host-guest inclusion compound with a variety of target molecules
Implementation Method 2
The cyclodextrin polymer exhibits very fast adsorption performance with respect to various organic substances dissolved in water
Implementation Method 3
The introduction of the quaternary ammonium salt enables the material adsorb natural organic matter such as humic acid in water
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a novel multifunctional cyclodextrin polymer capable of adsorbing the organic pollutants dissolved in water super-fast. A cyclodextrin polymer with a three-dimensional network structure and quaternary ammonium salt functional groups is obtained by mixing and crosslinking a cyclodextrin, a rigid crosslinking agent, a non-rigid crosslinking agent and a quaternary ammonium salt at certain temperature. The polymer is capable of adsorbing the organic pollutants dissolved in water at an ultra-fast rate, and the polymer after adsorption is easily regenerated and can be repeatedly used multiple times without causing a decrease in the adsorption property.