Supramolecular self-assembly studies and spectroscopic analysis of oligomers used for the removal of pollutants from wastewaters

Abstract

The oil spills in the oceans have caused severe damage, many of these are irreversible generating the loss of marine ecosystems, such is the case of the British Petroleum company in 2010. Therefore, there is a need to produce materials that contain or prevent the spread of the hydrocarbon in the ocean, in addition to being able to recover the crude oil quickly and effectively. Various materials have been designed focused on environmental remediation, specifically in the treatment of contaminated water. In this work, organogelling materials were synthesized from alkoxides such as Methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate, Propyl 4-hydroxybenzoate, Ethyl 4-hydroxybenzoate and the alkyl halides 1-bromohexadecane and 1-bromotetradecane, all of them analyzed by FTIR spectroscopy. In addition, gelation tests were performed in protic, aprotic and fatty acid solvents. Organogels, have a solid appearance at the nanoscale and extends into a liquid phase. Consequently, if there is a close contact between the solvent and the nanogel structure, a highly effective surface is obtained, providing a kind of solid phase in contact with highly polluting liquids. The importance of this work lies in the feasibility of using oligomers as removers or sequestrants of unwanted contaminants in effluents.