2D nanomaterial-based multifunctional membranes for metal and oxyanion removal

B. Mi
University of California at Berkeley,
United States

Keywords: 2D nanomaterials, multifunctional membranes, metal and oxyanion removal

Summary:

Toxic metal and oxyanion contamination of freshwater and drinking water has become a critical challenge for the public health. Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials offer a variety of interesting properties that can be potentially used to remove metal ions from water. This talk will focus on the promises of using 2D nanomaterials such as Graphene Oxide (GO) and MoS2 for the removal of metal and oxyanion contaminants, including lead, silver, mercury, and chromium. For example, among all materials ever reported in the literature, MoS2 nanosheets exhibit the highest adsorption capacity and the strongest selectivity toward Pb2+ with a distribution coefficient that is orders of magnitude higher than that of other lead adsorption materials. We also demonstrated that layer-stacked MoS2 membrane has great potential as point-of-use (POU) devices for lead removal from drinking water.