Removal of some organic pollutants in water employing ceramic membranes impregnated with cross-linked silylated dendritic and cyclodextrin polymers

Triethoxysilylated derivatives of poly(propylene imine) dendrimer, polyethylene imine and polyglycerol hyperbranched polymers and β-cyclodextrin have been synthesized and characterized. These compounds impregnated ceramic membranes made from Al2O3, SiC and TiO2 and subsequently sol–gel reaction led to their polymerization and chemical bond formation with the ceramic substrates. The resulting organic–inorganic filters were tested for the removal of a variety of organic pollutants from water. They were found to remove of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (up to 99%), of monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (up to 93%), trihalogen methanes (up to 81%), pesticides (up to 43%) and methyl-tert-butyl ether (up to 46%).