Graphene Aerogel

November 1, 2023

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and Tel Aviv University have developed an aerogel adsorbent that can remove trace pollutants from wastewater.
Aerogels comprise mostly of air and can be used to remove contaminants.
The highly porous, low-density materials with adjustable chemistry are referred to as solid air or frozen smoke and can be easily fabricated.
A method called ‘supercritical fluid deposition’ was employed to prepare these modified aerogels and studied their effectiveness.
The Graphene-doped modified silica aerogels (GO-SA) were found to exhibit efficiency in purifying water, attracting and removing contaminants due to graphene’s unique molecular structure.
Under real-life conditions mimicked in their experiments, the material removed over 85% of pollutants in controlled settings and more than 76% in continuous flow conditions
Aerogels could be customised to target specific contaminants by modifying their surface chemistry, making them versatile.
They can be generated and reused multiple times, reducing waste and operational costs, making them a sustainable solution for water purification.