US Government as Represented by the Secretary of the Army

University of Arkansas

Luke Gurtowski

Christopher Scott Griggs

Jose Mattei-Sosa

Victor F Medina

Lauren F Greenlee

Mojtaba Abolhassani

Brooke Petery

Manoj K Shukla

David P Martin

A composition of five parts by mass of chitosan and one part graphene oxide is suspended in water. The composition may be used to form filtration layers of any size or shape and may be reinforced by additional layers. The composition may be used to construct a large filtration apparatus of any size or shape and may be used to form highly resilient, antimicrobial structures and surfaces for a variety of applications.

Advanced filtration membranes using chitosan and graphene oxide

This invention relates generally to a chitosan-graphene oxide membrane and process of making the same. The nanocomposite membrane can filter water and remove contaminants without fouling like other commercially-available polymer-based water filters. The membrane can be used as a flat sheet filter or can be engineered in a spiral filtration module. The membrane is scalable and tunable for many water contaminants including pharmaceuticals, pesticides, herbicides, and other organic chemicals. The membrane uses chitosan, which is low-cost, renewable biopolymer typically considered to be a waste product and the second most abundant biopolymer on Earth, thus making the membrane an environmentally-friendly product choice.

Chitosan-graphene oxide membranes

The invention is a renewable adsorbent material, amine-functionalized chitin (AFC) that can remove the following munitions compounds from solution while providing a concentration-dependent color change: NTO, DNAN, and TNT. Adsorption of the munitions constituents can be adjusted by pH; neutral pH provides maximum adsorption. NTO can desorb from the AFC at pH levels of 2 and 12; DNAN and TNT remain attached to AFC once adsorbed.

In situ testing apparatus for detecting and removing munitions compounds from water

Chitosan-graphene oxide membranes and process of making the same

Growing community of inventors

Vicksburg, MS, United States of America

Luke Gurtowski