Tests showed that they removed toxic metals from water
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Microfibre-based filters are a good choice for household water purification because they remove germs and pollutants, last long, and hold large amounts of contaminants. Their versatility increases when coated with nanoparticles — enabling them to absorb heavy metals, dyes, or even serve as wound dressings, depending on the coating used.
The conventional way of coating involves dipping fibres into a nanoparticle solution. This is slow, equipment-heavy, and leads to uneven coating, leaving parts of the fibre bare and lowering efficiency.
Insights from study
Researchers at IIT Bombay, led by Prof. Venkat Gundabala and Prof. Rajdip Bandyopadhyaya, have now developed a microfluidic method to make uniformly nanoparticle-coated fibres in a single step. In this process, a polymer solution flows through a fine glass capillary while a nanoparticle dispersion surrounds it. As the solvent diffuses out, the polymer solidifies into fibres, while nanoparticles evenly coat their surface.
The team demonstrated this using magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles, which bond strongly with the polymer, producing high-performance fibres. Tests showed that they effectively removed toxic metals like lead, cadmium, and arsenic from water.
These fibres can be packed into filter cartridges for household, portable, or modular units. Beyond water purification, nanoparticle-coated fibres can act as sensors, antibacterial dressings, food packaging, or even drug-delivery systems. Depending on the coating, they can also remove microplastics and organic pollutants from water.
Published on October 6, 2025
