Well-defined poly(ethylene glycol) polymers as non-conventional reactive tracers of colloidal transport in porous media

ThomasRitschel, ; KatharinaLehmann, ; MichaelaBrunzel, ; Vitz, Jürgen; Nischang, Ivo; Schubert, Ulrich S.; Totsche, Kai U.

Abstract:

A prominent fraction of mobile organic matter in natural aqueous soil solutions is formed by molecules in sizes that seamlessly exceed the lower end of what is defined as a colloid. The hydrodynamics and the functional diversity of these molecules result in a transport behavior that is fundamentally different from smaller compounds. However, there is a lack of “reactive tracers” that allow for the study of colloidal transport phenomena appropriately. We hypothesize that tailor-made and well-defined synthetic polymers can overcome this limitation.

Year:

2021

Type of Publication:

Article

Journal:

Journal of Colloid and Interface Science

Volume:

584

Pages:

592 - 601

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2020.09.056