2019-03-04
Chinese scientists have developed a new material that can use light to efficiently and safely purify water .
Photocatalytic methods offer environmentally safe water purification,but the catalysts required in the process are usually metalbased , which can cause second pollution.
Scientits from the Institute of Process engineering under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yangzhou University have designed an efficient metal-free catalyst for photocatalytic water purification.
They utilize nanosheets of graphitic carbon nitride , an ultra-thin two-dimensional material with the right electronic properties to absorb the light and generate reactive oxygen. Its structure helped to facilitate the reaction by generating plenty of hydrogen peroxide , which efficiently kills bacteria(細(xì)菌).
Results showed that with this catalyst , pathogen - rich water can be rapidly purified in 30 minutes with a disinfection efficiency of over 99 percent under visible -light irradiation. It can also avoid secondary pollution or heavy metalion residues .
The research team intends to improve the material befor it is ready for commercial use . They plan to expand the material's ability to absorb photons , develop antibacterial fibers and refine the nanosheet preparation process .
The research was published in the journal Chem.
