Researchers report that gold nanorods, partially coated with silica and dispersed in aqueous solution, catalyzed the activation of an oxidizing precursor, peroxydisulfate, producing free radicals that subsequently degraded various organic micropollutants, including bisphenol A, amoxicillin, and perfluorooctanoic acid, upon irradiation with sunlight, suggesting that such nanorods might be useful for low-cost, solar-powered water purification.
Article #20-03362: "Plasmon-enabled degradation of organic micropollutants in water by visible-light illumination of Janus gold nanorods," by Haoran Wei, Stephanie K. Loeb, Naomi J. Halas, and Jae-Hong Kim.
MEDIA CONTACT: Naomi J. Halas, Rice University, Houston, TX; tel: 713-348-5611; e-mail: halas@rice.edu ; Jae-Hong Kim, Yale University, New Haven, CT; tel: 203-432-4386; e-mail: jaehong.kim@yale.edu
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences