Recent focus on material synthesis and development at the nano-scale shows a clear shift from single material processing toward hierarchical assemblages.  Such ensembles of two or more pre-synthesized nanomaterials, known as nanohybrids (NHs), are primarily pursued to extract multifunctionality through alteration of their interfacial, electronic, and optical properties.  NHs are already at use in commercialized energy, electronics, and medical products, which warrant immediate attention for safety evaluation.  This talk focuses on NHs used as electrocatalysts in fuel cell technologies. Such electrocatalyst NHs are prepared with platinum (Pt), which is chemically reduced on niobium (Nb) doped semiconducting titania (TiNbOx) and distributed over multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) surfaces.  The TiNbOx-MWNTs are then characterized using STEM/EDX, TEM, and XRD. This talk will also present aggregation behavior and biological interaction of these NHs and their components.  The electrocatalyst NHs show significantly enhanced colloidal stability compared to its component MWNTs.  Also, the growth of fathead minnows is significantly reduced in presence of the NHs.  Novel emergent properties (such as altered mechanical stiffness, electronegativity, and reactivity) are identified and measured and are correlated with their manifested environmental behavior.  This talk also highlights other emergent properties of NHs and proposes strategies to evaluate environmental implications of this ever-expanding set of nanomaterial.

Emergent properties of nanohybrids and their potential environmental implications

248th National Meeting (2014)

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