Progress, perspective, and commercialization of heavy metal ion detection technology into China

Abstract

Heavy metals contamination resulting from fossil fuel combustion among other sources has been become a focus of the community of nations. New detection methods can help to manage this growing concern. In 2008, Dr. Zang and his colleagues succeeded in building a fluorescent sensor based on a perylene modification with two thymine moieties to successfully detect mercury in water. Through the sub-national EcoPartnership program sponsored by the U.S. and China, the development of this technology has been advanced and is now ready for demonstration as a real time, in situ testing procedure. The Utah-Qinghai EcoPartnership is also helping to facilitate commercialization of new technologies through the coordination of government entities, local universities, and commercial partners. Adapting new technology for deployment in China depends on understanding the specific roles of all these partners. Dr. Dingman offers an instructive insight on new technology implementation based on his years of involvement with Chinese government agencies and research institutions. Finally, new advances in intellectual property (IP) protection are enabling the successful deployment of useful technologies into China.