New 'Floating Blankets' Use Sunlight To Purify WaterResearchers have developed what they’re calling “nanofibrous blankets” that float on c...

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New 'Floating Blankets' Use Sunlight To Purify Water
Researchers have developed what they’re calling “nanofibrous blankets” that float on contaminated water and use ordinary sunlight to break down pollutants. These lightweight, self-supporting mats could revolutionize water treatment by eliminating the need for expensive ultraviolet lamps while solving one of the biggest headaches in water purification: how to remove tiny particles after they’ve done their job.

A technique called photocatalytic water treatment relies on titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles that need UV light to work, but these particles create their own problem. Once they’ve cleaned the water, you have to fish them out, which is costly and complicated. According to a study published in Advanced Science, scientists at Ohio State University have engineered a solution that sidesteps both issues entirely.

Their breakthrough centers on copper-infused TiO2 nanofibers woven into mat-like structures that can be shaped into various forms. Unlike conventional photocatalysts that require UV light to activate, these mats work under visible light, meaning they can harness natural sunlight for water purification. The mats float on water surfaces and can be easily removed once the cleaning process is complete.

“There hasn’t been an easy way to create something like a blanket that you can lay on water and start creating energy,” says lead author Pelagia-Iren Gouma from Ohio State University, in a statement. “But we are the only ones who have made these structures and the only ones to demonstrate that they actually work.”

Why Is This An Upgrade?
TiO2 fiber blankets
a,b) Cu-doped TiO2 heat-treated nanofiber blankets, c) SEM im
age of the nanofiber. (Credit: Advanced Science)

The researchers modified TiO2, a compound commonly used in sunscreen and self-cleaning surfaces. Pure TiO2 only responds to UV light, which makes up less than 5% of sunlight. Adding copper changed the material so it could absorb visible light from the sun, instead of just ultraviolet.

Copper also helped create a rare crystal form called brookite. This structure helps the material clean water more effectively by stopping the energy from fading too fast during the reaction.


The team used electrospinning to create nanofibers with diameters about 1,000 times thinner than human hair. These fibers form interconnected mats that the researchers describe as having a texture similar to potato chips. The result is a porous, lightweight material that maximizes surface area while remaining sturdy enough to use.

Testing the Floating Cleaners
Researchers compared the copper-infused mats against pure TiO2 and P25 Degussa, a commercial photocatalyst considered the gold standard in the field. They used methylene blue, a common industrial dye, as their test pollutant in controlled laboratory conditions.

When tested under regular light (with UV rays blocked), the copper-treated mats worked far better than the other materials. While the standard P25 cleaner barely made a dent, the new mats broke down over 90% of the test pollutant in just four hours.
SOURCE: https://studyfinds.org/floating-blankets-sunlight-purify-water/

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  1. I also have a plan or solution to reduce the evaporation of water from lakes behind dams and also water levels in reservoirs, which can be implemented using a polymer method. I hope that one day a company or research institute can help me and we can implement it. Currently, more than 50 percent of the water in dam lakes evaporates. By implementing this plan, we can take an effective step in preserving and storing this volume of water and making this vital substance sustainable.