Scientists Create Device That Produces Clean Water and Fuel
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have created a product that simultaneously cleans water and makes fuel.
The floatable device uses solar technology to purify dirty water, says the University’s scientific paper on the project.
Dr Chanon Pornrungroj from Cambridge’s Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry and the paper’s co-lead author said, “Bringing together solar fuels production and water purification in a single device is tricky.”
Pornrungroj added, “Solar-driven water splitting, where water molecules are broken down into hydrogen and oxygen, need to start with totally pure water because any contaminants can poison the catalyst or cause unwanted chemical side-reactions.”
The European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program, The European Research Council, and the Cambridge Trust supported the research.
A Clean Drinking Water Solution?
Co-author Ariffin Mohamad Annuar said that people in developing areas lacking water could use the device to help.
“In remote or developing regions, where clean water is relatively scarce and the infrastructure necessary for water purification is not readily available, water splitting is extremely difficult,” said co-lead author Ariffin Mohamad Annuar. He added, “A device that could work using contaminated water could solve two problems at once: it could split water to make clean fuel, and it could make clean drinking water.”
According to the World Health Organization, 1.8 billion people worldwide still lack safe drinking water at home. So, the researcher’s sunlight-processing device could provide more people with a better life quality. Pornrungroj says the gadget can purify muddy water, too.
“It’s so tolerant of pollutants, and the floating design allows the substrate to work in very cloudy or muddy water,” he said. “It’s a highly versatile system.”
St John’s College Fellow Erwin Reisner commented, “The climate crisis and issues around pollution and health are closely related, and developing an approach that could help address both would be a game-changer for so many people.”
Reisner added, “These are the sorts of solutions we will need to develop a truly circular economy and sustainable future.”
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