Investigating the viability of photoactive and antimicrobial nanomaterials for water purification

• Grant number: 22/11350-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: February 01, 2023
• End date: January 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Susanne Rath
• Grantee: Vinicíus Diniz
• Supervisor: Colin R. Crick
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Queen Mary University of London, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 21/08123-0 - Advanced hybrid materials for direct potable reuse as alternatives to activated carbon for removal of contaminants of emerging concern, BP.DR

Abstract

The Guidance for Producing Safe Drinking Water of the World Health Organization emphasizes that potable reuse water production plants require 4Rs performance (reliability, redundancy, robustness, and resilience). Since its first publication, there have been growing efforts to develop safe, robust, and cost-effective materials for water purification systems in recent years. The chosen materials must show advanced functionalities, such as photoactivation, inactivation of microorganisms, adsorption and/or anti-fouling properties. The present proposal aims to produce sustainable materials by coating silica (SiO2) nanoparticles and carbon black with sulfur copolymers. Elemental sulfur (S8), a residue of the petroleum industry, adds photocatalytic activity, antibacterial activity, and anti-fouling properties to substrate materials. In addition, as S8 is intrinsically hydrophobic, it can enhance the adsorption of hydrophobic contaminants by the material. In this project, the photocatalytic and adsorption properties will be tested using the emerging contaminants (caffeine, saccharin, and sucralose) previously prioritized on the PhD project (#2021/08123-0) linked to this proposal. The emerging contaminants will be quantified using the analytical methods developed in Brazil. The antimicrobial properties will be tested using bacteria strains. Microscopies images, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and wettability characterization, amongst other techniques, will provide fundamental comprehension of the properties of the developed material. The results will reveal advanced sulfur copolymer coating functionalities and insights into the production of new sustainable materials with multiple properties that can be used in water treatment. (AU)