Nanoparticle Detection Using Microplasma

微等离子体可以为监测环境中空气中纳米颗粒提供一种良性和经济的替代放射性同位素。这种监测目前既困难又昂贵。然而，这对于评估合成纳米粒子和天然纳米粒子的潜在健康影响至关重要。目前的纳米颗粒检测系统依赖于放射性同位素，但这些系统过于庞大和昂贵，无法在实验室环境之外实际使用，此外，放射性同位素的使用还存在健康、环境和安全问题。该研究项目旨在发展脉冲微等离子体中纳米粒子充电和放电的基础知识。微等离子体是电离气体的微观区域；例如，等离子电视中的单个像素就是微等离子体。这种微等离子体可以取代放射性同位素给纳米粒子充电，这样就可以根据大小对它们进行检测和分类。微等离子体的实验室表征将与计算机模拟相结合。该实验将确定从微等离子体中喷出的粒子的电荷分布，以揭示纳米粒子的脱荷科学。然后，所有这些基础数据将被应用于设计和演示一个粒子检测系统，该系统将在微等离子体中对粒子进行充电和浓缩。然后可以周期性地将积累的粒子排出并根据微等离子体诱导的电荷状态进行分析。用微等离子体替代放射性同位素将提高纳米粒子检测的安全性和实用性，产生经济和社会效益。对微等离子体的基本认识的提高也将加强化学分析领域，目前正开始将微等离子体设备纳入分析化学仪器。该计划通过在本科和研究生阶段发展应用物理学方面的人类专业知识来加强技术基础设施。

CBET-0755761HopwoodMicroplasmas could provide a benign and economical alternative to radioisotopes for monitoring airborne nanoparticles in the environment. Such monitoring is presently difficult and expensive. However, it is crucial for assessing potential health effects of synthetic and naturally occurring nanoparticles. Present nanoparticle detection systems rely on radioisotopes, but these systems are too large and costly for practical use outside of the laboratory setting, in addition to the health, environmental, and security issues that surround the use of radioisotopes. This research project seeks to develop fundamental knowledge of the charging and de-charging of nanoparticles in pulsed microplasmas. A microplasma is a microscopic region of ionized gas; for example, a single pixel in a plasma television is a microplasma. Such microplasmas could replace the use of radioisotopes for charging nanoparticles electrically, which is done so they can be detected and classified by size.Laboratory characterization of microplasmas will be combined with computer simulations. The experiments will determine the electrical charge distribution of particles expelled from a microplasma in order to reveal the science of nanoparticle de-charging. All these fundamental data will then be applied to design and demonstrate a particle detection system that would charge and concentrate particles within a microplasma. The accumulated particles could then be periodically expelled and analyzed according to the microplasma-induced charge state.Replacement of radioisotopes by microplasmas will increase the safety and utility of nanoparticle detection, producing both an economic and societal benefit. The improved fundamental understanding of the microplasma will also strengthen the field of chemical analysis, which is currently beginning to incorporate microplasma devices into analytical chemistry instrumentation. The program strengthens the technological infrastructure by developing human expertise in applied physics at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.