Aerosol Science and Engineering Enabling Applications in Environmental Nanotechnology
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Presenter
Pratim Biswas
Pratim Biswas, Ph.D.
The Lucy and Stanley Lopata Professor
Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering
Washington University in St. Louis
Abstract: There has been a recent resurgence in interest due to the ability to synthesize and manipulate nanoscale materials for a variety of applications, including in electronics, magneto-optoelectronics, biomedicine, pharmaceutical, various consumer products, energy and environment. Gas phase aerosol methodologies allow the synthesis of nanomaterials with very strict control on size, shape/morphology, composition and crystallinity. The talk will describe aerosol routes for synthesis of nanomaterials with a detailed description of the dynamic growth processes. Online instrumentation that promote the feasibility of controlled synthesis will be described. The ability to synthesize such particles has enabled explore new application areas. This talk will focus on environmental applications – both positive and potentially negative. The use of nanomaterials in environmental technologies for remediation of various pollutants and conversion of carbon dioxide will be discussed. While nanotechnology has great potential to improve overall environmental quality, there are concerns that it may also lead to a new class of hazards due to their enhanced toxicity. The use of these nanomaterials to enable nanotoxicology studies will be discussed.