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(Super)paramagnetic nanoparticles as platform materials for environmental applications: From synthesis to demonstration

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Abstract

Over the past few decades, engineered, (super)paramagnetic nanoparticles have drawn extensive research attention for a broad range of applications based on their tunable size and shape, surface chemistries, and magnetic properties. This review summaries our recent work on the synthesis, surface modification, and environmental application of (super)paramagnetic nanoparticles. By utilizing hightemperature thermo-decomposition methods, first, we have broadly demonstrated the synthesis of highly monodispersed, (super)paramagnetic nanoparticles, via the pyrolysis of metal carboxylate salts in an organic phase. Highly uniform magnetic nanoparticles with various size, composition, and shape can be precisely tuned by controlled reaction parameters, such as the initial precursors, heating rate, final reaction temperature, reaction time, and the additives. These materials can be further rendered water stable via functionalization with surface mono/bi-layer coating structure using a series of tunable ionic/non-ionic surfactants. Finally, we have demonstrated platform potential of these materials for heavy metal ions sensing, sorption, and separation from the aqueous phase.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by American Chemical Society’s Petroleum Research Fund (#52640-DNI10), the US National Science Foundation (CBET, #1236653 and #1437820), and US Army Corps of Engineers (W912HZ-13-2-0009-P00001).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA

    Wenlu Li & John D. Fortner

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  1. Wenlu Li
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  2. John D. Fortner
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Correspondence to John D. Fortner.

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Dr. Wenlu Li received his Ph.D. degree in environmental engineering from Washington University in St. Louis. He then continued the postdoctoral research at Washington University. Currently, he is working with Dr. Fortner as a research scientist at Yale University. His research interests focus on the environmental application and implication of advanced nanomaterials.

Professor John Fortner is an associate professor at Yale University within the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering. His research program focused on developing and advancing water-related technologies and understanding/engineering interfacial processes, typically at the nanoscale, as they relate to environmental-based health, security, and energy challenges. Fortner held postdoctoral fellowships at Rice University and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ). He obtained a B.S. from Texas A&M University and Ph.D. from Rice University.

Highlights

• The fabrication of monodisperse, (super)paramagnetic nanoparticles is summarized.

• Monolayer and bilayer surface coating structures are described.

• Mono/bilayer coated nanoparticles showed high sorption capacities for U, As, and Cr.

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Li, W., Fortner, J.D. (Super)paramagnetic nanoparticles as platform materials for environmental applications: From synthesis to demonstration. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng. 14, 77 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-020-1256-7

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