Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) are one of the types of nanomaterials that are used for many applications. They are made up of graphene sheets. The size of CNTs is about 10,000 times smaller than a human hair, but still extremely strong.
Studies have shown that the CNTs have the potential to hold and repel water, and can be used for several other purposes too. CNTs have to diffuse the water and can transmit the water from one place to another. The hexagonal walls of the CNTs form a spiral structure. This can lead CNTs to be used in several other applications like in water transport and in agricultural harvesting too. The new research revealed that when water is dropped on CNTs, it repels and forms water coating and holds the water molecules.
In contrast to superhydrophobic surfaces where droplets roll off easily when tilted, CNTs forests are parahydrophobic, where the droplet is both repelled and attracted to the CNT surface.Ziyu Zhou, author of the lead research paper.
The hydrophobic walls of CNTs can be used in water treatment purposes. Water treatment using CNTs can be done much effectively and much faster than the traditional methods. However, several researchers have described that the use of CNTs for long term sustainability is not a good idea. They emit toxic substances and can change the physicochemical properties of drinking water.
Several strategies have been carried out while working with the carbon nanotubes. Mainly, CNTs have the ability to filter all three pollutants: organic, inorganic and biological. Freshwater access to the metro cities is pretty difficult and these can be achieved by the CNTs. So researchers are looking for a way to increase the efficiency of the nanomaterials in the field of water diffusion.
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