A Combustion Ion Chromatograph for Characterization of Nanoparticles and Emerging Halogenated Pollutants

燃烧离子色谱(CIC)系统，用于对环境水和固体样品中新出现的污染物进行创新表征，并对纳米材料涂层进行表征，这些涂层在水处理、环境修复、医学成像、神经科学和绿色化学中有应用。所要求的仪器还将用于研究从各种消费品释放到环境中的纳米材料表面成分的变化，以更好地了解释放到环境中的纳米材料的环境命运和潜在毒性。CIC系统氧化气态产物中的固体和液体样品，然后将其溶解在水溶液中，并用离子色谱进行分析。CIC系统尤其能够检测卤素和硫，否则很难测量。该系统将使我们能够表征纳米颗粒涂料中的卤化和磺化物种，这些物种显著改变了它们与医学成像、催化、水处理以及环境行为相关的化学性质。在没有仪器的情况下，这种定性是耗时和具有挑战性的，CIC将能够确定申请人目前工作中基本上缺少的重要参数，否则无法实现这些参数。将得到支持的研究非常及时和重要，涉及评估持久性和有毒的多氟烷基有机化学品对环境和健康的影响，这些化学品已在人类、野生动物和环境中广泛检测到，并在魁北克Lac-Mégantic(魁北克)脱轨事故期间作为灭火化学品的组成部分引入环境。拟议的工具将大大提高HQP的培训和研究质量，以维持未来加拿大劳动力在环境工程、环境化学、纳米技术和绿色化学领域的竞争力。申请的仪器将用于六个申请者正在进行的九个合作项目，并将增强28名研究生的研究和创新能力。

A Combustion Ion Chromatography (CIC) system for innovative characterization of emerging pollutants in environmental aqueous and solid samples, and for characterization of coatings of nanomaterials for which have applications in water treatment, environmental remediation, for medical imaging, neuroscience and green chemistry. The requested instrument will also be used to study the changes in the composition of nanomaterials surfaces discharged to the environment after release from various consumer products, to better understand the environmental fate and potential for toxicity of nanomaterials released to the environment. The CIC system oxidizes solid and liquid samples in gaseous products which are then dissolved in an aqueous solution and analysed by ion chromatography. The CIC system, in particular enables detection of halogens and sulfur, which are otherwise very difficult to measure. The system will allow us to characterize halogenated and sulfonated species in nanoparticle coatings that significantly alter their chemical properties relevant to medical imaging, catalysis, water treatment and as well their environmental behaviour. Such characterization is time consuming and challenging without the availability of the instrument, and the CIC will enable determination of important parameters that have been largely missing in the applicants' current work, and cannot be achieved otherwise. The research to be supported is extremely timely and significant, and involves the assessment of environmental and health implications of persistent and toxic polyfluoroalkyl organic chemicals that have been widely detected in humans, wildlife and the environment, as well as introduced into the environment as a constituent of fire-fighting chemicals during the Lac-Mégantic (Quebec) derailment accident. The proposed instrument will substantially enhance the training and quality of research of HQP to sustain the competitiveness of future Canadian workforce in the field of environmental engineering, environmental chemistry, nanotechnology and green chemistry. The instrument requested will be used in nine ongoing collaborative projects of the six applicants, and will enhance the research and innovation capacity of 28 graduate students.