SBIR Phase I: Anti-Microbial Graphene Oxide Nanofiltration Membrane

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project results from the ability to design a reusable nanofiltration membrane platform for wastewater treatment. Energy-efficient and effective wastewater treatment for water purification and reuse remains a tremendous challenge because safe and reliable approaches are often capital and energy intensive. The production of clean water from wastewater for municipal or industrial reuse requires the removal of a wide range of organic and inorganic contaminants, including many hazardous and toxic substances (e.g., pesticides, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, etc.). Energy costs are driven even higher by the high fouling propensity of polymeric membranes with the wide array of water contaminants. Preventing fouling and enabling high contaminant rejection with low energy requirements remain the two core challenges of membrane filtration for wastewater treatment. The proposed technology will address the two core challenges through the use of an anti-fouling surface chemistry. The low energy requirements, contaminant rejection, and anti-fouling properties of the proposed membrane make it a disruptive innovation that can easily penetrate the market, providing a cost-effective solution that is lacking in current membrane purification systems. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop a nanofiltration technology utilizing surface chemistry modification for the creation of an anti-fouling membrane for the rejection of pesticides. The United States spends nearly $9 billion a year on pesticides, which account for 16% of the world pesticide market. Out of the 25 most common active ingredients in pesticides, 76% are water soluble, which leads to contaminated soil, groundwater, and nearby bodies of water. The objectives of this project are to remove common commercial pesticides from water while investigating the advantageous effects of an anti-fouling membrane surface. Performance of the membrane will be investigated through cross flow filtration experiments to identify rejection, stability, and anti-fouling properties. The vision is to create a nanofiltration membrane with a broad contaminant rejection while decreasing energy requirements and fouling. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.