Encapsulation and sedimentation of nanomaterials through complex coacervation
Gonzalez Monje, Pablo (Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia)
Ayala Garcia, Alex (Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia)
Ruiz-Molina, Daniel (Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia)
Roscini, Claudio (Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia)

Date:	2021
Abstract:	Hypothesis: Nanoparticles removal from seawage water is a health and environmental challenge, due to the increasing use of these materials of excellent colloidal stability. Herein we hypothesize to reach this objective through complex coacervation, a straightforward, low-cost process, normally accomplished with non-toxic and biodegradable macromolecules. Highly dense polymer-rich colloidal droplets (the coacervates) obtained from a reversible charge-driven phase separation, entrap suspended nanomaterials, allowing their settling and potential recovery. Experiments: In this work we apply this process to highly stable aqueous colloidal dispersions of different surface charge, size, type and state (solid or liquid). We systematically investigate the effects of the biopolymers excess and the nanomaterials concentration and charge on the encapsulation and sedimentation efficiency and rate. This strategy is also applied to real laboratory water-based wastes. Findings: Long-lasting colloidal suspensions are succesfully destabilized through coacervate formation, which ensures high nanomaterials encapsulation efficiencies (~85%), payloads and highly tranparent supernatants (%T ~90%), within two hours. Lower polymer excess induces faster clearance and less sediments, while preserving effective nanomaterials removal. Preliminary experiments also validate the method for the clearance of real water residuals, making complex coacervation a promising scalable, low-cost and ecofriendly alternative to concentrate, separate or recover suspended micro/nanomaterials from aqueous sludges.
Grants:	Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación RTI2018-098027-B-C21 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad SEV-2017-0706
Note:	Altres ajuts: the ICN2 is funded by the CERCA programme/Generalitat de Catalunya.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió sotmesa a revisió
Published in:	Journal of colloid and interface science, Vol. 589 (May 2021) , p. 500-510, ISSN 1095-7103

DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2020.12.067

Preprint 20 p, 3.8 MB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles