Scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have created a brand-new, multipurpose aerogel that has great promise for solving urgent environmental issues, including oil spills, industrial pollution, and wastewater treatment.

Aerogels are perfect for a variety of industrial and environmental applications since they are very light, highly porous materials with a vast surface area and remarkable adsorption capabilities.

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have drawn more attention due to their efficacy in degrading contaminants, even if traditional techniques like membrane filtration and chemical precipitation are still often used. In particular, extremely reactive sulfate and hydroxyl radicals produced by peroxymonosulfate (PMS)-activated AOPs are notable for their ability to degrade complex organic compounds, even at low concentrations.

By mixing carbon foam with MXene, a two-dimensional substance renowned for its excellent conductivity and chemical reactivity, the researchers created a hybrid aerogel.

The researchers greatly enhanced the PMS activation power of the MXene framework by adding phosphorus doping, which made it possible to break down persistent organic contaminants in wastewater effectively.

In addition to treating wastewater, the aerogel performed very well in oil-water separation. It is very successful in cleaning up oil spills and treating industrial effluents because of its porous construction, which selectively absorbs oil while repelling water.

The researchers claimed that this separation procedure is both effective and eco-friendly.

This research shows how one manufactured material may provide many answers to environmental problems. Prof. P. K. Giri of the Department of Physics and Centre for Nanotechnology at IIT Guwahati said, “The hybrid aerogel we developed combines environmental sustainability with practical versatility, showing promising results in wastewater purification, oil-water separation, and strain sensing.”

Furthermore, the created aerogel serves as a flexible strain sensor. Applications in smart gadgets, wearable electronics, and structural health monitoring systems are made possible by the way its electrical resistance varies in reaction to mechanical stress.

This multi-capability material offers scalable solutions for pollution management, cleaner water, and next-generation sensing technologies, marking a major achievement in sustainable materials research.

Even though the Ti3C2Tx-based hybrid aerogel performs very well, there are serious environmental and toxicological issues with its traditional HF-based production.

The research team is investigating acid-free synthesis pathways for large-scale applications in order to address this. Additionally, by avoiding the direct breakdown of MXene nanosheets during catalysis, they are attempting to introduce a co-catalyst layer to improve the performance and longevity of MXene-based aerogels.