Title of Talk

Temperature-driven osmotic control for water purification and desalination

 

Abstract

Lower critical solution temperature (LCST) materials exhibit a phase separation from solvents above a certain phase transition temperature, whereas upper critical solution temperature (UCST) materials exhibit a phase separation below a phase transition temperature. The abrupt solubility change can be applicable for the control of osmotic flow, which is dependent upon the gradient of effective activity of the solutions.

We have developed simple methods to prepare LCST or UCST materials by a one-step acylation or sulfopropylation [1, 2]. Temperature-sensitive materials with low molar masses, high aqueous solubility, low phase transition temperatures, and mild pKa values can be obtainable for the effective control of osmosis [3].  The mixtures between the temperature-sensitive solutions and water can draw water from seawater or polluted water at a miscible temperature, but release the drawn water at the phase separation temperature. We proposed a prototype desalination system by circulating temperature-sensitive mixtures between low and high temperature units [4].

 

 

References:

1. Kim, H.;Lee, S.; Noh, M.; Lee, S. H.;Mok, Y.; Jin, G.; Seo, J.;Lee, Y. Polymer 2011, 52, 1367

2. Noh, M.;Mok, Y.; Nakayama, D.; Jang, S.; Kim, T.; Lee, Y. Polymer 2013, 54, 5338

3. Noh, M.; Mok, Y.; Lee, S.; Kim, H.; Lee, S. H.; Jin, G.; Koo, H.; Park, T. H.; Lee Y. Chem. Commun. 2012, 48, 3845

4. Mok, Y.; Nakayama, D.; Noh, M.; Jang, S.; Kim, T.; Lee Y. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. DOI: 10.1039/C3CP52613E

Yan Lee, Assistant Professor

 

Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747, SOUTH KOREA

e-mail: gacn@snu.ac.kr

Profile.

1999     B. Sc., Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

2001     Ms. Sc., Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

2005     Dr. Sc., Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

2005     Postdoc, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

2008     Project Assist. Prof., The University of Tokyo, Japan

2009     Assist. Prof., Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

Development of biocompatible functional materials responding to singals such as temperature, pH, ionic concentration, and reduction potentials are the research interests.

 

Selected Publications

1. “Novel lower critical solution temperature phase transition materials effectively control osmosis by mild temperature change” Chem. Commun. 2012, 48, 3845.

2. “Efficient delivery of bioactive antibodies into the cytoplasm of living cells by charge-conversional polyion complex micelles” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2010, 49, 2552.

3. “Charge-conversional PIC micelles – an efficient protein delivery nanocarrier into cytoplasm” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.2009, 48, 5309.

4. “Charge-conversional ternary polyplex with endosome disruption moiety: a technique for efficient and safe gene delivery” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.2008, 47, 5163.

5. “A protein nanocarrier from charge-conversion polymer in response to endosomal pH”J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 5362.