Indolocarbazole based polymer coated super adsorbent polyurethane sponges for oil/organic solvent removal

The synthesis of an indolocarbazole-fluorene based conjugated polymer (ICZP6), by Sonogashira coupling reaction, has been presented. The ICZP6 has then been integrated with a nano iron oxide embedded polyurethane foam (ICZP6PUF) to develop a promising adsorbent for oil/organic contaminants in aqueous systems. The anchoring ability of ICZP6 on to iron oxide PU sponge switches on significant hydrophobicity within the whole molecular assembly. The cooperative effects of ICZP6-iron oxide- PU sponge system have been highlighted in terms of structural, microscopic and wettability characteristics. The heterogeneity and hierarchical porous structure of the system offer a high adsorption capability for different types of oils and organic contaminants in water, typically in the range of 100-240 gg^-1. The performance of ICZP6PUF has been confirmed by the fast (within 5-10s) and choosy removal of selected oils and organic solvents from polluted water with the aid of an external magnetic field. The adsorbed materials (oil/organic solvents) can be separated from the adsorbent by simple mechanical squeezing without causing any structural deformation or performance deterioration; with a reusability of the system over 50 cycles. The adsorption isotherm has been found to fit well with the Langmuir model with R² = 0.9484. To extent the scope of the ICZP6PUF hybrid, an integrative logic gate has been designed.