A similar mechanism could capture water-borne nuclear waste (Image: Chris Martin Bahr/Rex Features)
THE molecular equivalent of a Venus flytrap could capture water-borne nuclear waste.
So say Mercouri Kanatzidis and Nan Ding from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. They have synthesised a sulphide-containing material with a flexible structure that mimics the flytrap’s jaws.
The structure has “windows” measuring 0.8 nanometres by 0.3 nanometres – just large enough for caesium ions to squeeze through. Once inside, the caesium bonds with sulphide ions, and this changes the material’s structure in a way that closes the windows and traps the caesium.
“The trigger for closing the trap comes from the…
