Researchers at the University of Manchester have come up with a method for controlling the permeation of graphene oxide membranes — enabling the nanomaterial..
Scientists continue to explore the potential of graphene , aka the one-atom thin sheet of bonded carbon atoms that was created more than a decade ago after researchers first peeled a few layers off a block of graphite with some Scotch Tape — before going on to refine their technique until a sheet just a single atom thick was produced.
The nanomaterial has been posited for all sorts of potentially revolutionary uses, from faster , thinner and even transparent electronics; to biotech implants ; to better battery capacity. Now researchers at the University of Manchester say they have come up with a method for controlling the permeation of graphene oxide membranes so they can act as a sieve to desalinate seawater.
By controlling the size of the pores in the membranes the team was able to prevent common salts passing through the material — turning seawater into drinking water.
While graphene has previously been demonstrated for filtering small nanoparticles, organic molecules and even large salts, the challenge with common salts found in seawater is their small size.
