Queen’s University Belfast launched a new spinout called Porous Liquid Technologies last week to commercialise liquid materials with microscopic pores designed to purify industrial products more efficiently.
The spinout is researching porous liquids with more microscopic cavities than found in conventional fluids, potentially facilitating substances with superior absorption capabilities.
Porous’s discovery is geared towards industrial separation processes that isolate specific products from residual impurities. Uses for the liquids might include filtering natural gas reserves to supplant carbon activation-based gas treatments, which tend to be energy intensive.
The spinout is working towards completing a patent examination for the core material, which could also find utility in segments including medical diagnostics and household products. The spinout was established by Qubis, the tech transfer office of Queen’s University Belfast.
The business builds on research started in 2015 by Stuart James, professor of innovative molecular materials in the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, who worked alongside Andy Cooper, a research group lead in University of Liverpool’s materials chemistry unit.
James said: “Thanks to these cavities, porous liquids can absorb large amounts of gas and they can be tuned to selectively absorb one gas over another.
“The major benefit of porous liquids is that, unlike solids, they can be circulated, meaning that they can be applied in a host of processes.”
