Creation of air-water interface-modified region for drug separation and design of sustainable water-based reaction and separation engineering

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19H02752
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 34030:Green sustainable chemistry and environmental chemistry-related
• Research Institution: Kitami Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Saitoh Tohru 北見工業大学, 工学部, 教授 (40186945)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 林 英男 地方独立行政法人東京都立産業技術研究センター, 事業化支援本部技術開発支援部計測分析技術グループ, 上席研究員 (10385536) ; 近藤 寛子 北見工業大学, 工学部, 助教 (60700028) ; 安田 啓司 名古屋大学, 工学研究科, 准教授 (80293645)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 気液界面 / 薬物 / 分離 / 疎水相互作用 / 低環境負荷 / 水溶液

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Alcohol-modified air bubble flotation was designed as a simple, efficient, and eco-friendly method for the rapid separation of dyes and pharmaceuticals. The method was conducted by adding a small amount of alcohol to water in a cylindrical glass vessel with a sintered glass filter at the bottom followed by feeding air to generate air bubbles. Basic dyes and pharmaceuticals in water were enriched to temporarily generated foam on the surface of water and therefore removed from water. The separation efficiency increased with increasing alcohol concentration and carbon number in the order: ethanol < 2-propanol < 1-butanol), being attributed to the decrease in the size of air bubble, which in turn increases the surface area of air-water interface for the adsorption of the dyes. Hydrophobic interactions are a predominant factor for the adsorption on the air-water interface. The applicability was successfully demonstrated by using environmental water and synthesized dyeing wastewater.

Free Research Field

分析化学、反応・分離工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

薬物の分離のために様々な吸着材が開発されているが、薬物に対する選択性の他、吸着材の製造や再生・廃棄に伴う環境負荷が課題となっている。本研究では、薬物や気液界面に吸着する現象に着目し、空気（気泡）を吸着材として用いる分離技術の可能性が明らかになった。さらに、いくつかの化合物の分解反応が促進される現象も発見され、極めて環境負荷の小さい水系分離工学の基礎を開拓した。