Scientific discovery is sometimes three parts preparation and one part serendipity.
That’s
what Joe Laurino, professor of chemistry, found when he discovered a
polymer that could be used to remove toxic materials from drinking
water, save lives of people exposed to chemical contaminants, and make
paint stay on bridges and other metal structures longer, all because it
rapidly binds to heavy metal.
Laurino was working on the
synthesis of a polymer-based cell membrane when he stumbled upon a
compound that bound quickly with metals like lead, nickel, cadmium,
silver and aluminum. Since it did not dissolve easily, it made it
difficult to determine the complicated structure of the compound.
“Admittedly, at first I was really annoyed, but then I realized its potential,” Laurino said.
Many applications soon came to mind, so Laurino applied for a patent.
One
use for the polymer — poly(2-octadecyl butanedioic acid) — could be to
filter toxic metals out of water. Lead and other heavy metal ions are
usually difficult to get out of water, but after stirring for only 15
minutes, the potentially harmful metal binds to the white powder. The
polymer and its bound metal can then be easily filtered, producing clean
water. Alternatively, the water could be purified by filtering it
through a column containing the compound.
“Surprisingly, the
polymer is very efficient in that it binds about 300 times its weight in
heavy metals,” Laurino went on to explain. “All of the existing
chemical literature says this polymer shouldn’t work that way.”
His
group is working with researchers at Marshall University on a project
that will test the efficacy of the polymer in animals and humans. Many
metals become toxic when ingested in food or water. If turned into a
pharmaceutical, the compound could be used to bond with the metal in
these patients and then pass through their digestive system safely.
Laurino
also believes the polymer will bind with iron, so if it were added to
paint, it might help reduce rust and corrosion. A bridge painter based
in New England is testing the polymer to see if it will chemically bind
the paint to the metal.
The first round of tests, with lead, led
to a publication in the Journal of Macromolecular Science. Currently,
Laurino and his team of students are further characterizing the
polymer’s effectiveness with cadmium, nickel, aluminum, and silver.
“It’s
really exciting to work on something so groundbreaking,” said Zubair
Ansari, who received the departmental fellowship to work on the project
this summer. “It’s like you’re on the front lines of biomolecular
research.”