Characterizing transformations of nanomaterials during release into the environment is difficult due to the aggregation, agglomeration, and particle loss associated with recovery of these materials. Comparisons of the reactivity on surfaces and in solution also need to be better characterized to be understood. These difficulties limit our ability to fully understand the impacts of nanomaterials released into the environment. We utilize functionalized SiO2 surfaces to self-assemble a sub-monolayer of nanoparticles on the surface. This approach allows us to view transformations in situ. Direct visualization and manipulation of silver and gold nanoparticles allow us to determine effects of exposure to various chemical environments. We were able to show that silver is oxidized and reduced environmentally, and both macro- and nano-sources generated nanoparticles in humid environments. We were also able to show the impacts of manipulating the ligand shells of gold nanoparticles. Using this approach we have been able to visualize changes to these dynamic systems before and after environmentally relevant treatments.

Versatile platform for investigating environmentally driven nanoparticle transformations

243rd National Meeting (2012)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.