NER: Engineering Smart Nanoparticle-Polymer Composites for Environmental Remediation

摘要提案标题：NER：工程智能纳米颗粒聚合物复合材料的环境修复建议编号：CTS-0508309主要研究员：玛雅Trotz机构：南佛罗里达大学这一建议是在响应纳米科学和工程倡议，NSF 04-043，类别NER。 该项目旨在探索混合材料的产生，其中催化无机纳米颗粒被限制在热响应交联聚合物的亚微米胶体颗粒内。将研究这种新型杂化材料在水环境污染物修复中的应用。聚合物微球的透明性和凝胶内的水性环境使其成为理想的相，以分散和悬浮颗粒，用于污染物的化学和光化学转化。聚合物微球在低温下遇水溶胀，在高温下排水。这种热相分离响应与凝胶的亚微米（100-1000 nm）尺寸相结合将使得能够采用简单的分离方法来回收聚合物-颗粒纳米复合材料用于再循环。铁和二氧化钛等纳米颗粒将受到研究，因为它们代表了用于催化环境化合物的常见表面类型。策略将包括通过前体阳离子的扩散和还原以及结晶二氧化钛在聚合物基质内的成核和生长在微凝胶内合成金属纳米颗粒;在金属或金属氧化物纳米颗粒的水溶液中的微凝胶聚合。 将形成的混合微凝胶的物理和化学性质的特点和他们的环境修复性能进行评估。 拟议项目的更广泛影响将通过侧重于教育、传播和外联部分来实现。PI将利用学生，教师和科学资源（STARS）计划和佛罗里达工程教育交付系统（FEEDS），以促进教育推广的现实目标。 该项目可能导致废水的有效工业处理和水系统的净化。

AbstractProposal Title: NER: Engineering Smart Nanoparticle-polymer Composites for Environmental RemediationProposal Number: CTS-0508309Principal Investigator: Maya TrotzInstitution: University of South FloridaThis proposal was received in response to Nanoscale Science and Engineering initiative, NSF 04-043, category NER. This project aims to explore the generation of hybrid materials where the catalytic, inorganic nanoparticles are confined within sub-micron colloidal particles of a thermally-responsive, cross-linked polymer. Application of this novel, hybrid material to remediation of aqueous environmental contaminants will be studied. The transparency of the polymeric microspheres and the aqueous environment within the gel make it an ideal phase to immobilize and suspend particles for chemical and photochemical transformations of contaminants. The polymer microspheres swell with water at low temperatures and expel water at high temperatures. This thermal phase separation response in combination with the sub-micron (100-1000 nm) size of the gel will enable simple separation approaches to recover the polymer-particle nanocomposites for recycling. Nanoparticles such as iron and titanium dioxide will be investigated since they represent common types of surfaces used in the catalysis of compounds of environmental concern. Strategies will include the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles within the microgels by diffusion and reduction of precursor cations and the nucleation and growth of the crystalline titanium dioxide within the polymeric matrix; microgel polymerization in aqueous solutions of the metallic or metal oxide nanoparticles. Physical and chemical properties of the hybrid microgels formed will be characterized and their performance for environmental remediation will be assessed. A broader impact of the proposed project will be achieved by focusing on educational, dissemination, and outreach components. The PIs will utilize the Student, Teachers and Resources in the Sciences (STARS) Program and the Florida Engineering Education Delivery System (FEEDS) to foster a realistic goal to educational outreach. This project may lead to an effective industrial treatment of waste water and decontamination of water systems.