DIY water purification

US research has found that the popular herb, coriander, has a high affinity to heavy metals. In simple terms, coriander can bind to metals such as nickel and lead which are highly toxic, making water safer to drink.

Although this method could not be used on a large scale, this knowledge could help those, in parts of the world where coriander is readily available, to drink safer water. The research was carried out at Ivy Tech Community College and has shown that up to 20mg/g of nickel can be removed from solution in 45 minutes and 145mg/g of lead in just 15!

Although the exact mechanism of how this process works is not understood, this discovery means that some form of 'teabag' could be produced on a large scale, helping even more people worldwide. I am definitely going to keep my eye on this story and keep you updated!

Memory foam on the nano scale!

As I have written in previous posts, the nano scale provides us with many different physical characteristics. Although hard to get your head round, taking particles 10000000000 times smaller than a metre can drastically change what we would thing are usual. For example, gold nanoparticles appear red or purple due to the difference in light wavelength that they interact with.

Well now theres a shape memory polymer! Research carried out in China has developed a polymer that can become tangled but returns to its original shape when put into water. This polymer has combined the advantages of the macro and nano scale. It is made from chitosan (a linear polysaccharide) and picks up surrounding nanoparticles in solution through electrostatic bonds after it has been shaped by a mould and ice has pushed the chitosan chains into a fixed structure.

This discovery can be used with a wide range of nanoparticles, giving many functions. If you then immerse the polymer in water it remains to its original shape - amazing!