Patent ID: 7767091

Claim:
A method for encapsulating pollutants comprising: (a) modifying dendrimeric polymers having symmetric chemical structure of formula I and/or non-symmetric hyperbranched polymers of formula II to contain: at least one atom of a chemical element able to form three or more chemical bonds; at least one inorganic or organic linking group; and at least one aliphatic chain with more than 8 carbon atoms or at least one aromatic group or the combination of the aliphatic chain and the aromatic group, wherein the aliphatic chain or the aromatic group or the combination of the aliphatic chain and the aromatic group is introduced on the surface of the dendrimeric polymers or of the hyperbranched polymers; wherein the modifying renders the polymers lipophilic, and wherein the modified polymers form nanocavities from the internal chains of the dendrimeric polymers and from the external aliphatic chains or aromatic groups or combination of aliphatic chains and aromatic groups; wherein formula I is represented as and wherein formula II is represented as wherein the symbol (●) represents an atom of a chemical element able to form three or more chemical bonds, the straight line (-) represents an inorganic or organic linking group and the symbol (X) represents an aliphatic chain with more than 8 carbon atoms or an aromatic group or the combination of the aliphatic chain and the aromatic group; and (b) introducing the modified dendrimeric polymers and/or modified non-symmetric hyperbranched polymers into a solution containing pollutants, wherein the pollutants are encapsulated in the nanocavities.