LCDs can be transformed from e-waste to infection fighters, says new research

Researchers at the University of York have discovered a possible use for discarded LCDs which should come as a relief to anyone familiar with the world’s rampant e-waste problem. According to the report, which will be presented today at the Green Chemistry and Engineering Conference in Washington, D.C., a process of heating, then cooling and dehydrating the PVA (polyvinyl-alcohol, the key component of LCDs) with ethanol produces a surface area of mesoporous material with great potential for use in biomedicine. The resultant product’s anti-microbial properties can now be enhanced by adding silver nanoparticles, producing something which is anti-bacterial and can kill things like E.coli. The potential application of course, is that hospital surfaces could be made of it in the future. This is just one (major) step in a long-term project, so don’t expect to see it in real life anytime soon.