Actinia-like Multifunctional Nanocoagulant for Single-step Removal of Water Contaminants

Jinwei Liu,^a,b Shihan Cheng,^a,c Na Cao,^d Chunxiang Geng,^d Chen He,^e Quan Shi,^e Chunming Xu,^e Jinren Ni,^f.g Ryan M. DuChanois,^h Menachem Elimelech^h,* & Huazhang Zhao^a,b,*

^aDepartment of Environmental Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China

^bThe Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China

^cBeijing Engineering Research Center of Advanced Wastewater Treatment, Beijing, China

^dCollege of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, China

^eState Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, China

^fBeijing Innovation Center for Engineering Science and Advanced Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China

^gState Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China

^hDepartment of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

*Corresponding Authors:Menachem Elimelech − Email: menachem.elimelech@yale.edu;  Huazhang Zhao− Email: zhaohuazhang@pku.edu.cn

DOI: 10.1038/s41565-018-0307-8

Abstract: Current technologies for water purification are limited by their contaminant-specific removal capability, requiring multiple processes to meet water quality objectives. Here we show an innovative biomimetic micellar nanocoagulant that imitates the structure of Actinia, a marine predator that uses its tentacles to ensnare food, for the removal of an array of water contaminants with a single treatment step. The Actinia-like micellar nanocoagulant has a core–shell structure and readily disperses in water while maintaining a high stability against aggregation. To achieve effective coagulation, the nanocoagulant everts its configuration, similar to Actinia. The shell hydrolyses into ‘flocs’ and destabilizes and enmeshes colloidal particles while the core is exposed to water, like the extended tentacles of Actinia, and adsorbs the dissolved contaminants. The technology, with its ability to remove a broad spectrum of contaminants and produce high-quality water, has the potential to be a cost-effective replacement for current water treatment processes.