Cleaner Water

Global water supplies are becoming increasingly contaminated with toxic chemicals, known as micropollutants, which threaten the health and well-being of billions of people. A byproduct of industrial, agricultural and personal activities, micropollutants pass easily through existing water treatment facilities, making their way into drinking water.

CycloPure, a Northwestern University-affiliated company, has developed a novel treatment – a low-cost, sustainable polymer adsorbent that is more effective than traditional water purification methods. To commercialize this new material, Will Dichtel, a 2015 MacArthur genius grant winner and a chemistry professor in Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, teamed up with tech expert Frank Cassou to found CycloPure in 2016.

CycloPure’s technology converts cyclodextrin, a sugar compound derived from cornstarch, into a high-affinity adsorbent that acts like a magnet to attract and remove pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal care compounds from water. The ability to affordably remove micropollutants from drinking water at trace concentrations is of significant importance to maintain healthy communities.

“The implications for water treatment are great and offer the potential of important health benefits,” Dichtel said. “Communities across the globe are looking for cost-effective solutions to keep water safe that are affordable for businesses and households.”

CycloPure is working with businesses, communities and governments to demonstrate its advanced purification technologies, with an eye to making its adsorbent materials widely available to make water safe for everyone, everywhere. A key advantage of CycloPure’s technology is its ability to instantly remove water-borne contaminants, compared to the extended contact times and greater material mass required by carbon-based adsorbents.

The company also has developed techniques to use its adsorbent materials for applications beyond water treatment, including the ability to embed its adsorbents into textiles. This offers opportunities for odor-resistant clothing and materials, protective fabrics for industry and the development of masks to block the effects of air pollution.