Specialists from St. Petersburg State University have developed zinc nanosheets that can be used for water purification. This material does not harm the environment, has antibacterial characteristics, and can remove over 90% of toxic organic compounds.
Nanosheets can be used in water purification systems to remove dyes or antibiotics. These are toxic organic compounds that must be properly disposed of. However, these substances regularly enter the sewage system along with wastewater from industrial enterprises and livestock farms.
The most effective way to combat water pollution is photocatalysis. In this process, semiconductor particles, under the influence of light, enter into a chemical reaction with molecules of pollutants, destroying them.
To create such a powerful photocatalyst, scientists from St. Petersburg State University synthesized a series of nanoparticles using chemical deposition. Then, they studied the properties of the resulting materials to understand how they work. This is necessary for the future application of these particles.
The properties of nanoparticles depend on their size and shape. Therefore, chemists created plates with a thickness of about 20 nanometers. These are called nanosheets.
Specialists also conducted quantum-chemical calculations, which allowed them to take into account the defects in the crystal structure of the nanoparticles. The data obtained helped to understand the processes of adsorption and photocatalysis.
Earlier, www1.ru reported that at the Omsk State Technical University, a method was developed to make the spent stages of Soyuz-2 type carrier rockets more environmentally friendly. One of the main problems is the remnants of liquid fuel that have not been used. If they get on the ground, they can harm the environment and cause fires in the areas where rocket fragments fall.
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