Claudia Weidlich

Conducting polymers as ion-exchangers for water purification

The charging and discharging processes of conducting polymers, e.g. polypyrrole, are accompanied by the exchange of ions. This effect was used for the development of an electrochemically switchable ion-exchanger for water purification, especially for softening drinking water. The ion-exchange behaviour and capacity of electrochemically and chemically prepared polypyrrole (PPy) in dependence on the incorporated counterions are characterised using an electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance and cyclovoltammetry. An ion-exchanger electrode based on modified PPy-nanoparticles was tested in a laboratory loop. The ion concentrations of the test solutions treated were investigated by atomic absorption spectroscopy and ion-selective electrodes with respect to an application for softening drinking water.

Effects of electric polarization of indium tin oxide (ITO) and polypyrrole on biofilm formation

The influence of electric polarization on primary adhesion and on biofilm formation was investigated. As substrata, indium tin oxide (ITO) and polypyrrole coatings were used because of their electric conductivity. The materials were polarized from -600 mV to +600 mV, switching every 60 seconds. Control was non-polarized substrata. Primary adhesion under this regime was not strongly influenced, however, the morphology of the primary biofilm was obviously different from that of the control. Biofilm formation of the natural population of non-chlorinated drinking water, supplemented with nutrient in low concentration, was determined over 164 hours. While the biofilm on the control surface developed to a thickness of about 100 microm, on the pulsed polarized surface it reproducibly developed only to a very thin biofilm. Faster switching of the polarization (10 second) had no further influence. If the polarization routine was reduced to only twice a day (one hour), no influence on biofilm development was observed. These results indicate that fluctuating polarization at a rate of once per minute inhibits the physiological processes during biofilm formation during one week. Investigations are in process to determine further details of this effect in order to employ it for inhibition of biofouling.