This article was originally posted on RealClearScience.

As long as the global economy relies on oil, oil spills are a constant hazard. Devising innovative and efficient ways to clean up the messes is, therefore, a top environmental priority. Now, a team of Korean researchers has designed a “nano-sponge” that absorbs and desorbs oil on demand. And, unlike many other materials used to clean up oil spills, their invention is reusable. The researchers published the details in the journal Scientific Reports. Continue reading →