SGER: Combustion Synthesis of Nanostructured Metallic Foams: Reactant Composition and Antibacterial Properties

0914382 E. M. Hunt 一项为期一年的探索性研究项目将探索铝热剂产生的含有银纳米粒子的金属泡沫及其可能的抗菌效果。众所周知，银具有这样的效果，分散纳米级的“银子弹”可能会产生有价值的社会/技术影响，形成对高等生物体无毒的新型抗菌产品的基础。泡沫、其生成技术及其特性都很有趣，代表了创新性的探索性研究。 PI 打算开发初步结果来检验她的假设，即“铝颗粒的大小和气化剂的用量会影响金属泡沫的微观结构以及抗菌功效。”将应用析因实验设计来建立和优化前体颗粒尺寸、气化剂的量和最佳反应物混合物的影响，其中要优化的特性与对大肠杆菌和金黄色葡萄球菌的抗菌作用有关。 PI 与生物学副教授 Naharun Ghosh 博士合作，后者将监督这部分工作，并作为从事该项目的研究生的联合顾问与 PI 一起服务。 形态学还将通过电子显微镜（TEM 和 SEM）和 X 射线衍射进行检查。该项目还应对参与为期一年的项目的工程和生物学学生产生有价值的教育影响。 西德克萨斯农工大学是一所主要为本科生服务的机构，为激励学生进行科学和工程研究提供了有用的机会，正如 PI 的其他教育活动所表明的那样。 通过聘请一名女性 PI、一名非裔美国男性本科生和一名西班牙裔女性本科生，该项目将对 STEM 影响多元化产生影响。

0914382 E. M. HuntA one-year exploratory research project will explore thermite-generated metallic foams containing silver nanoparticles and their possible antibacterial effects. Silver is known to have such an effect, and dispersing the nano-sized "silver bullets" could have valuable societal / technological impacts, forming the basis for new antibacterial products that would be nontoxic to higher organisms.The foam, its generation techniques, and its properties are all interesting and represent innovative, exploratory research. The PI intends to develop preliminary results testing her hypothesis that "the Al particle size and amount of gasifying agent will affect the microstructure of the metallic foam as well as the antibacterial efficacy." Factorial experimental design will be applied to establish and optimize the effects of precursor particle size, amount of gasifying agent, and optimum reactant mixture, where the properties to be optimized have to do with antibacterial action on E. Coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The PI is partnering with Dr. Naharun Ghosh, Associate Professor of Biology, who will oversee this part of the work and serve with the PI as a co-advisor of the graduate student working on the project. Morphology will also be examined by electron microscopy (TEM and SEM) and X-ray diffraction.The project should also have valuable educational impacts for the engineering and biology students involved in the one-year project. West Texas A&M is a primarily undergraduate-serving institution, offering a useful opportunity to stimulate students for science and engineering studies, as shown by the PI's other educational activities. By engaging a female PI, an African-American male undergraduate, and a Hispanic female undergraduate, the project would have impact on diversifying the STEM impact.