Research Projects

Water pollution poses a significant threat to human health and the environment due to the presence of various chemicals from various sources and routes. Conventional wastewater treatment methods, such as lagoons, flocculation-coagulation, settling/sedimentation, and screening processes, are generally inefficient in removing emerging pollutants due to their high chemical stability. Chemical-based flocculation/coagulation technologies are time-consuming and expensive due to the use of expensive coagulants. To overcome these limitations, sustainable water treatment materials are needed. Cyclodextrins, natural and non-toxic macro cyclic molecules, have gained attention due to their hydrophobic cavity structure and large number of modifiable hydroxyl (-OH) groups outside the macro cyclic rings. They are effective adsorbents for the removal of various pollutants due to their porous nature, cross-linked three-dimensional network, and special architecture of hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties. However, due to their water-soluble nature, they cannot be used directly in water treatment. This postdoctoral research proposal aims to explore the potential of cyclodextrin-based materials as environmental friendly and cost-effective adsorbents for the removal of diverse pollutants from water sources. By investigating the fundamental mechanisms of cyclodextrin interactions with contaminants, this study seeks to develop innovative and sustainable water treatment strategies to address global water quality challenges. Regeneration of an adsorbent plays a crucial role in its efficiency and sustainability. Cyclodextrin-based adsorbents showed good agreement for regeneration and reusability with the principles of circular economy.