The method and materials of this invention make possible substantially faster techniques for organic-aqueous extractions and routine chemical reactions work-ups. The inventive material uses silicone elastomer-coated glass powders, magnetic powders, and sponges as absorbents to extract organic products from an aqueous mixture. After separation from the mixture, these different forms now loaded with organic products can serve as a convenient input for flash chromatographic separations or other processing. With these techniques, tedious liquid-liquid extractions are replaced by a simple solid filtration or transfer and emulsion formation is eliminated. These versatile sorbents can also be used for larger scale work-ups, various extractions of organics from an aqueous solution (e.g., water purification) or gas phase and various analytical or other applications.

A composite material for floating on a contaminated water source, including: A) a polymeric structure having a network of interconnected porous channels; and B) a carbonous material dispersed within the polymeric structure, the carbonous material has a functionalized surface. The composite material has a density of less than 1 g/cm.sup.3, and the contaminated water source contains a low-boiling-point contaminant. The polymeric structure draws contaminated water from the contaminated water source into the polymeric structure via capillary action, and the functionalized surface removes the low-boiling point contaminant from the contaminated water. A method of purifying water using the composite material as mentioned herein and a kit for harvesting purified water including the composite material as mentioned herein.

A column for removal of a component from a fluid is disclosed. The column has a compartment with a cross sectional area. The compartment contains beads having a diameter. A ligand selected to bind to the component is coupled to the beads. The cross-sectional area and bead diameter are selected to maintain a flow velocity of the fluid within the compartment below a first threshold, thereby reducing leaching of the ligand into the fluid. Also described herein is an adsorbent comprising a ligand that is attached to a substrate by an amine bond, wherein the ligand is resistant to dissociation from the substrate.

A composite material containing a porous body having pores inside the porous body and a porous coordination polymer compound (PCP), in which the porous body has a network structure of Si—O bonds obtained by copolymerizing a dialkoxysilane and a trialkoxysilane, and the porous coordination polymer compound is carried in the pores of the porous body. Also, a method for producing a composite material containing a porous body having pores inside the porous body and a porous coordination polymer compound, in which the porous body has a network structure of Si—O bonds obtained by copolymerizing a dialkoxysilane and a trialkoxysilane, and the porous coordination polymer compound is carried in the pores of the porous body via a solvent.

A polymeric hydrogel microparticle that contains polyacrylamide and chitosan, the chitosan uniformly incorporated in a polyacrylamide matrix. The microparticle, having a coefficient variation of 0 to 2% and containing macropores with an average size of 1 to 60 nm, is capable of transporting biomolecules conjugated to it. Also disclosed are a method of fabricating such a microparticle in a micromold via photo-induced radical polymerization and a one-pot method of conjugating biomolecules to polymeric hydrogel microparticles.

A device for storing oil or another vaporizable substance can include a porous body adapted to absorb a volume of liquid and to retain the volume of liquid for vaporization. A porous body can include a matrix of pores adapted to take up and retain oil by capillary action. A method of vaporizing oil can include storing the oil in a porous body and heating the porous body.

A blood purifier includes a porous molded body; exhibits an excellent blood compatibility wherein platelet adherence is inhibited and exhibits a good cytokine adsorption capacity and a low pressure loss before and after blood treatment; and can be safely used. A blood purifier includes a main vessel and a porous molded body housed in the main vessel. The porous molded body contains a hydrophobic polymer and a hydrophilic polymer. The amount of low-melting-point water per 1 g of dry weight of the porous molded body is 0.12 g to 2.00 g. The contact change ratio for the porous molded body is 0% to 0.2%. The ratio L/D is 1.00 to 2.30 where, for the region taken up by the porous molded body in the main vessel, L is the length in the flow direction and D is the circle-equivalent diameter of the cross section in the direction perpendicular to the flow direction.

A polymeric sheet, at least partially cross-linked and/or foamed, having a substantially open cell foam structure is described. A continuous method of manufacturing of an at least partially cross-linked, open cell foamed polymeric sheet is also described.

A column for removal of a component from a fluid is disclosed. The column has a compartment with a cross sectional area. The compartment contains beads having a diameter. A ligand selected to bind to the component is coupled to the beads. The cross-sectional area and bead diameter are selected to maintain a flow velocity of the fluid within the compartment below a first threshold, thereby reducing leaching of the ligand into the fluid. Also described herein is an adsorbent comprising a ligand that is attached to a substrate by an amine bond, wherein the ligand is resistant to dissociation from the substrate.

An emulsion composition, a polystyrene nano-fiber, a polystyrene nano-fiber product and a preparation method and use thereof, wherein the emulsion composition comprises a dispersed phase and a continuous phase, the dispersed phase contains a soluble salt and a first solvent, the continuous phase contains polystyrene, a second solvent and sulfonated polystyrene being syndiotactic polystyrene and/or isotatic polystyrene; the preparation of the emulsion composition: under heating and stirring, dropwise adding the dispersed phase into the continuous phase; the preparation of the polystyrene nano-fiber or polystyrene nano-fiber product: crystallize the above emulsion composition; the polystyrene nano-fiber prepared by the above emulsion composition has a pore structure, and the prepared product has a stable and controllable three-dimensional structure and multi-level and/or intercommunicated pore structure, and also has a high preparation efficiency, therefore the above polystyrene nano-fiber or product has excellent application prospects in absorption, adsorption, oil-water separation, and construction of special wettability surfaces.