ABSTRACT CTS-9700340 H. Monbouquette/U. Cal. A spectrofluoremeter system to support the development of luminescent metal-sorbing vesicles for selective and ultrasensitive detection of toxic metal ions will be purchased. This equipment will facilitate extension of ongoing NSF-funded research on the development of metal-sorbing vesicles (MSVs) for toxic metal ion recovery from dilute aqueous solution. The high selectivity, affinity, and loading capacity of metal-sorbing vesicles (MSVs), coupled with their potential for use in continuous processing, make this a promising novel technology both for the detection and for the recovery of toxic heavy metal ions present in dilute solution. MSVs are submicron-diameter, surfactant bilayer membrane capsules that have been engineered to sequester reversibly metal ions.
