In a world-first, an international research team, led by Monash University and ANSTO, has created an ultrathin porous membrane to completely separate potentially harmful ions, such as lead and mercury, from water.
In a world-first, an international research team, led by Monash University and ANSTO, has created an ultrathin porous membrane to completely separate potentially harmful ions, such as lead and mercury, from water.
This innovation could enhance the desalination process and transform the dirtiest water into something potable for millions of people across the world. The membrane performed steadily for more than 750 hours using limited energy. It could also be manufactured on a global scale, pending further testing.
Researchers for the first time developed water-stable monolayer aluminium tetra-(4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin frameworks (termed AI-MOFs) nanosheets, and demonstrated their near perfection as building materials for membranes in ion separation from water.
These Al-MOFs nanosheets, exfoliated to just a nanoscale in thickness (one thousand-millionths of a metre), can help remove harmful carcinogens from the atmosphere by creating highly porous membranes to facilitate the separation processes of gases and organic solvents, such as paint.
Read more at Monash University
Image by Dirk Wohlrabe from Pixabay
