Arizona State University

University of Texas System

University of Washington

University of Massachusetts

William Marsh Rice University

Access Business Group International LLC

Paul K Westerhoff

Shahnawaz Sinha

Kiril D Hristovski

Jasmina S Markovski

Onur Guven Apul

Michael Wong

Paul Dahlen

Sergio Garcia-Segura

Francois Perreault

Scott A Mollema

Jonathan Posner

Charlie Corredor

Kyle Doudrick

Rafael Verduzco

Juan Noveron

Dino Villagran

Ariel J Atkinson

Xiangyu Bi

Ana Barrios

Zhenxiao Cai

Renato Martin Montenegro Ayo

Yuqiang Bi

Jonathan Josue Calvillo Solis

Zhe Zhao

Treavor Boyer

Nora Shapiro

Rishabh Bansal

A method of electrochemical sensing includes providing an electrochemical sensor comprising a glassy carbon substrate and gold nanoparticles located on a surface of the glassy carbon substrate; and sensing electrochemically a compound selected from the group consisting of polyfluoroalkyl compounds or perfluoroalkyl compounds using the electrochemical sensor. PFOA quantification was performed by Square Wave Adsorptive Cathodic Stripping Voltammetry (SW-AdCSV) in test solutions with a 100-5,000 ppt concentration. The concentration has a linear relationship with the stripping current within this range. Analysis of tap and groundwater samples performed by additions method demonstrated precision and accuracy above 95%. These electrodes show stability throughout 200 cycles, and reproducibility across similarly prepared but different electrodes above 97.5%. Providing the electrochemical sensor can include providing at least one member selected from the group consisting of perfluoro-1-octanethiol (PFTO), 2,2,2-trifluoroethanethiol (TFET) or perfluorodecanethiol (PFDT) on the surface of the glassy carbon substrate.

Electrochemical sensing of PFAS using gold nanoparticle functionalized electrodes

An electrode includes an electrically conductive substrate with a coating containing boron-doped diamond (BDD) nanoparticles. Fabricating the electrode can include dispersing BDD nanoparticles in a solvent to yield a suspension, coating a conductive substrate with the suspension, and drying the suspension to yield the electrode. In some cases, fabricating the electrode includes combining BDD nanoparticles with a polymeric resin precursor to yield a mixture including a metal oxide, coating a conductive substrate with the mixture to yield a coated substrate, and calcining the coated substrate to yield a metal oxide coating including BDD nanoparticles. In certain cases, fabricating the electrode includes combining powdered activated carbon with polymeric linkers to yield a polymeric precursor solution, combining BDD nanoparticles with the polymeric precursor solution to yield a mixture, coating a conductive substrate with the mixture to yield a coated substrate, and crosslinking the polymeric linkers to yield the electrode.

Nano-sized boron-doped diamond (BDD) enabled electrodes

A coated optical fiber includes an optical fiber having a core and an outer surface, and a homogeneous polymer coating in contact with the outer surface of the optical fiber. The optical fiber and the homogeneous polymer coating are UV transparent, and a refractive index of the outer surface of the optical fiber or the homogeneous polymer coating is up to 15% less than a refractive index of the core. Coating the optical fiber includes coating an outer surface with a polymerizable material and polymerizing the polymerizerable material to yield the coated optical fiber having a homogeneous polymer coating. The optical fiber and the homogeneous polymer coating are UV transparent, and a refractive index of the outer surface of the optical fiber or the homogeneous polymer coating is up to 15% less than a refractive index of a core of the optical fiber.

UV-C wavelength side-emitting optical fibers

Quantifying nanobubbles in solution includes combining an indicator with a fluid comprising nanobubbles to yield a first solution, bursting the nanobubbles in the first solution to yield a second solution, and assessing a difference between the first solution and the second solution to yield a concentration of the nanobubbles in the first solution, a concentration of reactive oxygen species in the first solution or the second solution, or both.

Quantification of nanobubble reactivity in water

A reactor for water splitting or water treatment includes a first electrode, a second electrode electrically coupled to the first electrode, and a proton exchange membrane separating the first electrode and the second electrode. The first electrode includes a first optical fiber coated with a photocatalytic material.

Fiber-optic integrated membrane reactor

A photoreactor including a reservoir configured to hold water, the reservoir defining an inlet and an outlet, and a multiplicity of optical fiber assemblies positioned in the reservoir. Each optical fiber assembly includes one or more optical fibers coated with a composition comprising a photoresponsive polymer and a light source optically coupled to the one or more optical fibers. The photoresponsive polymer undergoes a change from an initial state to an irradiated state when irradiated with light from the light source, and photoresponsive polymer in the irradiated state is adapted to bind an ion from the water.

