One primary example of this technology application is its use as a protectant, while dispersing and suspending iron nanoparticles in decontamination efforts involving chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as tetrachloroethylene. The copolymers described herein are not only highly effective with respect to suspending nanoparticles in water, but also exhibit high biodegradability. Biodegradability is important for environmental applications because the polymer is typically not recovered after treatment of a ground water contaminant plume. In addition, compared to other approaches, this copolymer technology enables compositions to be highly tailored or optimized for a given nanoparticle and application.
This technology is the subject of Issued US Patent Nos. 9,487,420 and 9,631,040 and is available for licensing/partnering opportunities.