Photoisomerizing polymers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9701817-B2
Application number	US-201514730804-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2015
Priority date	Jun 4, 2015
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

In an example, a composition of matter includes a particle, a photoisomerizing polymer bonded to a first portion of the particle, and a chelating material bonded to a second portion of the particle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A composition of matter comprising:
a particle;
a photoisomerizing polymer bonded to a first portion of the particle, the photoisomerizing polymer configured to undergo an isomer state change responsive to light; and
a chelating material bonded to a second portion of the particle, wherein the chelating material includes one or more functional groups configured to bond one or more metal ions regardless of the isomer state of the photoisomerizing polymer.

2. The composition of matter of claim 1 , wherein the photoisomerizing polymer includes a plurality of azobenzene monomer units.

3. The composition of matter of claim 2 , wherein an azobenzene monomer unit of the plurality of azobenzene monomer units undergoes a first change of configuration from a trans-azobenzene configuration to a cis-azobenzene configuration when exposed to a first wavelength of the light.

4. The composition of matter of claim 3 , wherein the first wavelength of the light is about 365 nanometers.

5. The composition of matter of claim 3 , wherein the azobenzene monomer unit undergoes a second change of configuration from the cis-azobenzene configuration to the trans-azobenzene configuration when exposed to a second wavelength of the light.

6. The composition of matter of claim 5 , wherein the second wavelength of the light is about 420 nanometers.

7. The composition of matter of claim 5 , wherein the first change of configuration and the second change of configuration results in a first change of spatial position of the particle.

8. The composition of matter of claim 7 , wherein the first change of spatial position of the particle is in a first direction that is different from a second direction associated with sedimentation after metal ion capture by the chelating material.

9. The composition of matter of claim 8 , wherein:
the azobenzene monomer unit undergoes a third change of configuration from the trans-azobenzene configuration to the cis-azobenzene configuration when exposed to the first wavelength of the light;
the azobenzene monomer unit undergoes a fourth change of configuration from the cis-azobenzene configuration to the trans-azobenzene configuration when exposed to the second wavelength of the light; and
the third change of configuration and the fourth change of configuration results in a second change of spatial position of the particle.

10. The composition of matter of claim 9 , wherein the second change of spatial position of the particle is in a third direction that is different from the second direction associated with sedimentation after metal ion capture by the chelating material.

11. The composition of matter of claim 1 , wherein the one or more metal ions include a mercury (Hg) ion, a silver (Ag) ion, a lead (Pb) ion, a cadmium (Cd) ion, a thallium (TI) ion, or a combination thereof.

12. The composition of matter of claim 1 , wherein the one or more functional groups include one or more silane groups.

13. The composition of matter of claim 1 , wherein the particle includes a silica particle having a characteristic dimension in a range of about 100 nanometers to about 1 micrometer.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Wertz Jason T

Classifications

• B01J45/00

  Ion-exchange in which a complex or a chelate is formed; Use of material as complex or chelate forming ion-exchangers; Treatment of material for improving the complex or chelate forming ion-exchange properties (ion-exchange chromatography processes B01D15/36) · CPC title

• B01J20/3242

  Layers with a functional group, e.g. an affinity material, a ligand, a reactant or a complexing group · CPC title

• B01J20/3272

  Polymers obtained by reactions otherwise than involving only carbon to carbon unsaturated bonds · CPC title

• C08G69/28

  Preparatory processes · CPC title

• C08G69/26

  derived from polyamines and polycarboxylic acids · CPC title