Posted: Sep 20, 2018
(Nanowerk News) Australian researchers have designed a rapid nano-filter that can clean dirty water over 100 times faster than current technology (Advanced Functional Materials doi:10.1002/adfm.201804057).
Simple to make and simple to scale up, the technology harnesses naturally occurring nano-structures that grow on liquid metals.
The RMIT University and University of New South Wales (UNSW) researchers behind the innovation have shown it can filter both heavy metals and oils from water at extraordinary speed.
A liquid metal droplet with flakes of aluminium oxide compounds grown on its surface. Each 0.03mm flake is made up of about 20,000 nano-sheets stacked together. (Image: RMIT University)
RMIT researcher Dr Ali Zavabeti said water contamination remains a significant challenge globally - 1 in 9 people have no clean water close to home.
"Heavy metal contamination causes serious health problems and children are particularly vulnerable," Zavabeti said.
"Our new nano-filter is sustainable, environmentally-friendly, scalable and low cost.
"We've shown it works to remove lead and oil from water but we also know it has potential to target other common contaminants.
"Previous research has already shown the materials we used are effective in absorbing contaminants like mercury, sulfates and phosphates.
"With further development and commercial support, this new nano-filter could be a cheap and ultra-fast solution to the problem of dirty water."
The liquid metal chemistry process developed by the researchers has potential applications across a range of industries including electronics, membranes, optics and catalysis.
"The technique is potentially of significant industrial value, since it can be readily upscaled, the liquid metal can be reused, and the process requires only short reaction times and low temperatures," Zavabeti said.
Project leader Professor Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh, Honorary Professor at RMIT, Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow and Professor of Chemical Engineering at UNSW, said the liquid metal chemistry used in the process enabled differently shaped nano-structures to be grown, either as the atomically thin sheets used for the nano-filter or as nano-fibrous structures.
"Growing these materials conventionally is power intensive, requires high temperatures, extensive processing times and uses toxic metals. Liquid metal chemistry avoids all these issues so it's an outstanding alternative."
![Liquid Metal & Nano-sheets](https://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology-news2/id51122.jpg)