Collaborative Research: Chemically Modified, Plasma-Nanoengineered Graphene Nanopetals for Spontaneous, Self-Powered and Efficient Oil Contamination Remediation

海上石油生产或海上运输过程中的溢油和泄漏对水生态系统造成长期损害，并造成宝贵资源的损失。因此，迫切需要有效的策略来捕获和处理这些释放。重力驱动的虹吸管允许液体在不同阶段之间传输。虹吸管已被用于各种应用，并在采油方面具有前景。然而，虹吸管设备通常存在一些显著的问题，如除油速率低、稳定性差、虹吸管中断后无法自启动等。该项目的目标是开发一种基于新型化学改性石墨烯材料的新型撇油技术。石墨烯的疏水性有望带来高的修复效率。在计算分子模拟的指导下，实验将为油与石墨烯纳米通道的相互作用提供基本的理解。本研究的成功完成将有助于指导自发、自供电和连续的石油修复系统的设计，并显著提高效率。这样的系统将通过减轻溢油对环境和人类健康的影响，对社会产生广泛的影响。该研究项目的总体目标是了解油和石墨烯纳米通道之间相互作用的本质。这将通过实验来实现，该实验旨在阐明等离子纳米工程的垂直立式石墨烯花瓣（GP）撇油器的纳米通道几何形状和表面功能化的协同效应的控制机制。在分子模拟结果的指导下，研究人员将设计并演示一种基于化学修饰的GPs的撇油器系统，该系统具有可控的形态，可用于自发、自供电和高效的溢油修复。从这项研究中获得的知识将为开发独特的石墨烯材料提供见解，以解决紧迫的石油污染问题。设计原则还将加速石墨烯材料在其他环境应用中的更广泛应用，如海水淡化、废水处理、土壤和大气污染的预防和修复。该项目还将包括重要的教育活动，包括针对当地K-12学生、教师和本科生的研究项目。社会将受益于学生获得相关知识和技能，以多样化和培养未来的STEM劳动力。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Spills and leakage of oil during offshore oil production or marine transportation cause both long-term damage to water ecosystems and loss of valuable resources. Thus, efficient strategies for capturing and treating such releases are urgently required. Gravity-driven siphons allow the transport of liquids between phases. Siphons have been utilized for various applications and hold promise for oil recovery. However, siphon devices generally suffer from significant issues such as low oil removal flow rate, poor stability, and inability to self-restart after disruption of the siphon. The goal of this project is to develop a novel oil skimming technology based on a new chemically modified graphene material. The hydrophobic nature of graphene is expected to result in high remediation efficiency. Experiments guided by computational molecular simulations will provide fundamental understanding of the interaction of oil with graphene nanochannels. Successful completion of this research will help guide the design of spontaneous, self-powered, and continuous oil remediation systems with significantly enhanced efficiency. Such systems would have broad-reaching impact on society by alleviating environmental and human health impacts of spilled oil. The overall goal of this research project is to understand the nature of interaction between oil and graphene nanochannels. This will be achieved through experiments designed to elucidate the mechanisms governing the synergistic effects of the nanochannel geometry and surface functionalization of plasma-nanoengineered, vertically standing graphene petal (GP) oil skimmers. Guided by molecular simulation results, researchers will design and demonstrate an oil skimmer system based on chemically modified GPs with controlled morphologies for spontaneous, self-powered, and highly efficient oil spill remediation. The knowledge learned from this research will offer insights into developing unique graphene materials to address pressing oil pollution issues. The design principles will also accelerate broader applications of graphene materials to other environmental applications such as seawater desalination, wastewater treatment, and soil and air pollution prevention and remediation. The project will also include significant educational activities, including research programs for local K-12 students, teachers, and undergraduates. Society will benefit from students acquiring relevant knowledge and skills to diversify and train the STEM workforce of the future.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.