Uploaded April 2015 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Oil spills, defined as the leakage of petroleum onto the surface of large bodies of water, are a major global issue. There are a multitude of causes that contribute to the severity of this problem, including the drilling of petroleum carried out in or near the sea, the leakage of fuel from water sports or vehicles, leakage of products containing petroleum on land into the ocean, and equipment faults of oil tankers. Combined with the natural seepage from the ocean, these sources add to the world’s waterways at a rate of 3.5 to 6 million metric tons a year.
Oceanic oil spills grew to pose a major environmental threat in the 1960s due to heightened petroleum exploration and production on continental shelves as well as the use of supertankers. As a result, scientists have attempted to search for a method that can effectively clean the spill and help to alleviate the damage. Although many methods have failed, in recent decades, scientists have spent much time altering the structure of carbon nanotubes, which consist of atom-thick sheets of carbon rolled into cylinders. They originally caught the attention of scientists due to their high strength, conductivity, as well as their lightweight structure. However, it has been discovered that by adding boron to the hexagonal carbon lattice of atoms, an element that has a different number of valence electrons, the result is the formation of “elbow” junctions that facilitate the growth of the nanotubes into a 3-D network. By altering the structure of the carbon nanotube in this way, it begins to grow into a woven sponge-like material that is three-dimensionally strong and efficient at absorbing oil because it attracts oil while repelling water. This material also has magnetic properties, which allows for easy control or removal externally during the cleanup of oil spills. For these reasons along with other properties of the material, carbon nanotubes have acquired the potential to be used as one of the primary processes for cleaning up oil spills.
References:
nature.com/srep/2012/120413/srep00363/full/srep00363.html?WT.ec_id=SREP-639-20120501
dailytech.com/BoronCarbon+Nanosponges+Used+to+Absorb+Oil+from+Water+/article24481.htm
nature.com/srep/2012/120413/srep00363/full/srep00363.html?iframe=true&width=900&height=450
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.200902986/full
gizmag.com/carbon-nanotube-sponges/30511
tp://iop.org/news/14/jan/page_62331.html
understandingnano.com/nanotubes-carbon-properties.html
http://mechanosynthesis.mit.edu/journals/076_devolder_13_sciencereview.pdf
livescience.com/9885-faq-science-history-oil-spills.html
epa.gov/osweroe1/content/learning/response.htm
afsc.noaa.gov/Quarterly/jas2001/feature_jas01.htm scientificamerican.com/article/how-long-will-oil-spill-last
Sources: Ando, T. (2009). The electronic properties of graphene and carbon nanotubes. NPG Asia Materials, 1(1), 17-21.
org-chem.org/yuuki/nanotube/nanotube_en.html
Demczyk, B. G., Wang, Y. M., Cumings, J., Hetman, M., Han, W., Zettl, A., & Ritchie, R. O. (2002). Direct mechanical measurement of the tensile strength and elastic modulus of multiwalled carbon nanotubes.Materials Science and Engineering: A, 334(1), 173-178.
Gui, X., Li, H., Wang, K., Wei, J., Jia, Y., Li, Z., ... & Wu, D. (2011). Recyclable carbon nanotube sponges for oil absorption. Acta Materialia, 59(12), 4798-4804.
asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/nanotechnology/a-slicker-picker-upper-the-nanotube-oil-sponge
www2.epa.gov/emergency-response/sorbents
pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/jp2043027
Oil spills, defined as the leakage of petroleum onto the surface of large bodies of water, are a major global issue. There are a multitude of causes that contribute to the severity of this problem, including the drilling of petroleum carried out in or near the sea, the leakage of fuel from water sports or vehicles, leakage of products containing petroleum on land into the ocean, and equipment faults of oil tankers. Combined with the natural seepage from the ocean, these sources add to the world’s waterways at a rate of 3.5 to 6 million metric tons a year.
Oceanic oil spills grew to pose a major environmental threat in the 1960s due to heightened petroleum exploration and production on continental shelves as well as the use of supertankers. As a result, scientists have attempted to search for a method that can effectively clean the spill and help to alleviate the damage. Although many methods have failed, in recent decades, scientists have spent much time altering the structure of carbon nanotubes, which consist of atom-thick sheets of carbon rolled into cylinders. They originally caught the attention of scientists due to their high strength, conductivity, as well as their lightweight structure. However, it has been discovered that by adding boron to the hexagonal carbon lattice of atoms, an element that has a different number of valence electrons, the result is the formation of “elbow” junctions that facilitate the growth of the nanotubes into a 3-D network. By altering the structure of the carbon nanotube in this way, it begins to grow into a woven sponge-like material that is three-dimensionally strong and efficient at absorbing oil because it attracts oil while repelling water. This material also has magnetic properties, which allows for easy control or removal externally during the cleanup of oil spills. For these reasons along with other properties of the material, carbon nanotubes have acquired the potential to be used as one of the primary processes for cleaning up oil spills.
References:
nature.com/srep/2012/120413/srep00363/full/srep00363.html?WT.ec_id=SREP-639-20120501
dailytech.com/BoronCarbon+Nanosponges+Used+to+Absorb+Oil+from+Water+/article24481.htm
nature.com/srep/2012/120413/srep00363/full/srep00363.html?iframe=true&width=900&height=450
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.200902986/full
gizmag.com/carbon-nanotube-sponges/30511
tp://iop.org/news/14/jan/page_62331.html
understandingnano.com/nanotubes-carbon-properties.html
http://mechanosynthesis.mit.edu/journals/076_devolder_13_sciencereview.pdf
livescience.com/9885-faq-science-history-oil-spills.html
epa.gov/osweroe1/content/learning/response.htm
afsc.noaa.gov/Quarterly/jas2001/feature_jas01.htm scientificamerican.com/article/how-long-will-oil-spill-last
Sources: Ando, T. (2009). The electronic properties of graphene and carbon nanotubes. NPG Asia Materials, 1(1), 17-21.
org-chem.org/yuuki/nanotube/nanotube_en.html
Demczyk, B. G., Wang, Y. M., Cumings, J., Hetman, M., Han, W., Zettl, A., & Ritchie, R. O. (2002). Direct mechanical measurement of the tensile strength and elastic modulus of multiwalled carbon nanotubes.Materials Science and Engineering: A, 334(1), 173-178.
Gui, X., Li, H., Wang, K., Wei, J., Jia, Y., Li, Z., ... & Wu, D. (2011). Recyclable carbon nanotube sponges for oil absorption. Acta Materialia, 59(12), 4798-4804.
asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/nanotechnology/a-slicker-picker-upper-the-nanotube-oil-sponge
www2.epa.gov/emergency-response/sorbents
pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/jp2043027
