Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Materials for the Detection and Removal of Toxicants

Abstract

The goal of this graduate research has been to develop novel materials for the detection and removal of small molecule toxicants that have been introduced into natural water sources as a result of human industries. Traditional methods for detection of small molecule toxicants rely on laboratory grade equipment, such as gas chromatography (GC), mass spectroscopy (MS), GC-MS, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). These traditional methods have high sensitivity; however, they suffer from a lack of portability, a high degree of training needed to use them, expensive instrumentation, and extended times for data processing and analysis. To address this problem, several novel conjugated fluorescent polymers have been developed for the rapid detection of multiple small molecule toxicants. Fluorescence as a means of detection was chosen due to the high sensitivity, ease of use, vi AKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like to thank my advisor, Dr. Mindy Levine, for all of her help and support throughout my time at URI. Mindy is an excellent scientist, great inspiration, and a dedicated advisor who has helped me learn and grow in ways I had not imagined before starting on my Ph.D. journey. Her "let's do it" attitude and thoughtful insights made her a pleasure and inspiration to work with.