Sustainable Hydrocarbon Oligomer Solvent Systems for Sequestration of Trace Organics from Water.

Low-viscosity poly(α-olefin)s (PAOs) either alone or with functional hydrocarbon oligomer cosolvents are nontoxic, nonvolatile, recyclable solvent systems that effectively and efficiently sequester trace amounts of nonpolar organic compounds such as benzene and halogenated organics from water. More polar compounds including perfluorooctanoic acid and nitrobenzene or water-miscible compounds such as THF and triethylamine can also be sequestered if the PAO phase contains an H-bonding PAO-anchored cosolvent.