Russian scientists and colleagues from the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology have developed an innovative water filter. It uses gold nanoparticles and graphene quantum dots to quickly and effectively purify water from microbes and toxins.
Knowing the exact characteristics of the material allowed us to create a composite of quantum dots and gold nanoparticles and apply it in various filters used both to purify water from impurities and to determine proteins in the blood.
Elena Obraztsova
Head of the MIPT Laboratory of Nanocarbon Materials
The size of the quantum dots is chosen in such a way that they behave like an artificial atom, which can interact with light waves and absorb and transform them into other forms of vibration.
A unique porous polymer composite, with quantum dots and nanoparticles evenly distributed over its area, captures even invisible traces of ions and biological molecules.