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Emerging opportunities for nanotechnology to enhance water security

Nature Nanotechnology volume 13, pages 634–641 (2018)Cite this article

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Abstract

No other resource is as necessary for life as water, and providing it universally in a safe, reliable and affordable manner is one of the greatest challenges of the twenty-first century. Here, we consider new opportunities and approaches for the application of nanotechnology to enhance the efficiency and affordability of water treatment and wastewater reuse. Potential development and implementation barriers are discussed along with research needs to overcome them and enhance water security.

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Fig. 1: Water treatment priorities and processes that can be enhanced by nanotechnology.
Fig. 2: Nanotechnology-enabled membranes for water treatment.
Fig. 3: Multifunctional nanoparticles.
Fig. 4: Direct solar-driven vaporization and distillation processes.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center on Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (EEC-1449500).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA

    Pedro J. J. Alvarez

  2. Materials Science and Engineering, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    Candace K. Chan

  3. Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

    Menachem Elimelech

  4. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA

    Naomi J. Halas

  5. Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA

    Dino Villagrán

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  1. Pedro J. J. Alvarez
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Correspondence to Pedro J. J. Alvarez.

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Alvarez, P.J.J., Chan, C.K., Elimelech, M. et al. Emerging opportunities for nanotechnology to enhance water security. Nature Nanotech 13, 634–641 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-018-0203-2

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