Faster, more durable water filters: Plugging up leaky graphene
Thursday, May 7, 2015 - 21:30
in Physics & Chemistry
For faster, longer-lasting water filters, some scientists are looking to graphene --thin, strong sheets of carbon -- to serve as ultrathin membranes, filtering out contaminants to quickly purify high volumes of water. Graphene's unique properties make it a potentially ideal membrane for water filtration or desalination. But there's been one main drawback to its wider use: Making membranes in one-atom-thick layers of graphene is a meticulous process that can tear the thin material -- creating defects through which contaminants can leak. Now engineers have devised a process to repair these leaks.