Application of membrane-mimetic chemistry to environmental and energy related engineering

Membrane-mimetic chemistry principles can be applied to both decontamination and beneficiation processes where impurities must be separated from host molecules by a micellar change. These changes are dependent on the geometrical patterns and assemblages of micelles, vesicles or large liquid crystals (gels). They can be affected by radical transfer initiated by ultrasound irradiation or other microwave sources. Reactions proceed in a submicro environment of compression, rarefaction or cavitation with localized instantaneous high pressure and temperature flux or microstreaming. The following results are achieved through utilization of new technological concept: (1) decontamination of oily soils and upgrading of fossil fuels, (2) destruction of halogenated compounds in water, (3) desulfurization of coal by multiphase biocatalysis, (4) peptization and mesophase transition for geomacromolecules