Singaporean scientists from Nanyang Technological University believe that they may have discovered a super material, one that could change the world in the future.
Multi-use Titanium Dioxide, as it is known, is a revolutionary nanomaterial which is created by turning titanium dioxide crystals into nanofibres, which can then be used to make filter membranes with the ability to produce hydrogen, generate clean water, and create energy.
Titanium Dioxide is an abundant, cheap material which acts as a catalyst to boost chemical reactions, and can easily bond with water, giving it remarkable desalination properties if used as a high flux forward osmosis membrane.
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The nanomaterial can also produce hydrogen when exposed to sunlight, generate energy from waste produced during desalination processes, be used to produce cheap solar cells, double the life-span of lithium ion batteries, and acts as an antibacteria.
Associate Professor Darren Sun, the leader of the team of scientists, expects the new material will prove a huge boon in the future as we continue to search for alternative sources of clean energy.
"While there is no single silver bullet to solving two of the world's biggest challenges: cheap renewable energy and an abundant supply of clean water; our single multi-use membrane comes close, with its titanium dioxide nanoparticles being a key catalyst in discovering such solutions," he said.
By. Charles Kennedy of Oilprice.com
Charles is a writer for Oilprice.com More