Achievement

IGERT investigators have functionalized membranes for free radical production at interfaces. The generation of the highly reactive free radical production is achieved via the reaction of iron ions with hydrogen peroxide. They have developed a novel approach to immobilize glucose oxidase in pores of membrane materials by layer-by-layer assembly of polycations and polyanions, forming a bioactive layer for hydrogen peroxide production from a readily available substrate, glucose. This membrane and a functionalized membrane containing immobilized iron ions create a potential interface to form free radicals. By convectively passing hydrogen peroxide through the membrane containing iron, they were able to generate hydroxyl radicals which can be used for various purposes, including disinfection and oxidation of unwanted organics. This research has resulted in a $232,000 grant from NIEHS supporting multidisciplinary research between IGERT investigators in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering