EAGER: Synthesis of Nano Embedded Zeolites for Water Pollutant Removal

1650278ShipleyNanoTechnology拥有实现和推进水处理的潜力。该项目的总体目标是利用环境友好和更快的合成方法合成纳米二氧化钛和纳米二氧化钛/二硫化钼纳米片状嵌入沸石，以去除选定的水污染物，用于未来开发小型个人和/或中央公共拥有的水处理系统的水处理技术。纳米复合材料的发展为新的污染物处理技术创造了可能性，因为它们具有独特的物理化学性质。纳米颗粒具有较大的比表面积以及独特的化学优势，如离子选择性和动力学增强，这使得纳米颗粒成为理想的吸附剂，因为即使在表面上也可能发生弱吸附。此外，MoS2以其光催化活性而闻名，但很少有研究探讨这种材料与二氧化钛结合的优势。然而，由于处理过程中的分离和通过最终水的通道等问题的结果，使用纳米颗粒可能会有缺点。拟议的工作将通过设计嵌入纳米二氧化钛和具有特定性质的纳米二氧化钛/二硫化钼纳米片的沸石来解决这些问题，假设这将由于二氧化钛和二硫化钼纳米系统的组合属性而提高污染物的去除能力，并降低成本和潜在的毒性，并在处理过程中改善分离。结果将决定所选污染物的吸附容量和光催化活性。与传统的水处理吸附剂相比，本研究有望开发出一种新型高效、低成本的水处理吸附剂。我们将使用扫描电子显微镜/离子交换膜来表征沸石和纳米材料之间的界面，以了解嵌入在沸石中的纳米颗粒和纳米片层的稳定性，确定吸附后表面形态的变化，并帮助评估负载效率。在所提出的工作中，目标是：1)合成和表征纳米二氧化钛和纳米二氧化钛/二硫化钼分子筛；2)通过间歇研究评估它们的吸附容量和光催化活性。这些材料有可能通过增强吸附、选择性和动力学来改善水质；有助于遵守州和联邦饮用水法规；并降低处理成本。水的安全和可获得性是美国国家工程院面临的一项重大挑战，与全球健康、能源生产和经济发展密不可分。这些材料有可能通过增强吸附、选择性、光催化活性和动力学来改善水质；有助于遵守州和联邦饮用水法规；并降低处理成本。因此，本研究中提出的嵌入型沸石具有城市水处理以外的应用，并可用作发展中国家、美国偏远地区和工业的处理系统。UTSA是一所为少数族裔服务的机构，约有2.9万名学生，其中大约一半来自西班牙裔背景。这项拟议的工作促进了使用创新材料解决水污染问题的研究项目，同时培训了下一代科学家和工程师。它还创造了新的研究机会，同时鼓励研究生的参与。需要新的技术来继续推进饮用水处理；测试纳米嵌入沸石将允许向适合于柱操作的介质的应用发展，并探索纳米材料和纳米复合材料之间的表面相互作用和差异。如果这些复合材料可以再生和重复使用，那么除了饮用水处理之外，还有许多可能的环境应用，如油田或反渗透盐水的处理。

1650278ShipleyNanotechnology holds the potential to enable and advance water treatment. The overall goal of this project is to synthesize nano titania and nano titania/molybdenum disulfide nanosheet embedded zeolites using environmentally friendly and faster synthesis methods to remove selected water pollutants for future development of water treatment technologies for small individual and/or central, publicly owned treatment systems. The development of nanocomposites creates the potential for new pollutant treatment technologies due to their unique physiochemical properties. Their large surface area along with their distinct chemical advantages, such as ion selectivity and increased kinetics, make nanoparticles ideal sorbents, since even weak sorption onto the surface can occur. In addition, MoS2 is known for its photocatalytic activity, but few studies have investigated the advantage of this material in combination with TiO2. There can be drawbacks to using nanoparticles, however, due to problematic results such as separation during treatment processes and passage through to finished water. The proposed work will address these issues by engineering zeolites embedded with nano titania and nano titania/molybdenum disulfide nanosheets with specific properties, it is hypothesized that this will lead to enhanced pollutant removal due to the combined attributes of TiO2 and MoS2 nanosystems as well as a reduction in cost and potential toxicity, and improved separation during treatment. The results will determine the adsorption capacities, and photocatalytic activity of select pollutants. Compared to traditional water treatment sorbents, it is expected that this research will yield a new efficient and cost effective sorbent. SEM/FIB will be used to characterize the interface between the zeolite and nanomaterials to understand the stability of the nanoparticles and nanosheets embedded in the zeolites, to determine the changes in the surface morphology after adsorption, and to help assess the loading efficiencies. In the proposed effort, the objectives are to: 1) synthesize and characterize nano-TiO2 and nano-TiO2/ MoS2 embedded zeolites; 2) assess their adsorption capacities and photocatalytic activity through batch studies. These materials have the potential to improve water quality through enhanced adsorption, selectivity, and kinetics; help with compliance of state and federal drinking water regulations; and reduce treatment costs. The safety and availability of water are a National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenge inextricably linked to global health, energy production, and economic development. These materials have the potential to improve water quality through enhanced adsorption, selectivity, photocatalytic activity and kinetics; help with compliance of state and federal drinking water regulations; and reduce treatment costs. Hence, the embedded zeolites proposed in this study have applications outside of municipal water treatment and could be used as treatment systems in developing countries, remote regions of the U.S., and industry. UTSA is a minority serving institution with a population of about 29,000 students of which roughly half are from a Hispanic background. The proposed work promotes research projects that use innovative materials to address water contamination issues while training the next generation of scientists and engineers. It also creates new research opportunities while encouraging the involvement of graduate students. New technologies are needed to continue to advance potable water treatment; testing nano embedded zeolites will allow for advancement towards applications with media suitable for column operation and for exploring the surface interactions and differences between nanomaterials and the nano composites. If these composite can be regenerated and reused then there are many possible environmental applications beyond potable water treatment such as treatment of oilfield or reverse osmosis brine.