The researchers at Cardiff University said the results could revolutionise water disinfection technologies and present an opportunity to provide clean water to communities that need it most.
The novel method works by using a catalyst made from gold and palladium that takes in hydrogen and oxygen to form hydrogen peroxide – a commonly used disinfectant currently produced on an industrial scale.
Industry makes over four million tonnes of hydrogen peroxide in factories each year, where they then transport it to the places where it’s used and stored. Stabilising chemicals are often added to the solutions during the production process to stop them degrading but these reduce its effectiveness as a disinfectant.
Another common approach to disinfecting water is the addition of chlorine. But experts have found that chlorine can react with naturally occurring compounds in water to form compounds that, in high doses, can be toxic to humans.
According to the research...