Removal of colouration from product

**Aqdot**, a young **UK-based** Chemtech company, has completed relevant regulatory approvals and is now accelerating scaling of a novel macrocyclic chemical, **cucurbit\[n\]uril**, "**CB\[n**\]". Cucurbit\[n\]urils are extremely effective "supramolecular hosts": they non-covalently bind a wide range of chemical "guests".

Cucurbit\[n\]urils have potential to provide significant societal benefits by reducing levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and in particular unpleasant odours, for which it is marketed as "AqFresh(TM)". Commercial application areas for AqFresh in powder or suspension form include: home and personal care products, automotive plastics and nonwovens.

Aqdot has identified and grown potential markets for AqFresh, developed the manufacturing process to increasing scale and undertaken the extensive health and environmental regulatory processes required for large-scale manufacture and sale.

The **current product** is manufactured at multi-tonne scale. Early in 2024, Aqdot will complete commissioning of its first CB\[n\]-manufacturing facility, building on the experience with several contract manufacturers. The small-footprint plant and make-to-demand capability is suited for globally-distributed manufacturing (potentially adjacent-to-customer, thus reducing environmental footprint, and with potential for bespoke composition) facilitating Aqdot's global growth in an agile manner without requiring the £100M+ investments needed to construct a "mega" manufacturing plant.

This project aims to enhance AqFresh product quality such that it can be even more widely applied as a white powder or colourless solution, particularly for the nonwoven-hygiene market (baby and adult diapers, feminine hygiene). This market is very large (~£30B, 2023) and inclusion of AqFresh would bring significant cost-effective benefits, by enhancing the user experience/confidence.

According to a survey by Euromonitor International, the greatest _unmet_ _need_ and, slightly behind absorbency, the biggest _consumer demand_ for adult-incontinence products is odour control. AqFresh in nonwoven-hygiene products reduces urine-odours significantly. The reduction occurs within seconds and lasts far beyond typical product-wear times.

This A4I project would enable Aqdot scientists and engineers to work with world-leading scientists at the UK National Measurement Laboratory who will apply world-leading analytical techniques to the challenge of identifying then eliminating a yellow/brown colourant from AqFresh. They will work with Aqdot to identify the process and/or material causes thereby enabling **enhanced product quality and increasing the speed of this UK company to profitable global growth**.