Nanoscale Interaction of Engineered Quantum Dots with Cephem Skeleton

University Of Puerto Rico In Ponce, Ponce

Investigators

Abstract

Antibiotics are widely used to treat bacterial infections in humans and animals. They are also commonly used in agriculture and aquaculture to prevent and treat bacterial infections in livestock and fish. Unfortunately, the widespread use of antibiotics has led to an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria can spread from farms and aquaculture facilities to the surrounding environment through runoff, soil erosion, and other means. They have serious implications for human health, as antibiotic-resistant bacteria can cause infections that are difficult to treat with existing antibiotics. It is imperative to find new or improved ways to minimize the occurrence of antibiotics in water bodies and in the environment in general. Materials produced at the nanoscale are an alternative due to their unusual and tunable properties. Quantum dots are tiny particles that are so small they are measured in nanometers (billionths of a meter). They are often used in a process called photocatalytic degradation where light produces species that break pollutants or harmful substances (i.e., antibiotics, dyes, among others) into smaller, less harmful components. This research project will study the interaction of iron-doped zinc sulfide quantum dots with antibiotics. These quantum dots will have magnetic characteristics that will permit easy recovery using magnets. The photodegradation derivatives will be analyzed and identified using a separation technique. Overall, the importance of this research project lies in the potential to enable the design of devices to treat contaminated surface water. Undergraduate students involved in the research will acquire invaluable knowledge and experience that will be disseminated in local and national conferences as well as in peer-reviewed articles. Antibiotics are ubiquitous in surface water because they are broadly used in human health, agriculture, and food production. The presence of antibiotics in water resources presents three significant problems: (i) occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes in aquatic life, (ii) reduction of overall microbial diversity, including taxa responsible for carbon cycling and primary productivity, and (iii) reproductive problems and muscle weaknesses in human populations by chronic ingestion of contaminated drinking water. Alternative approaches must be found to destroy these pseudo-persistent substances and avoid their accumulation in aquatic matrices. The long-term goal of this research project is to create doped quantum dots, producing engineered nanostructures with enhanced capacity to produce reactive oxygen species which can destroy antibiotics. The specific objective of this project is to create new energetic states into crystalline nanostructures through the achievement of three aims. Aim one is to generate novel nanomaterials with enhanced optical properties and magnetic characteristics. Aim two is to measure the nanoscale interaction of engineered quantum dots and antibiotics that have cephem skeleton, by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. The third Aim is to determine derivative products after nanoscale interaction of light-activated doped-quantum dots and antibiotics. The generation of doped quantum dots will provide a fast and efficient photocatalytic degradation technique for drugs. Furthermore, using a dopant agent with magnetic properties will offer a quick recuperation and reuse of these nanomaterials, unveiling new and fascinating scientific and technological possibilities for designing devices to treat contaminated surface water. The activities of this project will strengthen the research community within the University of Puerto Rico at Ponce, contributing to the development and consolidation of competitive and innovative investigation areas. Results from the research will be disseminated through peer-review publications, interdisciplinary conferences, and workshops. Undergraduate students incorporated into this project will acquire the scientific knowledge and educational skills to be proficient in conducting research and in presenting their research outcomes to the scientific community. In addition, these students will gain knowledge and research experience which will yield useful skills for successfully navigating their undergraduate tenure as well as their future careers in STEM fields. This project is jointly funded by the Nanoscale Interactions Program within CBET and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.