ENGR 1050-400: Introduction to Nanotechnology

Taught by Dr. Wesley C. Sanders

GRAPHENE WATER FILTERS

Written by Natalie Astill Bailey
07/06/2017
 The Issue:

Water scarcity around the world can be a difficult concept to grasp. This may be because

the Earth is made up of 70 percent water. However, only 2.5 percent of water is fresh, 1 percent

is accessible to humans, and only 0.007 percent is made available for 6.8 billion people to share.

People are also made mostly of water; 60 percent to be exact. Unfortunately, people who have

always had access to water have proven to waste more than what they will need in their lifetime.

By the year 2025, 1.8 billion people will live in water threatened areas and two thirds of the

world's people will live in water-stressed areas. The challenge all people share now, and will

greatly share in the future, is how to efficiently preserve, manage, and share the water (National

Geographic Society).

Field of Study Chemistry:

As water is the most vital ingredient of life, a lot of attention and care is placed in the

technology that purifies it. Two current key roles are nanotechnology and membrane chemistry.

By using nanotechnology, it is possible to remove microbes and bacteria from the water we

ingest and it is also used to implant silver ions that destroy microscopic contaminants. The pores

in membrane filters are so remarkably fine, ultrafiltration is possible; ultrafiltration will collect

and contain colloidal particles, viruses, and large molecules. Membranes are used in place of

flocculation and absorption. Both efforts are constantly improving and very cost efficient. A

new, potential role in purifying water is graphene water filters. By using graphene, it may be

possible to treat non-fresh water until it is pure enough for human use and consumption. Water

treatment is the removal of solids, bacteria, algae, inorganic compounds, etcetera (Graphene and

Water Treatment).
 Definition:

Graphene is a carbon sheet only one atom thick. Ideal graphene consists only of six-

membered rings. The carbon atoms in graphene are bonded and form a hexagon two-dimensional

lattice. Consequently, graphite is a typical stacked structure, where individual graphene sheets

form a 3D crystal (Tkachev, et al.). Graphene is the thinnest and lightest compound known to

man, yet the strongest compound to have been discovered (What is Graphene).

Creation and Key Players:

It 2004 at the University of Manchester, two professors made history with a block of

graphite and Scotch tape. These two professors were Sir Geim and Sir Noveselov. Geim and

Noveselov noticed small particles of graphene on the tape used to clean a graphite stone. They

decided to use the Scotch tape to peel off layers of carbon that were only 1 atom thick, and thus,

graphene was discovered, and now hundreds of laboratories research graphene (Lambert). Geim

tried to make it clear that free-standing graphene was a solitary atomic plane of graphite,

which is appropriately isolated from its environment, and that it is to be thought of as free-

standing. After multiple tests, it was discovered how powerful and amazing graphene really was;

graphene is as strong as steel yet almost completely transparent, it is a thermal and electrical

conductor, it can be used to develop powerful computer parts, and most importantly, it is

completely water resistant (Nesta).

Research:

There are many researchers who believe graphene can be used as a water filter, and this is

currently being investigated. Graphene is highly resistant to water, but can be a resourceful

blockade or nanomembrane to all types of things; even light gases cannot pass through graphene.
The main issue that is being researched is how to modify the size of the pores in the graphene

latus to have only water pass through, or how smaller graphene sheets can be used so the

pathways in-between the sheets modify the membrane (Lambert).

40 years ago, water treatment was based on thermal methods that used high temperatures

to separate clean water from sea water; this method is a very high energy and high cost solution,

and in the gulf, it is still used today. There is growing hope and change to use membrane

technology to separate clean water from sea water so no one must live in water threatened or

stressed areas (Lambert).

Field of Study Engineering:

The most common way of membrane water purification is reverse osmosis because it

rejects multiple types of salts. It does not take a lot of energy to complete the reverse osmosis

process and it is much cheaper than thermal methods. In this method, there are two forces and

two phases (gradient and pressure gradient). In this process, pure water will flow past the salt

water as high pressure is applied to the salty side of the membrane, therefore, thwarting the

concentration gradient of the osmosis effect (Lawler, J.).

Recently, graphene nanofiltration has increased in popularity as it is expected to lower

energy costs even more. Graphene nanofiltration is perfect for desalination as the graphene

sheets have single layer nanopores also; these are created using an oxygen plasma etching

system, and the system has shown to reject nearly 100 percent of salt on every test. This makes

graphene nanofiltration the preferred/stable way of removing salt from water. The modification

and function on the graphenes active layer has been investigated, and the incorporation of

nanostructures, such as graphene oxide, has shown great promise in the probability of becoming
a water filter. By modifying the active layer of the graphene, it also creates a decrease in

roughness, antifouling, and hydrophilicity. Even cleaning the graphene sheets did not cause

damage or stop the salt filtration (Lawler, J.).

