# US 11,078,093 B2 · Surfactant-assisted synthesis of surface-functionalized nanoparticle-polymer electrospun composites > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,078,093 B2 - Document ID: US11078093B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/023,808 - Filed: 2018-06-29 - Published: 2019-01-03 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2017-06-30 - Assignees: University of Iowa Research Foundation - Applicants: The Regents of the University of California; University of Iowa Research Foundation - Inventors: David Cwiertny; Nosang Myung; Katherine T. Peter; Gene Francis Parkin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078093B2 ## CPC - C02F 1/288: {using composite sorbents, e.g. coated, impregnated, multi-layered} - B01D 39/1623: {of synthetic origin} - B01J 20/0229: {Compounds of Fe} - B01J 20/261: {obtained by reactions only involving carbon to carbon unsaturated bonds (macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds per se C08F)} - B01J 20/28007: {with size in the range 1-100 nanometers, e.g. nanosized particles, nanofibers, nanotubes, nanowires or the like (carbon nanostructures B01J20/205)} - B01J 20/28023: {Fibres or filaments (fibres or filaments in the form of membranes B01J20/28038; B01J20/28007 takes precedence)} - C02F 1/003: {using household-type filters for producing potable water, e.g. pitchers, bottles, faucet mounted devices (C02F9/20 takes precedence)} - C02F 1/50: by addition or application of a germicide or by oligodynamic treatment {(C02F1/4606, C02F1/467, C02F1/76 take precedence)} - C02F 1/505: {by oligodynamic treatment} - D01D 5/003: {the material being a polymer solution or dispersion (D01D5/0053 takes precedence)} - D01F 1/10: Other agents for modifying properties - D01F 1/103: {Agents inhibiting growth of microorganisms} - D01F 6/18: from polymers of unsaturated nitriles, e.g. polyacrylonitrile, polyvinylidene cyanide - D04H 1/728: by electro-spinning {(electro-spinning methods and apparatus D01D5/0007)} - D04H 3/007: Addition polymers - B01D 2239/0208: Single-component fibres - B01D 2239/025: comprising nanofibres - B01D 2239/0258: comprising nanoparticles - B01D 2239/0407: comprising particulate additives, e.g. adsorbents - B01D 2239/0618: Non-woven - B01D 2239/0631: Electro-spun - B01D 2239/10: Filtering material manufacturing - C02F 1/281: {using inorganic sorbents} - C02F 2101/103: {Arsenic compounds} - C02F 2101/20: Heavy metals or heavy metal compounds - C02F 2101/22: Chromium or chromium compounds, e.g. chromates - C02F 2303/04: Disinfection - C02F 2305/08: Nanoparticles or nanotubes - D10B 2505/04: Filters - Y02W 10/37: using solar energy - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS - D01D: MECHANICAL METHODS OR APPARATUS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS - D01F: CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBON FILAMENTS - D04H: MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL (weaving D03; knitting D04B; braiding D04C; net-making D04G; sewing D05B; tufting D05C; finishing non-woven fabrics D06); FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING {; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION}(non-woven fabrics having an intermediate or external layer of a different kind, e.g. of woven fabric, B32B) - D10B: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES - Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT ## Abstract A method is disclosed for synthesizing nanofilters for water treatment. The method includes: dispersing an active binding agent in an organic solvent solution to create a suspension of the active binding agent and the solution of the solvent; dissolving an organic polymer resin and an anionic surfactant in the suspension of the active binding agent and the solvent solution to create a sol gel; and electrospinning the sol gel to form electrospun nanofiber composites with embedded, surface-active nanoparticles. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for synthesizing nanofilters for water treatment, the method comprising: dispersing amorphous Ferrihydrite (Fh) nanoparticles in an organic solvent solution to create a suspension of the amorphous Ferrihydrite (Fh) nanoparticles and the organic solvent solution; dissolving an organic polymer resin and a quaternary ammonium surfactant in the suspension of the amorphous Ferrihydrite (Fh) nanoparticles and the organic solvent solution to create a sol gel, wherein the quaternary ammonium surfactant is cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) or tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB); and electrospinning the sol gel to form electrospun nanofiber composites with embedded, surface-active nanoparticles. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the organic solvent comprises dimethylformamide (DMF), and the organic polymer resin comprises poly-acrylonitrile (PAN). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A method for removing contaminants using the synthesized nanofilters for water treatment of claim 1, the method further comprising: removing lead (Pb), Copper (Cu), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr) and/or Arsenic (As) from a water source with the electrospun composite with surface-active nanoparticles. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A method for removing contaminants using the synthesized nanofilters for water treatment of claim 1, further comprising: inactivating viruses from a water source with the surface-active nanoparticles. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A method for removing contaminants using the synthesized nanofilters for water treatment of claim 1, further comprising: removing arsenate and chromate in a flow-through filtration system with the electrospun nanofiber composites with embedded, surface-active nanoparticles. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the electrospun nanofiber composites with surface-active nanoparticles forms nanoparticles having a diameter of approximately 100 nm. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: placing the electrospun nanofiber composites with surface-active nanoparticles in a flow-through filtration system for point-of-use (POU) water treatment. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the electrospinning of the sol gel further comprises: a single-pot synthesis, wherein the electrospun nanofiber composites with embedded, surface-active nanoparticles do not undergo a post-processing step. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) An electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber composite with embedded, surface-active nanoparticles that is prepared by the method of claim 2. ### Claim 10 An electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber composite with embedded, surface-active nanoparticles, the PAN nanofiber composite comprising: Amorphous Ferrihydrite (Fh) nanoparticles; dimethylformamide (DMF); poly-acrylonitrile (PAN); and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) or tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB). ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The PAN nanofiber composite of claim 10, that the nanofilter is configured to remove lead (Pb), Copper (Cu), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr) and/or Arsenic (As) from a water source. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The PAN nanofiber composite of claim 10, further comprising: a flow-through filtration system configured to remove arsenate and/or chromate from a water source. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The PAN nanofiber composite of claim 10, wherein the electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) composite with surface-active nanoparticles forms nanoparticles having a diameter of approximately 100 nm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The PAN nanofiber composite of claim 10, further comprising: a flow-through filtration system for point-of-use (POU) water treatment, and wherein the electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) composite with surface-active nanoparticles are placed in the flow-through filtration system. ### Claim 15 A method for removing metal contaminants from a source of water, the method comprising: exposing a source of water to electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber composites with embedded, surface-active nanoparticles, wherein the electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber composites with embedded, surface-active nanoparticles comprise: amorphous Ferrihydrite (Fh) nanoparticles, dimethylformamide (DMF), poly-acrylonitrile (PAN), and a quaternary ammonium surfactant selected from cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB); and removing the metal contaminants from the source of the water with the electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber composites with the embedded, surface-active nanoparticles.