Research Initiation Award: Highly Stable Nanoparticle-Doped Metal-Organic Frameworks for Applications in Water Purification

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Research Initiation Awards provide support for junior and mid-career faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities who are building new research programs or redirecting and rebuilding existing programs. It is expected that the award helps to further the faculty member's research capability and effectiveness, improves research and teaching at the home institution, and involves undergraduate students in research experiences. The award to Virginia Union University will seek to determine the best synthetic protocols to analyze nanoparticle-doped meal-organic framework (NP@MOFs) systems for their water filtration and sanitation properties and to make structural modifications of these material based on observed performance. The proposed work explores the simultaneous elimination of biological and chemical contaminants in water through one composite system. The objectives are to investigate the impact of the encapsulation of metal nanoparticles inside water stable MOFs on water purification properties and determine the stability and recyclability of new and existing NP@MOF systems when used for water purification applications. The study will be done in four phases with efforts to offer a system which allows minimal diffusion of doped nanoparticles in the filtration process. The broader impacts of the proposed work will be the application of the proposed NP@MOF systems into an advanced mechanism for water filtration which is essential in underdeveloped civilizations and undeserved citizenry. Moreover, the proposed work will enhance the infrastructure of research at VUU, while creating opportunities and access to underrepresented students.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.