New ‘supermolecule’ created to decontaminate water supplies
26 Apr 2017 by Evoluted New Media
Researchers at the University of Surrey have produced a method of detecting and removing contaminants from water.
Researchers at the University of Surrey have produced a method of detecting and removing contaminants from water.
The calix[4] ‘supermolecule’ actively seeks certain pharmaceuticals and drugs, removing them in an environmentally friendly manner from water.
Professor Danil de Namor, Emeritus Professor and leader of the research, said: “Preliminary extraction data are encouraging as far as the use of this receptor for the selective removal of these drugs from water and the possibility of constructing a calix[4]-based sensing devices.”
Excess pesticides, herbicides or drugs excreted from the body, such as hormones in the contraceptive pill, eventually make their way into water supplies. Water contamination can also include toxic substances such as mercury, cadmium or arsenic, which have been used in paint as well as substances that endanger wildlife such as bees
The research team can design receptors to bind selectively with pollutants, effectively removing them. This opens the possibility of using the calix[4] molecule for on-site monitoring of water without transporting samples to the laboratory.
Dr Brendan Howlin, also from the University and co-author of the paper, said: “This study allows us to visualise the specific receptor-drug interactions leading to the selective behaviour of the receptor. As well as the health benefits of this research, molecular simulation is a powerful technique that is applicable to a wide range of materials.” The research was published in the European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
