EPA Nanotechnology and the Environment ... - Mechatronics

Nanotechnology and the Environment: Applications and Implications STAR Progress Review Workshop
Real-Time Chemical Composition Measurements of Fine and Ultrafine Airborne Particles
Murray V. Johnston, University of Delaware
As concern over health effects of ultrafine particles increases, new methods are needed to determine the composition
of these particles in air. The goal of this project is to develop a new technology that will determine chemical
composition of airborne particles down to about 5 nm in diameter. Two problems that must be overcome are inefficient
sampling of particles and inefficient analysis of those particles that have been sampled. The project has discovered that
individual nanoparticles can be efficiently detected only if quantitatively converted to atomic ions.
Session 2: Treatment
Moderator: Y’Vonne Jones-Brown
Nanoscale Biopolymers With Tunable Properties for Improved Decontamination and Recycling of Heavy Metals
Wilfred Chen, University of California, Riverside
The goal of this project is to develop high-affinity, nanoscale biopolymers with tunable properties for the selective
removal of heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury, and arsenic. Conventional technologies often are inadequate to
reduce concentrations in wastewater to acceptable regulatory levels. The project found that biopolymers with amino
acid His 6
or His 12
tags can serve as a simple metal binding domain; both T t
and metal binding capacity can be regulated
easily, and biopolymers can be recycled. Metalloregulatory protein for mercury (MerR) can serve as a specific
mercury-binding domain.
Transition Metal Carbides as an Environmental Nanocatalyst
S. Ismat Shah, University of Delaware
Current catalytic converters will not be able to meet future emissions reduction targets without increasing the
amount of Pt-group precious metals to levels at which the converters might become prohibitively expensive. The goal
of this research project is to investigate synthesis, characterization, and application of nanoparticles of transition metal
carbides and oxycarbides as replacements for the Pt-group metals. The project has found that tungsten carbide
(WC 1-x
) is a possible replacement for the Pt-group metals in automobile catalytic converters. WC 1-x
nanoparticles
were produced by reactive magnetron sputtering and were characterized for their chemistry and structure.
Simultaneous Environmental Monitoring and Purification Through Smart Particles
Wolfgang M. Sigmund, University of Florida
The goal of this project is to investigate whether nano-engineered smart particles based on a modular building concept
enable simultaneous monitoring and purification of water and air. The smart particles undergo visible change in color when
a pollutant is present and are being developed to utilize magnetic and photocatalytic nanoparticles for treatment.
Session 3: Other Areas of Application
Moderator: Nora Savage
Plasmon Sensitized TiO 2
Nanoparticles as a Novel Photocatalyst for Solar Applications
George Chumanov, Clemson University
The goal of this project is to develop a novel hybrid photocatalyst that consists of silver or gold nanoparticles
encapsulated in a titanium dioxide (TiO 2
) shell. TiO 2
is environmentally friendly, relatively inexpensive, and a potentially
efficient photocatalyst; however, wide technological use of this photocatalyst is largely hindered by the fact that
ultraviolet light, which does not constitute a significant fraction of the solar spectrum, is required for its activation.
Silver and gold are very efficient for capturing energy from the visible portion of the spectrum. In the initial research
phase, a TiO 2
shell on silver nanoparticles has been synthesized.
The Office of Research and Development’s National Center for Environmental Research 5