Structure-Property Studies of Novel Multifunctionally-Doped Core-Shell-Shell Nanomaterials for Improving Efficiency and Stability in Decontamination of Environmental Pollutants

1134289Asefa由纳米技术环境健康与安全项目授予的NSF奖项支持Tewodros Asefa教授开发和研究新型TiO2和zno基核-壳-壳纳米粒子（直径为人类头发直径的万分之一的粒子），能够在阳光下有效地光分解或将环境和废水中的常见有机污染物转化为无害甚至有用的物质，如二氧化碳和水。成功完成拟议的工作，不仅会产生对环境净化有用的坚固材料，而且还会产生易于回收和可循环利用的多种用途材料。在美国和世界各地清洁水短缺的情况下，这种材料将有助于回收废水。这些研究结果也将为未来的研究方向提供新的多功能掺杂高效纳米材料的合成方法，以有效地光降解废水中的有机污染物。这个项目吗?S的社会效益包括推进系统的、成本更低的合成方法，以创造能够直接利用太阳能从废水中清除环境中普遍存在的污染物的材料。该项目还将允许培训一些博士后研究人员和研究生和本科生，他们将参与PI实验室的研究项目。这些学生，包括那些来自科学和工程领域代表性不足的群体的学生，将接受各种合成方法的培训，包括纳米材料的合成、表征、光催化和环境修复中使用的科学/工程方法。此外，该项目负责人还将在他在新泽西州立大学罗格斯分校的纳米科学、材料化学和纳米技术专业的本科和研究生课程中使用他提出的研究成果。该项目还将使PI能够在夏季学期继续通过罗格斯大学州长学校项目让高中高年级学生参与研究。此外，PI将利用研究项目的结果在演讲中向参加科学博览会的普通观众教授纳米科学和纳米技术的潜在含义，以及在罗格斯大学的发现日活动中。PI将进一步利用这些机会，吸引学生对科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）领域的兴趣，并改变学生（和家长）对科学和工程学科的看法。

1134289Asefa This NSF award by the Environmental Health and Safety of Nanotechnology program supports work by Professor Tewodros Asefa to develop and investigate new classes of TiO2- and ZnO-based core-shell-shell nanoparticles (particles with one ten-thousandth the diameter of a human hair in size) capable of efficiently photo-decomposing or converting in the presence of sunlight common organic pollutants in the environment and in waste water into harmless or even useful substances such as CO2 and H2O. The successful accomplishment of the proposed work will result in not only robust materials useful for environmental decontamination but also easily recoverable and recyclable materials for multiple uses. Such materials will be useful for recycling waste water at a time of shortages of clean water at various locations in the U.S. and around the world. The research findings should also inform future research directions in synthetic approaches to novel multifunctionally-doped efficient nanomaterials for efficient photodegradation of organic pollutants in waste water. The project?s societal benefits include advancement of systematic, less costly synthetic methods to create materials capable of cleaning environmentally prevalent pollutants from waste water with the direct use of solar energy. The project will also allow the training of a number of post-doctoral researchers and graduate and undergraduate students who will be involved in the research project in the PI's lab. These students, including those from groups underrepresented in sciences and engineering fields, will be trained in a variety of synthetic methods involving nanomaterials synthesis, their characterization, photocatalysis, and scientific/engineering approaches utilized in environmental remediation. Furthermore, the PI will use results from the proposed work in his undergraduate and graduate course offerings in nanoscience, materials chemistry and nanotechnology at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. This project will also enable the PI to continue to involve high school senior students in research through Rutgers' Governor's School program during the summer semester. In addition, the PI will use the results of the research project in presentations to teach the potential implications of nanoscience and nanotechnology for general audiences attending Science Fairs, as well as in Discovery Day activities at Rutgers. The PI will further use these opportunities to draw students' interest into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and to change students' (and parents') perceptions about science and engineering disciplines.