Throughout the world, contamination of drinking water sources is an issue that must be addressed using readily accessible materials. Many strategies have been employed to remove a wide variety of pollutants, including pharmaceuticals, organics, and heavy metals. Often, however, complex systems are involved or expensive filters are employed, which may limit access to clean drinking water for many people. Corn Fiber, which is a waste material of the starch and gluten extraction process, can be used to synthesize carbon filter materials without added complexity or high cost. The absorption capabilities, high specific surface area, lightweight and low-cost advantages of nano carbon microspheres (nCMS) were used to create an effective and environmentally beneficial filter for both water-soluble organic and inorganic pollutants. Corn fiber waste materials were hydrothermally carbonized via a relatively low temperature and scalable synthesis method to create hydrophilic nCMS with an affinity for water-soluble pollutants. In concentrations similar to pollution levels in public water systems, nCMS effectively removed over 676 times the tolerance level of Rhodamine B, a model organic pollutant, and over 43 times the tolerance level of lead. This data confirms the effectiveness of a multi-use nCMS filter for the removal of organic and inorganic water pollutants in concentrations similar to actual pollution levels.

Synthesis of nano carbon microspheres (nCMS) for the absorption of water-soluble pollutants

ACS Spring 2022

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