RII Track-4: The Molecular Nature of Environmentally Persistent Free Radicals on Nanoparticles

University Of South Carolina At Columbia, Columbia SC

Investigators

Abstract

Non-technical Description Many physical and chemical processes with important environmental, human health, and economic implications rely on surface interactions. Examples include materials production; the formation, destruction, and remediation of contaminants; cloud formation; and host-pathogen interactions. Explaining the nature and processes occurring on surfaces is necessary to control, modify, and use them to achieve further scientific knowledge and economic advantage. One environmental issue that depends on surface interactions is the formation of environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs). EPFRs are present in significant amount in atmospheric particles, forming when byproducts emitted from the burning of waste and fuels interact with metal-containing nanoparticles. Unlike previously identified atmospheric free radicals, which exist for only a fraction of a second, EPFRs can persist for several months, allowing them to be transported over a wider area from their source. Health risks associated with inhaled particles that contain EPFRs include a variety of cardiovascular and respiratory dysfunctions as well as an increased susceptibility to infection. These concerns, in conjunction with the trends and predicted impact of nanotechnology in the coming years, present an urgent need to address and fill the critical knowledge gaps about EPFR formation. Understanding the structure and nature of EPFRs is a key step towards improving strategies to mitigate their adverse health impacts, which will enhance public health and quality of life. Access to instrumentation available at National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHFML; located at Florida State University) will allow detailed characterization of EPFRs, enabling a greater understanding of the mechanisms by which they interact with other chemcials and potentially impact human health. This collaboration with scientists at NHMFL is important to the PI's current and future research at the University of South Carolina at Coumbia. Technical Description Elucidating the physical and chemical interactions occurring on surfaces of nanoparticles will provide wider avenues of research about aerosol science, chemistry, and catalysis that will be key to collaboratively addressing critical environmental and human health questions. The overarching theme of this research is to understand the various ways these surface processes impact society, including the formation of persistent contaminants catalyzed by manufactured nanoparticles, the interaction of nanoparticles with volatile contaminants, the synthesis of nanocatalysts for environmental remediation and energy production, and the development of specialized nanoparticles for mitigating influenza infection. The facilities at the NHMFL will provide an excellent research environment for this fellowship. NHMFL is equipped with state-of-the-science equipment for characterizing and analyzing nanoscale surfaces and for determining complex chemical structures. Using a combination of advanced electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy techniques available at the NHMFL, the research goals are to identify the molecular structures of surface-bound organic EPFRs and elucidate the mechanisms of EPFRs. The fellowship's goals will not only address an existing critical need, that is, to investigate the environmental and human health risks associated with EPFRs, but also enhance the PI's capabilities for other current and future projects.