Dr. Bruening and Dr. Krakowiak have spearheaded at IBC the development of a novel SuperLig®-Molecular Recognition Technology (MRT) process for the separation and recovery of a variety of metals at industrial scale based on green chemistry and green engineering principles. Fundamental studies on molecular recognition were carried out earlier at Brigham Young University (BYU) by Dr. R.M. Izatt, Dr. J.S. Bradshaw, and Dr. J.J. Christensen and their students, including Dr, Bruening and Dr. Krakowiak. This work led to the formation of IBC as a spin-off company in 1988. The following excerpt is from a 1988 paper announcing the achievement that led to the founding of IBC [1]: Sir: The recent permanent attachment of macrocycles such as the crown ethers to silica gel via a hydrocarbon-type linkage has made possible the design of systems capable of the selective and quantitative removal of cations from aqueous solutions. These systems can be operated indefinitely without loss of the expensive macrocycle and maintain the selectivity shown toward metal ions in aqueous solutions by the particular macrocycle in the free state. These systems are of potential value in concentrating cations present at the nanogram-per-milliliter level, making their analysis by conventional procedures possible, and in selectively removing either wanted or unwanted metal cations from solutions in which they are present in the milligram-per-milliliter to nanogram-per-milliliter range. The latter application is treated in this correspondence using the alkaline-earth cations, Ag+, Hg2+, Tl+, and Pb2+. This quotation accurately foretells the accomplishments to be made by Dr. Bruening and Dr. Krakowiak as they worked as a team at IBC to develop the required synthetic and engineering capabilities for novel metal separations. The industrial achievements of Dr. Bruening and Dr. Krakowiak will be presented together with the importance of green chemistry separation systems, such as MRT, in maintaining the sustainability of our critical global metal supply [2].

Contributions of SuperLig®-molecular recognition technology (MRT) to selective green chemistry metal separation processes

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.