The news feeds on this site are independently provided by Adfero Limited © and do not represent the views or opinions of the World Gold Council.

Wednesday, 23rd September 2009 (3656 views)

Gold nanoparticles have been used to create a "pioneering sensor" that could help with the clean-up of one of the most poisonous substances on Earth, mercury.

Writing for AZoNano, professor Suresg Bhargava of RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia said around 2,400 tonnes of mercury is released into the atmosphere every year as a result of human activity.

The toxin can pose serious health risks, particularly in children and pregnant women.

However, the RMIT University's Industrial Chemistry Group (ICG) has developed nano-engineered gold structures that can accurately measure mercury emissions - a crucial first step in controlling the substance.

"We've known since ancient times that gold attracts mercury and vice versa, but a regular gold surface doesn't absorb much vapour and any measurements it makes are inconsistent," Professor Bhargava said.

Using patented electrochemical processes, the ICG created hundreds of minute "nano-spikes" on the surface of gold particles that made them around 180 per cent more sensitive than normal surfaces at 89 degrees C, the professor noted.

In July, scientists at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Singapore said a new system for extracting metals that are soluble in water for the creation of nanoparticles, such as gold, could also be adapted to remove pollutants like mercury from rivers and streams.

 

« Back to Gold News stories