RAPID: Oil Clean-up and Recovery through Novel Interfacial Engineering

1050045Dai智能优点：最近墨西哥湾发生的石油泄漏(历史上最大的一次漏油事件)造成了一场巨大的、不可预测的环境灾难。这场灾难性的爆炸每天造成高达10万桶的排放，浮油已经覆盖了超过1万平方英里的表面积。除了紧急阻止漏油外，还有一个紧迫的问题，就是制定有效、高效和环保的解决方案来清理大规模的漏油。这项提议的重点是通过在油-水界面使用功能化的纳米颗粒/颗粒来执行新型界面工程。具体地说，在这个项目中，研究人员将合成环境响应型核壳磁性纳米颗粒，这些纳米颗粒在油水界面上保持平衡，释放流变性改进剂，控制石油的粘弹性，在磁场下从界面上去除油层，并回收可用的石油。此外，我们将合成在油水界面平衡的中空二氧化硅磁性颗粒，在磁场的作用下从界面上去除油层，并可能回收可用的石油。拟议的工作具有基础性和实践性。油水界面上的表面活性剂已被广泛研究，但对界面上的颗粒还不是很清楚。功能化的纳米颗粒/颗粒为设计油水界面提供了巨大的新机会，需要更好的基础理解。颗粒的合成使用Pickering乳液(使用颗粒作为乳化剂)作为模板，随后的界面工程提供了解决界面问题的新颖设计和解决方案。更广泛的影响：研究和教育将在整个项目期间整合在一起。拟议的工作预计将在产生有效、高效和环境友好的解决方案方面提供一种范式转变，以响应墨西哥湾石油清理和回收以及其他油水分离过程的迫切要求。国际石油公司将与壳牌石油公司在这一项目上合作，促进将基础研究转化为实际应用。此外，PI将继续她对促进研究生和本科生研究的坚定承诺，包括申请亚利桑那州立大学的富尔顿本科生研究计划(FURI)，以利用NSF的资金。该项目提供了一个很好的例子，教育公众基础研究如何导致一种新的工程解决方案，以应对意外的自然和人为灾难。它将在多个招聘和保留活动中被用作一个例子，以鼓励更多地参与科学和工程，包括代表人数不足的群体。PI将与现有的少数族裔项目合作建立一个夏季项目，例如亚利桑那州立大学的美洲原住民夏季学院。

1050045DaiIntellectual Merit:The recent oil spill (the largest spill in history) in the Gulf of Mexico has caused a tremendous and unpredictable environmental disaster. The catastrophic explosion causes discharges of up to 100,000 barrels per day and the oil slick already covers a surface area of over 10,000 square miles. Other than the emergency of stopping the oil leak, there is also an urgency to generate effective, efficient, and environmental benign solutions to clean-up the massive spill. This proposal focuses on performing novel interfacial engineering through employing functionalized nanoparticles/particles at oil-water interfaces. Specifically, in this project the investigators will synthesize environmental responsive core-shell magnetic nanoparticles that equilibrate at oil-water interfaces, release rheological modifiers, control the viscoelasticity of the oil, remove the oil layer from the interface under a magnetic field, and recover usable oils. In addition, we will synthesize hollow silica magnetic particles that equilibrate at oil-water interfaces, remove the oil layer from the interface under a magnetic field, and possibly recover usable oils. The proposed work is of both fundamental and practical importance. Surfactants at oil-water interfaces have been studied extensively, but particles at interfaces are not well understood. Functionalized nanoparticles/particles open tremendous new opportunities to engineer oil-water interfaces and demand a better fundamental understanding. The synthesis of the particles uses Pickering emulsions (employ particles as an emulsifier), a subject of increasing interest, as templates and the subsequent interfacial engineering offers novel designs and solutions to tackle interfacial problems. Broader Impacts: Research and education will be integrated throughout the project duration. The proposed work is anticipated to offer a paradigm shift in generating effective, efficient, and environmental benign solutions in respond to the urgent call of oil clean-up and recovery in the Gulf of Mexico and other oil-water separation processes. The PI will collaborate with the Shell Oil Company in this project to promote translating fundamental research to practical applications. In addition, the PI will continue her strong commitment to promoting graduate and undergraduate research, including applying for the Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative (FURI) program at ASU to leverage NSF funds. The project provides an excellent example of educating general public how fundamental research may lead to a novel engineering solution which addresses unexpected natural and man-made disasters. It will be used an example in multiple recruiting and retention events to encourage more participation in science and engineering, including from the under-represented groups. The PI will establish a Summer Program in partnership with the existing minority programs, for example, the Native American Summer Institute at ASU.