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Prof. Alvarez discussed the emerging opportunities that nanotechnology offers to revolutionise water treatment systems. He explained how it can improve pollutant-removal efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and enable cost-effective decentralised solutions. Illustrative examples included: Electrosorption using highly conductive and selective electrodes to remove multivalent ions that can cause scaling.
Solar-thermal processes, enabled by nanophotonics, to desalinate with membrane distillation.
Disinfection and advanced oxidation using nanocatalysts.
Electrocatalytic degradation of recalcitrant organic pollutants of emerging concern.
In conclusion, Prof. Alvarez affirmed that nanotechnology holds significant promise for advancing sustainable resources management, enabling safe and low-energy water treatment and reuse. He envisioned that high-performance modular systems that would deliver multifunctional solutions with minimal infrastructure requirements.

Event date: 06/05/2025
Speaker: Prof. Pedro ALVAREZ
Hosted by: PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research