3D Nanotechnology Blankets offer a new path to clean drinking water

Researchers have developed new materials that can clean water from dangerous contaminants by harnessing the power of sunlight. It was created through a combination of soft chemical gels and electrospinning. This is a technique in which electrical force is applied to liquids to create small fibers, and has built thin fiber-like strips of titanium dioxide (Tio₂), a compound that is often used in solar cells, gas sensors, and various self-cleaning techniques.

Despite being a great alternative energy source, solar fuel systems that utilize tion nanoparticles are often power-limited because they can only receive photocatalysts or produce chemical reactions. This can present major implementation challenges, such as inefficient efficiency and the need for complex filtration systems.

But when researchers added copper to the material to improve this process, a new structure called nanomats was able to absorb enough light energy to break down harmful contaminants in air and water, said Pelagia Ilen Guma, professor of materials science and engineering at Ohio State University.

“There was no easy way to make something like a blanket that you could put on the water and start making energy,” she said. “But we were the only ones who created these structures, and they are the only structures that demonstrate that they are actually working.”

This study was recently published in Journal Advanced Science.

When titanium dioxide absorbs light, it forms electrons that oxidize water and attack contaminants, slowly destroying them until they become benign. When copper is added, the process is supercharged, making it even more effective.

To determine this, researchers worked to characterize the updated properties of nanomats and understand how it behaves and what makes them different from other self-cleaning nanoparticles, Guma said. Surprisingly, researchers have discovered that compared to traditional solar cells, these nanomats can be more successful in generating electricity when placed under natural sunlight, she said.

“These nanomats can be used as generators or as water repair tools,” she said. “In both respects, there are catalysts with the highest efficiency ever reported.”

These lightweight, easy-to-remove fiber mats float and operate in any body of water and can be reused in multiple cleaning cycles. Nanomats are so effective that researchers believe they can be used to remove water from industrial pollutants in developing countries, and can turn otherwise contaminated rivers and lakes into clean drinking water sources.

Furthermore, nanomats are very environmentally friendly as this technology does not produce toxic byproducts like some solar cell systems. “It’s a safe material and won’t hurt anything. It’s as clean as possible,” Bear said.

Still, while the technology in this team is extremely efficient, how long it takes to scale up commercially depends on how quickly the industry focuses on the product. “We have the tools to make them in bulk and translate them into different industries,” Guma said. “The only limitation is that someone is needed to utilize these abundant resources.”

Overall, the findings suggest that nanomats could be a promising tool in many future photocatalytic applications, including long-term sustainability initiatives such as environmental restoration and solar-powered hydrogen production.

In the meantime, the team will look into ways to further optimize the materials.

“The material is completely novel in terms of new forms of nanotechnology,” Guma said. “It’s really impressive and something that’s really exciting to us.”