Field of Study Biology:

Another issue at hand that graphene has been theorized to solve is infectious diseases, by

filtration and with the help of carbon nanotubes. Some of these diseases are pathogenic micro-

organisms, such as fungi, bacteria, parasites, and viruses. Victims of these disease are usually

and unfortunately children under 5. These deadly pathogenic micro-organisms kill nine million

people all around the world every year. Not only do these diseases take lives, these diseases

cause distress for the families as they have lost their loved ones, and it is worrisome they may

suffer the same fate. This, however, is an issue with the water, not an issue with location or the

people; although, it is mostly common for issues like this to arise in low to middle income

countries as the communities do not having the funding to purify their water correctly and

efficiently. However, multiple/multi-drug resistant microbes are increasing at a great pace and

are meant to prevent these micro-organisms from passing through water filtration systems (Dinh

N, Chi D, Le A., et al.).

Along nano-antimicrobial inventions, silver nanoparticles are used as they have the

ability to be better than physicochemical properties. These silver nanoparticles are used in many

disinfectants and medical devices and, most importantly, water purification systems. However, a

long exposure to silver can cause toxicity in humans and ecology. There are studies happening to

replace these silver nanoparticles with carbon nanostructures, or even graphene, as there has

been no proven toxicity to the human health or ecology; and graphene has been proven to be
more efficient than carbon, but it is still argued whether graphene is stronger than carbon.

Through testing, graphene nanotube/nanofiltration systems have been able to stop the infectious

diseases: staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and pseudomonas aeruginosa while letting

pure water through the system (Dinh N, Chi D, Le A., et al.).

Conclusion:

Graphene is a miraculous honeycomb like structure that has a tight bond with carbon and

electrons. Graphene has many unique properties: it is stronger than steel, nearly transparent, it

has high mobility, and high electronic mobility. Graphene can benefit the world even more than

it has already. Researchers are very close to successfully make larger graphene water filters (as

of now, the successful ones are very small). Graphene can be made into energy, sensors, and be

used to enhance already existing inventions. Graphene has very powerful barriers and are

completely water resistant which makes water filters the ideal invention. With nanotechnology

and graphene, it is possible to remove microbes and bacteria from the water we ingest and

destroy microscopic contaminants. It does not take a lot of energy to complete the reverse

osmosis process and it is much cheaper than thermal methods. Graphene has been theorized to

cure, by filtration, infectious diseases with the help of carbon nanotubes (references).

Water scarcity around the world should be a difficult concept to grasp. The Earth is made

up of 70 percent water and we, as humans, have the potential to harness that water and make it

pure enough for human use and consumption. It is unfortunate and unfair that only 0.007 percent

of water is made available for 6.8 billion people to share, especially when water is wasted greatly

and there are people living in water threatened and water-stressed areas. By using graphene to its

fullest potential, there will no longer have to be water threatened and water-stressed areas

(National Geographic Society).

 Sir Geim and Sir Noveselov were brilliant researchers who changed the world one layer

of graphene at a time. It is thanks to Sir Geim and Sir Noveselov that laboratories around the

world have found how to make graphene water filters and how to use them efficiently and

effectively (Lambert).

It can be foreseen in the future that salt and pure water will be in excess, along with

nano-antimicrobial inventions preventing additional victims and deaths of those infected with

diseases by using filtration systems. It is in the human race future that we will all be able to turn

on a kitchen faucet and know pure, drinkable water will come out (Dinh N, Chi D, Le A., et al.).
 Works Cited

Dinh N, Chi D, Le A., et al. Water-dispersible silver nanoparticles-decorated carbon

nanomaterials: synthesis and enhanced antibacterial activity. Applied Physics A: Materials
Science & Processing [serial online]. April 2015; 119 (1): 85-95. Available from: Academic Search
Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed June 27, 2017.

"Graphene and Water Treatment: Introduction and Market Status." Graphene and Water
Treatment: Introduction and Market Status | Graphene-Info. Metalgrass Software, 2017. Web. 22
June 2017.

Lambert, Robert J. "The Story of Graphene." Close Menu. Manchester University, n.d. Web. 24
June 2017.

Lawler J. Incorporation of Graphene-Related Carbon Nanosheets in Membrane Fabrication for

Water Treatment: A Review. Membranes [serial online]. December 2016; 6 (4): 1-21. Available
from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed June 27, 2017

Nesta. "Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov." Nesta. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 June 2017.

Society, National Geographic. "Freshwater Crisis." Clean Water Crisis, Water Crisis Facts,
Water Crisis Resources - National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 June 2017.

Tkachev, S., et al. "Graphene: A Novel Carbon Nanomaterial." Inorganic Materials, vol. 47, no.
1, Jan. 2011, pp. 1-10. EBSCOhost, DOI: 10.1134/S0020168511010134.

"What Is Graphene?" What Is Graphene? N.p., n.d. Web. 23 June 2017.