Microcontaminants pose a significant challenge to our water resources, but eliminating them from wastewater necessitates substantial technical capabilities. Now, researchers from ETH have devised a method utilizing multiferroic (cobalt ferrite–bismuth ferrite core–shell) nanoparticles to effectively eliminate these troublesome substances.
These nanoparticles consist of a cobalt ferrite core encapsulated by a bismuth ferrite shell. When an external alternating magnetic field is applied, specific regions on the particle surface acquire positive electric charges, while others become negatively charged. As a result, reactive oxygen species are generated in the water, which subsequently degrade the organic pollutants into harmless compounds. The magnetic nanoparticles can then be effortlessly extracted from the water using a magnetic field. The results of this research have been published in the journal Advanced Materials.
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https://phys.org/news/2019-05-magnetic-nanoparticles-ease-microcontaminants-wastewater.html