The widespread occurrence of nutrient-rich and metal-contaminated wastewater presents an environmental challenge and untapped economic opportunity. Ammonia, copper, and phosphorous are prime targets. For example, ammonia is industrially produced by the Haber-Bosch process, a highly energy-intensive (~12.5 kWh/kg-N to convert N2 to ammonia, consuming 1-2% of global energy usage) and greenhouse gas-emitting (~1.2% of global CO2 emissions) technique. After use, primarily as fertilizer, nearly 50% of all U.S.-consumed ammonia ends up in municipal wastewater and animal feedlot retention systems. Technologies presently proposed for recovering critical nutrients and metals from wastewater are limited in scalability by high energy demands, costly chemicals or membrane requirements, low efficiencies, or fouling challenges.       UC Berkeley researchers have developed and demonstrated a low-cost, robust, and near-zero-energy reactor that simultaneously recovers ammonia and other valuable ions (e.g., P and Cu) from wastewater streams. The reactor is driven by sunlight or low-grade waste heat, such that it eliminates the need for external pumping—further cutting energy consumption and capital cost. The functional material is an inexpensive cloth that is also roll-to-roll compatible, making it economically scalable and easy to manufacture. The reactor can be implemented within wastewater streams including municipal wastewater, animal feedlot wastewater, and organic waste digestate. It may further be adapted to recover other valuable resources, such as lithium, from sources like mining wastewater and landfill leachate. It may even be extended beyond nutrient and metal recovery to separation or pre-concentration of volatile organic compounds such as ethanol and methanol from aqueous solutions.

UC Berkeley researchers have developed a novel dispersion system for agricultural and environmental payloads, including seeds, soil amendments, miniature soil sensors, and so forth. Dispersive packages are biodegradable and biomimetically designed with similarities to natural seeds. Aerodynamic properties control large-area dispersions, while importantly, tunable gyroscopic properties are programmed for penetration parameters, such as depth, upon impact. Payload distribution can be fine-tuned accounting for local soil moisture and grain-size.

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This technology addresses the challenge of selectively separating precious and high-value metals from various fluid streams. Researchers at UC Berkeley have developed novel polymer absorbents and composite membranes for the efficient and selective separation of these metals from samples or fluid streams. This innovation provides a more effective and precise method for metal recovery compared to existing separation techniques.

The problem of carbon dioxide (CO2​) emissions from industrial processes and mixed gas streams presents a significant global challenge, often addressed by energy-intensive and costly technologies. UC Berkeley researchers have developed an innovative solution for capturing and removing CO2​ in an energy-efficient, isothermal manner. The invention is a novel composition that uses a porous organic framework of solid molecular hexamine, specifically 2,3,6,7,14,15-hexakis(aminomethyl)triptycene, that assembles into a three-dimensional ammonium carbamate network. This unique network possesses two one-dimensional pores that selectively capture CO2​ upon exposure. This technology enables the capture and subsequent release of CO2​ without the large temperature or pressure swings required by conventional methods, offering a more sustainable and economically viable approach to carbon management.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed an approach for the rapid inactivation of bacteria and virus using photo-active matrices enhanced with bio-affinity ligands under daylight irradiation conditions.

The invention is a self-selection DNA editing system for modifying microbial communities. It consists of a gene editing tool and a donor DNA with a bacteriocin unit. This unit is integrated into the target cell's genome, providing a survival advantage and ensuring that only the successfully modified cells proliferate. This allows for precise, targeted editing of microbial populations in various settings, including in vitro and in vivo environments.

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Making productive use of PVC waste is a challenge. Mechanical recycling is difficult because different PVC products each contain different blends of plasticizers, stabilizers, and other additives; combining these additives leads to diminished mechanical properties.Meanwhile, incineration of PVC is an issue because it produces corrosive HCl and toxic chlorinated dioxins, a class of persistent organic pollutants. Changing regulations also present an issue: harmful plasticizers such as diethylhexylphthalate (DEHP) still present in legacy PVC products are now banned in newly made (or newly recycled) PVC in the EU. In the US, DEHP is restricted in childcare articles and food packaging. Vinyloop®, a plant designed to recycle PVC from mixed waste by selective dissolution/precipitation, was shut down in 2018 due to its inability to remove phthalates.  Lead stabilizers found in legacy PVC products are similarly banned in new products, complicating recycling. Chemical recycling and upcycling of polymers is a growing field of interest with the goal of creating a circular economy. Breaking down a polymer into monomer or other useful small molecules allows purification of the products and avoids the downcycling phenomenon seen in mechanical recycling. Polymers with labile ester or amide bonds in their backbone are more amenable to this treatment than polymers with an all-carbon backbone. For instance, polyethylene terephthalate and polyurethane can both be depolymerized by hydrolysis, alcoholysis, or aminolysis; the monomers or short oligomers obtained can be repolymerized to form the original polymer or other high-performance polymers. Polymers with all-carbon backbones are more challenging to controllably cleave, but many methods have been developed to break down polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene into light hydrocarbon fuels, benzene derivatives, or H2 gas. However, even small amounts of PVC can contaminate these reactions and deactivate the catalyst, requiring PVC to be separated out first.  Chemical upcycling of PVC is underdeveloped compared to that of other polymers, despite the fact that it is the third-most produced plastic in the world. Most PVC degradation procedures explored have been carried out at high temperatures (200-900 oC) and focus on pyrolysis to small hydrocarbons or oxidation to carboxylic acids. Pyrolysis of PVC is complicated by the release of HCl, which can corrode the equipment and deactivate catalysts. Solutions to this include pre-treatment with base, or pyrolysis in the presence of base or bio-waste. In some cases, products are a mixture of acetone, benzene, and other aromatics. In other cases, alkanes or syngas (CO and H2) are produced. There remains a need for new approaches to chemically break down PVC. Expanding the toolbox of reactions that can controllably degrade PVC will allow a wider range of products to be made, and bring the world closer to the goal of harvesting plastic waste as a resource. 