Photoresponsive polymer coated optical fibers for water treatment

A water-disinfecting apparatus includes a vessel with a cathode, an insert with a photoanode, an ultraviolet light source configured to be positioned in the insert, and a power source. The cathode forms an electrically conductive layer on an inner surface of the vessel. The photoanode is configured to be positioned in the cathode. The power source is configured to be operably coupled to the cathode, the photoanode, and the light source.

Photoelectrocatalytic device for water disinfection

A method for preparing a nano-enabled activated carbon block, a nano-enabled activated carbon block produced by the method, a household water filtration system comprising the nano-enabled activated carbon block, and a method for filtering tap water using the household water filtration system are provided. The method includes contacting a solution including a metal(lic) precursor (e.g. a titanium compound and/or an iron compound and/or a zirconium compound) with activated carbon particles such that the solution fills pores of the activated carbon particles. The method further includes causing a metal (hydr)oxide (e.g. titanium dioxide and/or zirconium dioxide and/or iron oxide) to precipitate from the solution thereby causing metal oxide nanoparticles to become deposited within pores of the activated carbon particles. The method also includes preparing a nano-enabled activated carbon block from the activated carbon particles having metal oxide nanoparticles deposited within the pores thereof.

Nano-enabled activated carbon blocks to enable removal of oxyanions from water

A composition for dry reagent colorimetric sensing of nanoparticles in aqueous media, including sodium borohydride (NaBH), methylene blue (MB), and 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid (HEPES) in the form of a powdered mixture. The composition may be formed by combining MB, HEBES, and water to yield an aqueous mixture, removing water from the aqueous mixture to yield a solid mixture, and combining NaBHpowder with the solid mixture to yield the composition. The composition may be used to detect metallic nanoparticles an aqueous solution by combining the composition with an aqueous solution to yield a test solution, and assessing a concentration of the metallic nanoparticles in the test solution based on absorbance of light by the test solution. The composition may be provided in an assay kit for sensing nanoparticles in aqueous media.

Dry reagent colorimetric sensing of nanoparticles in aqueous media

Preparing a porous hybrid media includes contacting porous media (e.g., strong base ion-exchange media) with an aqueous solution including aluminum ions to yield a aluminum-ion-containing porous media, contacting the aluminum-ion containing porous media with a reducing agent to impregnate elemental aluminum in the porous media, and oxidizing the elemental aluminum to yield a porous hybrid media including aluminum hydr(oxide) impregnated in the porous media. In some cases, a pH of an aqueous mixture including the aluminum-ion-containing porous media may be adjusted to form a floc including aluminum hydroxide, and the aluminum hydroxide-containing porous media may be contacted with a reducing agent to yield a porous hybrid media including aluminum hydr(oxide) impregnated in the porous media. The porous hybrid media may advantageously be prepared at low temperature (e.g., room temperature).

Low temperature synthesis of aluminum hydr(oxide) inside porous media

A microfluidic device includes a sample inlet for a fluid sample, a degassing chamber having a gas-permeable membrane and defining first and second portions separated by the gas permeable membrane, and a detection chamber. The sample inlet and the detection chamber are fluidly coupled to the first and second portions, respectively of the degassing chamber. The detection chamber is operably coupled to a light source and a detector. Assessing a concentration of chlorine gas in an aqueous sample includes providing an aqueous sample to a microfluidic device, separating gas from the aqueous sample in the microfluidic device, providing the gas to a detector, assessing the absorbance of the gas sample at a known absorption wavelength of chlorine, and based on the assessed absorbance of the gas sample at the known absorption wavelength of chlorine, assessing a concentration of chlorine gas in the aqueous sample.

Microfluidic separation from water and direct optical detection of chlorine

Compositions for bromide removal include a two-dimensional material impregnated with silver. The silver may be impregnated in the two-dimensional material by contacting the two-dimensional material with silver ions in an aqueous solution, allowing the silver ions to adsorb on the two-dimensional material, and drying the two-dimensional material. Removing bromide from an aqueous composition including bromide may include contacting the aqueous composition with a two-dimensional material impregnated with silver, and allowing the bromide to react with the silver to yield silver bromide.

Silver-impregnated two-dimensional structures for bromide removal

Wastewater sludge is treated by combining the sludge with a carbon-based dielectric additive that includes carbon to yield a modified sludge, irradiating the modified sludge with microwave radiation to yield a treated sludge, and providing the treated sludge to an anaerobic digester.

Growing community of inventors

Scottsdale, AZ, United States of America

Paul K Westerhoff