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Gold nanoparticles for cleaning contaminated water
Author(s) -
Qian Huifeng,
Pretzer Lori A.,
Velazquez Juan C.,
Zhao Zhun,
Wong Michael S.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of chemical technology and biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1097-4660
pISSN - 0268-2575
DOI - 10.1002/jctb.4030
Subject(s) - colloidal gold , contamination , nanotechnology , pollutant , surface plasmon resonance , environmental science , environmental chemistry , water pollution , usable , pollution , water treatment , nanoparticle , materials science , chemistry , environmental engineering , computer science , organic chemistry , ecology , biology , world wide web
Pollutants in the form of heavy metals, fertilizers, detergents, and pesticides have seriously reduced the supply of pure drinking water and usable water. Gold metal has intriguing potential to deal with the water pollution problem, as recent research on several fronts is advancing the concept of nanoscale gold as the basis for cost‐effective nanotechnology‐based water treatment. Nano‐gold has special properties, such as enhanced catalytic activity, visible surface plasmon resonance color changes, and chemical stability, that make it more useful than other materials. This Perspective article highlights the current use of gold nanoparticles for the efficient removal and the selective and sensitive detection of a variety of pollutants in water. The challenges in further developing nano‐gold to address water contamination are discussed, which should stimulate future research into improved removal and detection of undesirable chemical compounds. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry