NIRT: Self-Cleaning Ceramic Membranes for the Removal of Natural and Synthetic Nanomaterials from Drinking Water Using Hybrid Ozonation-Nanofiltration

0506828 Masten提案团队之所以聚集在一起，是因为他们认识到，将臭氧化和纳滤新技术与膜科学的最新进展和新的表面表征方法相结合的跨学科方法可以大大提高国家供水的安全性。这种新的混合技术将能够部署一种高效的自清洁膜过滤系统，能够去除纳米级污染物。该项目针对的水污染物是1）具有细胞毒性的新合成纳米材料和2）天然存在的纳米颗粒，这是已知的消毒副产物前体。这是第一个解决去除和处理含有合成纳米材料的沃茨问题的项目。 该提案汇集了一支由高素质研究人员组成的多元化团队，包括膜分离、臭氧在水处理中的影响、陶瓷和材料科学以及表面/胶体化学方面的专家。加入该团队的是科学系主任在兰辛社区学院，使我们能够加强科学课程在纳米技术领域的K-12学生和开发一个专门的纳米技术计划内LCC。该项目下的活动将由PI与博士后和研究生助理以实践方式领导，他们将接受培训，以便在跨学科的团队环境中运作。 该项目安排博士后和研究生助理负责日常业务，并接受培训和参与该项目技术和教学任务的所有方面。 该团队将在一所主要研究型大学的最先进设施中开展研究，并坚定地致力于协作和创新研究。 更广泛的影响： 成功完成拟议的研究将在几个方面推进发现和理解。第一个进展将是展示一种可靠、寿命长、抗污染和具有成本效益的膜过滤技术，用于从国家饮用水供应中去除纳米颗粒。第二个进展是为K-12学生和教师开发纳米技术模块，并为社区学院学生制定纳米技术课程。 像这样的新膜过滤技术将满足改善饮用水供应安全的关键需求。最近爆发的饮水传播疾病突出了这一目标的重要性。自清洁膜过滤技术的应用也可能对其他领域产生积极影响，例如食品，制药和生物制品生产中的过滤。K-12课程和纳米技术学院课程可能会成为许多其他项目的模式。在美国各地有效传播这些材料将使社会效益最大化。 由于这一建议，研究人员将接受培训，在水处理，胶体化学，陶瓷和表面光谱分析领域的舒适和知识。他们的技能应该证明是有价值的，因为如果要改善和保护国家的供水，这些领域的工作必须共同推进。主要研究人员在促进代表性不足的群体参与工程和科学方面有着杰出的记录，这一点，加上针对妇女和少数民族的强大的既定科学/工程项目的参与（即底特律地区大学预科工程课程（在密歇根州立大学提供）暑期课程和妇女在工程夏季住宅计划），为创造新的教育和推广活动创造了一个强有力的组合。此外，参与的高级研究人员将把他们的专业知识、设施和仪器合并为一个工作单位，以促进未来的合作和伙伴关系。 主要研究人员在科学界的良好声誉将有助于迅速和广泛地传播这项工作的结果。

0506828 Masten The proposal team has come together as a result of the realization that an interdisciplinary approach to combining new technologies in ozonation and nanofiltration with recent advances in membrane science and newly available surface characterization methods could greatly enhance the safety of the nation's water supply. This new hybrid technology will enable the deployment of a highly efficient self-cleaning membrane filtration system capable of removing nanoscale contaminants. Water pollutants targeted in this project are 1) newly synthesized nanomaterials with demonstrated cytotoxicity and 2) naturally occurring nanoparticles, which are known disinfection by-product precursors. This is the first project that will address the issue of the removal and treatment of waters laden with synthetic nanomaterials. The proposal brings together a diverse team of highly qualified researchers, including experts in membrane-based separations, the effects of ozone in water treatment, ceramics and material sciences, and surface/colloid chemistry. Joining the team is the Chair of the Science Department at Lansing Community College, allowing us to enhance the science curriculum in the area of nanotechnology for K-12 students and develop a specialized nanotechnology program within LCC.s chemical technician curriculum. The activities under this project will be led in a hands-on fashion by PIs with postdoctoral and graduate assistants who will be trained to operate in an interdisciplinary team-oriented environment. The project is organized to have postdoctoral and graduate assistants at the focus of day-to-day operations, with training and participation in all aspects of the technological and pedagogical tasks of this project. The team will carry out the research in state of the art facilities at a major research university with a strong commitment to collaborative and innovative research. Broader impacts: Successful completion of the proposed research will advance discovery and understanding on several fronts. The first advance would be demonstration of a reliable, long-lived, fouling-resistant and cost-effective membrane filtration technology for nanoparticle removal from the nation's drinking water supply. The second advance would be the development of modules on nanotechnology for K-12 students and teachers and the formation of a nanotechnology curriculum for community college students. A new membrane filter technology such as this would meet a critical need for improved security in the drinking water supply. Recent outbreaks of drinking-water borne disease emphasize the importance of this goal. Applications of self-cleaning membrane filtration technologies could also positively impact other fields such as filtration in food, pharmaceutical and biologics production. The K-12 curriculum and the nanotechnology college curriculum will likely become models for many other programs. Effective dissemination of these materials across the US will maximize societal benefit. As a result of this proposal, researchers will be trained to operate comfortably and knowledgably in the areas of water treatment, colloid chemistry, ceramics, and surface spectroscopic analysis. Their skill set should prove in valuable as work in these areas must necessarily advance together if the nation's water supply is to be improved and protected. The principal investigators have a distinguished record of advancing the participation of underrepresented groups in engineering and science, and this, combined with the proposed participation in strong, established science/engineering programs targeted at women and minorities (namely, the Detroit-Area Pre-College Engineering Program (offered at MSU) Summer Program and the Women in Engineering Summer Residential Program), creates a potent combination for creating new education and outreach activities. In addition, the senior researchers involved will merge their expertise, facilities and instrumentation into a single working unit that will facilitate future collaborations and partnerships. The strong scientific reputations of the principal investigators will facilitate the rapid and widespread dissemination of the results of this work.