Research Summary - The preparation of polymers modified with ion-selective ligands allows for their utilization in areas where, for example, toxic metal ions can be removed from water in the environment or hazardous wastes can be rendered less harmful to the environment.  The modification of polystyrene beads with glucamine ligands has led to an arsenic-selective resin, modification with phosphonic acid ligands has led to an actinide-selective resin, and modification with phosphonate ligands has led to a lead-selective resin.  The ability of auxiliary groups to modify the ionic selectivity of a primary ligand is the subject of current research.

Recent Professional Activities

Invited Lecture: Materials Research Society, Symposium on Materials Science of Water Purification, San Francisco (Apr 2009)

Invited Lecture: University of Colorado at Boulder (Oct 2008)

Invited Lecture: 4th International Symposium on Macro- and Supramolecular Architectures and Materials, Düsseldorf, Germany (Sep 2008)

Invited Lecture: Conference on the Role of Structure in Biological, Chemical and Environmental Separations (Engineering Conferences International), Costa Rica (Jan 2008)

Invited Lecture: Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, The Earth in Crisis: Pollution of Water in the Biosphere - Current Status and Steps Toward Renewal, (Sep 2007)

Plenary Lecture: XXII International Symposium on Physicochemical Methods of Separations, Poland (Jun 2007)

American Chemical Society, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Division Councilor, 2008-2011 Executive Committee, 2008-2011

American Chemical Society, member Committee on Chemical Abstracts Service, 2008-2011

Gordon Research Conference on Reactive Polymers, Ion Exchangers & Adsorbents, Chairman, 1997

American Chemical Society, Associate Editor, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 1996-present

Selected publications

Alexandratos, Spiro D.; Zhu, Xiaoping. Polyols as Scaffolds in the Development of Ion-Selective Polymer-Supported Reagents: The Effect of Auxiliary Groups on the Mechanism of Metal Ion Complexation. Inorganic Chemistry, (2008), 47, 2831-2836

Alexandratos, Spiro, D.; Zhu, Xiaoping. Immobilized phosphate ligands with enhanced ionic affinity through supported ligand synergistic interaction. Separation Science and Technology, (2008) 43, 1296-1309

Alexandratos, Spiro D.; Zhu, Xiaoping. Immobilized Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane as a Scaffold for Ion-Selective Ligands: The Auxiliary Group Effect on Metal Ion Binding at the Phosphate Ligand, Inorganic Chemistry, (2007), 46, 2139-2147

Alexandratos, Spiro D. and Zhu, Xiaoping. High-Affinity Ion-Complexing
Polymer-Supported Reagents: Immobilized Phosphate Ligands and their
Affinity for the Uranyl Ion, React. Funct. Polym. (2007), 67, 375-382

Zhu, Xiaoping; Alexandratos, Spiro D. Determination of trace levels of mercury in aqueous solutions by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry: Elimination of the 'memory effect' Microchemical Journal (2007), 86, 37-41

Alexandratos, Spiro D.. New polymer-supported ion-complexing agents: Design, preparation and metal ion affinities of immobilized ligands. Journal of Hazardous Materials (2007), 139, 467-470.