Sorption and desorption behavior of organic nanoparticles on iron oxide minerals

Abstract

Nanoparticles are the new wave of technology revolutionizing industrial processes. Their size, structure, and shape are tuned to obtain desirable properties to improve energy efficiency, drug delivery, bio-imaging, environmental remediation, and electronic components. As their industrial use increases, the probability of environmental release also increases. Understanding their physical and chemical properties and interactions with natural materials is important to leverage any positive environmental impacts or minimize potential negative ones. This research includes an examination of how two graphene quantum dot (GQD) and two PAMAM dendrimer nanoparticles bind to different iron oxide minerals. Specifically, the adsorption and desorption reactions between the nanoparticles with two different iron oxides (Ferrihydrite and Hematite) under environmentally significant pH conditions was studied. This thesis includes the effect of nanoparticles' properties to their reactions with iron oxides and the effect of pH on the reaction of nanoparticles.