Magnesium Nanoparticles: Earth-Abundant and Biocompatible Thermoplasmonics (MagNanoThermo)

光就是能量。例如，太阳能电池可以利用太阳光，将光转化为电能，进而为大大小小的设备提供动力。然而，这是一个相当低效的过程，不同的应用可以不同地使用光。有效利用光的一种方法是通过光热材料，将光转化为热。热量是化石燃料的一个重要用户：例如，工业过程消耗大量的化石燃料。据报道，全球4.2%的能源用于制造基本的无机、有机和农用化学品。在这17万亿Btu中，78%来自液体燃料、天然气和煤炭，导致温室气体排放。[1]这些燃料中有很大一部分被用来加热化学反应，而自由、绿色和充足的阳光可以通过光热材料提供所需的能量。热也可以治愈：注入癌细胞附近的光热材料可以被其他不相互作用的红外线激发，导致局部温度上升(约10摄氏度)，足以在不进行任何手术或化疗的情况下杀死癌细胞。这项提议的目标是开发一种新型的生物兼容光热材料，这种材料基于地壳中含量第八丰富的元素镁。我们之前已经证明，微小的镁颗粒在空气中是稳定的，并且与光有很强的相互作用。镁和金和银一样，非常善于吸收光线，因为它的相互作用不同于简单的“黑色”材料。事实上，这些纳米粒子就像是光的天线，因此吸收的光比它们的物理足迹更多。这种现象是真正的纳米级的；它涉及到微小金属颗粒中电子的光驱动振荡，被称为局域表面等离子体共振。在这个项目的两年时间里，我们首先致力于开发出适合工业规模生产的大量镁纳米结构的方法。然后，我们将展示它们高效地从光中产生热量的能力，并将研究如何将颗粒大小与特定应用最佳匹配，无论是阳光匹配应用还是医疗应用。在项目结束时，我们将能够与工业伙伴接触，讨论这些新的绿色技术的进一步开发和商业化。[1]能源信息管理局，政府出版物办公室，《国际能源展望：2016年》，预计到2040年。美国政府印刷局：2016年。

Light is energy. Sunlight can be harnessed by solar cells, for instance, turning light into electricity, which can, in turn, be used to power big and small devices. This is, however, a rather inefficient process and light can be used differently for various applications. One way to efficiently use light is through a photothermal material, which converts light into heat. Heat is an important user of fossil fuels: industrial processes for instance consume vast quantities of fossil fuels. It has been reported that 4.2% of worldwide delivered energy is consumed manufacturing basic inorganic, organic, and agricultural chemicals. Of this 17 quadrillion Btu, 78% comes from liquid fuels, natural gas, and coal, leading to greenhouse gas emissions. [1] A substantial fraction of these fuels are used to heat up chemical reactions, while free, green, and abundant sunshine could instead provide the required energy via a photothermal material.Heat also heals: photothermal materials injected near cancer cells can be excited by an otherwise non-interacting infrared light, leading to local temperature rise (of the order of 10s of degrees) sufficient to kill cancer cells without any surgery or chemotherapy. This proposal targets the development of a new class of biocompatible photothermal material based on the 8th most abundant element in earth's crust, magnesium. We have shown previously that small particles of magnesium are stable in air and interact strongly with light. Magnesium, like gold and silver, is extraordinarily good at absorbing light because its interaction is different than that of simple "black" materials. Indeed, these nanoparticles act like antenna for light and consequently absorb more light than their physical footprint. This phenomenon is truly nanoscale; it involves the light-driven oscillation of electrons in small metallic particles and is called localized surface plasmon resonance.In the two years of this project, we first aim to develop ways to make large quantities of magnesium nanostructures, suitable for industrial-scale production. We will then demonstrate their ability to efficiently produce heat from light, and will study how to best match the particle size to the specific application, for both sunlight-matched and medical applications. At the end of the project, we will be in a position to approach industrial partners to discuss further development and commercialization of these new green technologies.[1] Energy Information Administration, Government Publications Office, International Energy Outlook: 2016 with Projections to 2040. U.S. Government Printing Office: 2016.