Most polymer membranes used in technical applications are not sustainable because they are made from synthetic, petroleum-based components and are not biodegradable. In addition, their function is often limited to pure material separation without actively integrating the membranes into reactive processes. The new junior research group "Filtrolution" has set itself the goal of producing membranes that combine a targeted separation function with reactivity and sustainability. The project at the Institute of Nanoscale and Biobased Materials is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

The starting point for the innovative materials are biobased polymers, which are obtained as nanoparticles from wood, cotton, algae or fungi, for example. The team works according to the principle of emulsion, a specific structuring of the bionanoparticles in oil-water systems. We encounter emulsions in everyday life in cosmetics or various foods, but they can also be used to produce materials. Nanoparticles accumulate in emulsions at the boundary between oil and water and stabilise the fine droplets - creating so-called Pickering emulsions.

These are easy to control and allow the porosity of the subsequent membrane to be adjusted in a targeted manner. They also create a selective environment for chemical reactions in the water or oil phase - an extraordinary potential that has hardly been utilised to date!