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Applications of metal nanoparticles in environmental cleanup
Citation:
Kanel, S. R., C. SU, U. Patel, AND A. Agrawal. Applications of metal nanoparticles in environmental cleanup. First Edition, Chapter 10, Sharmila M. Mukhopadhyay (ed.), Nanoscale Multifunctional Materials: Science and Application, ISBN: 9780470508916. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ, , 271-319, (2011).
Impact/Purpose:
Book chapter for Nanoscale Multifuntional Materials: Science and Application
Description:
Iron nanoparticles (INPs) are one of the fastest-developing fields. INPs have a number of key physicochemical properties, such as high surface area, reactivity, optical and magnetic properties, and oxidation and reduction capacities, that make them attractive for water purification. INPs are much more effective than that of conventional ZVI. The INP surface can be modified for groundwater treatment. The surface area of S-INPs is about three times higher than INPs. This led to increased removal of contaminants. The nano iron and INPs are not mobile and thus have limited use. Hence, surface-modified INPs have been developed and tested for removal of arsenic and TCE. The S-INPs can be used as a chemical reactive barrier (CRB) material to treat deep groundwater contaminants. Although there are some studies to test S-INPs as a CRB material in column experiments, more research on the pilot and field scales is needed in the future. Groundwater remediation through bimetallic catalysts is amore effective and desirable approach than monometallic catalysts For example, palladium-on-gold nanoparticles (Pd/Au NPs) have recently been shown to catalyze the hydrodechlorination of trichloroethene in water, at room temperature, and in the presence of hydrogen, with the most active Pd/Au material found to be ≥70 times more active than Pd supported on alumina on a per-Pd atom basis [36]. Laboratory-synthesized nanoscale bimetallic particles (Pd/Fe, Pd/Zn, Pt/Fe, Ni/Fe) have a larger surface area than those of commercially available microscale metal particles. Surface area normalized reactivity constants are about 100 times higher than those of microscale iron particles. Production of chlorinated by-products, frequently reported in studies with iron particles, is reduced notably, due to the presence of catalyst. The nanoparticle technology offers great opportunities for both fundamental research and technological applications in environmental engineering and science. New INPs suitable for in situ and ex situ applications in water treatment will definitely attract further special attention in the forthcoming years.