Cellulose, the major component of plant biomass, is considered the most abundant biopolymer. Certain microorganisms are able to convert the monomer of cellulose, glucose, into various products useful in the production of biofuels and other methods. Cellulose is highly stable, has a high storage potential, low cost, and plentiful supply. Based on these and other properties, cellulose and enzymes capable of degrading and hydrolyzing it are useful in the sequestration, storage, and production of bioenergy.  Crystalline cellulose is composed of linear polymers of β1-4 linked glucose, held in a tightly crosslinked crystalline lattice by a high degree of intermolecular hydrogen bonding. This structure confers stability but also hinders efficient deconstruction of cellulose. Strategies for commercial depolymerization of cellulose typically combine pretreatment to disrupt the crystalline structure, followed by enzymatic hydrolysis. Disruption of the crystalline structure and chemical hydrolysis typically requires high temperatures and low pH. Enzymatic hydrolysis generally occurs under milder conditions. The degree of pretreatment required and the expense of subsequent cleanup steps are affected by properties of the enzymes used. Bacteria capable of degrading cellulose include those belonging to the genera Aquifex, Rhodothermus, Thermobifida, Anaerocellum, and Caldicellulosiruptor. A recombinant thermostable endoglucanase of Aquifex aeolicus produced in E. coli showed maximal activity at 80° C. and pH 7.0 with a half-life of 2 h at 100° C.  UC Berkeley investigators have engineered a polypeptide having cellulase activity for hydrolysis and degradation of cellulose-containing biomass.

Determining the properties that control fluid flow and pressure migration through rocks is essential for understanding groundwater, energy reservoirs and fault zones. Hydraulic diffusivity is the key parameter that controls pressure migration in reservoirs. There is a need to determine it in situ for energy, groundwater and earthquake applications. Direct measurements of these properties underground generally require expensive and invasive processes such as pumping large volumes of water in or out of the ground. Most current methods rely on either active pumping between wells or proxies such as seismic velocity or the migration time of microseismicity. These conventional methods may change the structure that they are trying to measure and do not resolve variations in space without complex, multiple experiments. Moreover, active pumping is expensive, invasive and sensitive to a limited set of scales, while proxies are difficult to calibrate.

This invention pertains to novel compositions comprising hydroxamate-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). These frameworks are synthesized using hydroxamate ligands that coordinate with metal ions to form porous, crystalline structures. The unique properties of these MOFs make them highly versatile and applicable in various industrial and environmental processes. By enabling efficient pollutant removal and water harvesting, hydroxamate-based MOFs contribute to sustainable environmental practices. This disclosure highlights the potential of hydroxamate-based metal-organic frameworks to revolutionize various industrial and environmental applications through their unique properties and versatile uses.

Widespread metal and oxyanion contaminants in groundwater due to industrial activities, land use, and natural geology have resulted in a scarcity in potable water in California and worldwide. These contaminants can be carcinogenic and highly toxic at low concentrations, presenting an urgent need for innovative water purification technologies. However, existing technologies for treating groundwater and brackish water are often energy intensive, non-selective, or not suitable for recovery. Therefore, advances in oxyanion removal technologies could significantly improve the potential of safely using groundwater as an alternative drinking water resource. To address this opportunity, researchers at UC Berkeley have developed a novel multifunctional water filter that exploits the high removal efficiency of toxic metal ions and oxyanions by using two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets. MoS2 exhibits multiple removal pathways towards oxyanions such as Cr (VI) and Se (VI), including adsorption, reduction, and physical filtration. The multifunctionality of the MoS2 filters allows in-situ detoxification of the oxyanions, which could greatly reduce the pressure on waste/waste stream treatment. Moreover, MoS2 filters can be integrated into existing water treatment processes (e.g., low-pressure micro/ultrafiltration and adsorption). This integration allows for the treatment of a wide selection of non-traditional water resources, including groundwater and industrial wastewater, and also reduces the costs of the additional steps required for the removal of toxic metals in traditional water treatment processes. The innovation is more efficient, and more selective in targeting oxyanion species, in comparison to currently available technologies, such as reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, adsorption, ion exchange, and coagulation-precipitation. This novel multifunctional filter could potentially reduce operational costs, simplify maintenance, and minimize the impacts of environmental factors compared to other oxyanion treatment technologies.

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 This invention is a method includes mixing a polymer with one or more dehydrogenating reagent(s), thereby forming the dehydrogenated polymer.  Such a dehydrogenated polymer can then be made into a alkene or a dehydrogenating polymer.

Perchlorate is a chemical usually produced commercially that is soluble in water, can easily travel through aqueous systems, and can persist for decades in groundwater. Even in trace amounts, perchlorate can disrupt thyroid hormone production, which can have harmful side effects.  These particular characteristics have made contamination of ground water by perchlorate a major widespread issue, and its decontamination a major challenge. Currently available techniques for removing perchlorate include high pressure water washout and single-use resins for capturing perchlorate.

Oil and natural gas extraction techniques commonly rely on hydraulic fracturing to induce and/or improve fluid flow in low permeability rocks. Hydraulic fracturing can be environmentally costly though as it uses a variety of materials, including chemicals and solids, injected into the ground to mechanically fracture and artificially maintain cracks in the subsurface. A UC Santa Cruz researcher has developed a method that uses site-specific reservoir properties to determine the best frequency of forcing to clear fractures and increase fluid flow with pressure oscillations.