Drinking coffee and doing something for the environment at the same time - that sounds good, thought a research group from the field of chemistry and developed an unbeatably cheap water filter made from coffee grounds. But this is not the only innovative idea for water treatment that has been developed at the University of Potsdam, says Ferenc Liebig. The doctor of chemistry is Innovation Manager at Potsdam Transfer, the central scientific organisation for start-ups, innovation, knowledge and technology transfer at the University of Potsdam. ‘We look at whether application-orientated research is suitable for cooperation with industry and which partners might be a good fit,’ he says. Together with scientists from various working groups and a large number of companies, he has built up a network in which research and development projects (R&D projects) have been created to improve water treatment.‘These can lead to new products, services or technologies,’ summarises Ferenc Liebig. ‘To achieve this, we look for synergy effects between the university and companies.’ In a way, Potsdam Transfer represents a bridge between industry and research institutions - to the benefit of both. The collaboration enables small and medium-sized enterprises in particular to utilise the University of Potsdam's infrastructure and expand their product portfolio, while the university has significantly more funding opportunities to fill vacancies. ‘If a small or medium-sized company is involved, you can better utilise the funding landscape,’ he explains. ‘In the long term, however, we primarily want to gain their trust and build networks.’
Through comprehensive technology scouting, Ferenc Liebig has recognised intersections in the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences on the topic of water treatment. ‘Last year, we invited suitable research groups to our From Lab2Net event format,’ he reports. A look into the various laboratories gives scientists the opportunity to present their field and to exchange ideas and network with others. ‘We look at where we can work together and how we can bundle the topics,’ says Liebig. Two topics have emerged: sensor technology and filtration. ‘Firstly, we want to be able to determine more precisely which pollutants come from industry,’ says the chemist, summarising the area of sensor technology. ‘The water should then be clean again when it is recirculated, which is where the filter systems come into play.’ In order to familiarise themselves with and discuss the technological challenges of water treatment, the researchers visited the Nedlitz waterworks of network partner Energie- und Wasser Potsdam GmbH.
The maintenance and purification of water filters are cost-intensive. Expensive activated carbon is often used to remove pollutants, whereas coffee grounds are an abundant and cheap raw material. For this reason, Prof Dr Andreas Taubert's Supramolecular Chemistry working group is researching the production of a filter material from coffee grounds for water treatment. Another research project on the separation and analysis of microplastics from wastewater by Dr Marek Bekir provides a key concept for the development of a demonstrator. Prof Dr Katja Arndt is investigating the enzymatic inactivation of antibiotics in agricultural waste. Plasmonic filter systems, as investigated by Prof Dr Ilko Bald's team, are also to be used to break down harmful compounds with visible light. In addition, antimicrobial polymers from Dr Matthias Hartlieb's junior research group are being used to functionalise filter materials in order to specifically remove harmful substances. These research approaches therefore offer various solutions for effective water treatment.
The network of external companies and research groups from the University of Potsdam focuses on innovative filter materials with the aim of purifying wastewater in an environmentally friendly way. ‘We want to provide solutions for the more sustainable use of water and at the same time bring together the growing challenges of drinking water treatment with the needs of companies,’ emphasises Ferenc Liebig. Pollutants that accumulate as waste products at a company can potentially be used to generate energy, which in turn can be used to produce filter materials. Utilising waste as valuable raw materials in order to conserve natural resources is a promising approach for a modern circular economy.
This article is from the university magazine Portal – Zwei 2024: Europa.
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