Phosphorus is one of the elements present in DNA, the genetic material of plant and animal life. Phosphate ions are important components of fertilizers used by farmers to enhance plant growth. However, excess phosphate ions from farms contaminate water streams and have harmful environmental effects. Professor Valerie C. Pierre of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Minnesota, Twin-Cities conducts research to develop approaches to selectively remove phosphate ions from polluted lakes and rivers and later release these ions, at will, on farmlands in the form of fertilizers. The research program involves graduate and undergraduate students, including underrepresented minorities, in interdisciplinary research and education. The education activities includes teaching elementary school children from nearby public schools about scientific methodology and environmental science. In collaboration with the Tamarack Nature Center of Ramsey County, Professor Pierre teaches children how to monitor phosphate levels in lakes and ponds, and in doing so, introduces them to basic scientific concepts and experimental skills. Moreover, students working in the research group of Professor Pierre are expected to present their research to the broader scientific community through participation in regional and national meetings. They also publish results in journals.
The Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry (MSN) Program of the NSF Chemistry Division supports Professor Pierre's research group to develop and promulgate novel metal-based supramolecular self-assemblies for the reversible and selective capture of phosphate ions from aqueous systems. The approach employs the coordination chemistry of hard metal ions with open coordination sites. The research also emphasizes supramolecular principles such as complementarity in shape and hydrogen-bonding for selective sequestering of phosphate over other oxyanions. The ultimate goal is to produce porous membranes that can selectively remove phosphate ions from polluted lakes and rivers and reuse them in the form of fertilizer. This work advances the field of supramolecular chemistry by investigating the structural parameters of metal-based supramolecular assemblies that govern selectivity and reversibility in binding of oxyanions. This interdisciplinary research is at the nexus of food, water and energy systems.
