Polymer capable of ultra-fast adsorption and removal of phenolic microplastics and VOC contaminants in water.
Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) Professor Park Chi-Young's team successfully developed an 'atypical porous polymer material' that can completely remove phenolic organic contaminants in water at ultra-high speeds. The porous material developed this time can efficiently remove not only microplastics in the water but also very small-sized VOCs based on photothermal effect. At the same time, it is expected to be utilized as a high-efficiency adsorption material that can be commercialized in the future as it has cost competitiveness based on raw materials and enables solar-based water purification process.
Water pollution caused by the rapid development of the chemical industry is a representative problem in environmental pollution. Various water purification technologies and materials have been developed to solve this problem. Carbon-based porous materials using existing adsorption mechanisms have limitations in that the adsorption rate is slow and high thermal energy is required for recycling. Various materials have been developed to improve contaminant removal efficiency, but it has been difficult to develop materials that simultaneously satisfy excellent recyclability, high efficiency, economic efficiency of raw materials, and industrialization potential.