currentsinbiology: Synthetic coral could remove toxic heavy metals from the oceanA new material that
Synthetic coral could remove toxic heavy metals from the ocean
A new material that mimics coral could help remove toxic heavy metals like mercury from the ocean, according to a new study published in the Journal of Colloid and Interface Science. The researchers, from Anhui Jianzhu University in China, say their new material could provide inspiration for other approaches to removing pollutants.
Dr. Xianbiao Wang and colleagues have made coral-like nanoplates using aluminium oxide, with the aim of adsorbing mercury from water. Aluminium oxide has previously been used to remove pollutants, but the structure of the material has not been optimal, so they have not performed very well. The new nanoplates curl themselves up into a coral-like structure, which behaves in a similar way to real coral, making the material more effective.
More information:Journal of Colloid and Interface ScienceVolume 453, 1 September 2015, Pages 244–251. DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2015.03.065Graphical abstract of synthetic coral. Credit: Elsevier
