A safer formulation concept for flame-generated engineered nanomaterials

Samuel Gass, Georgios Pyrgiotakis, Joel M. Cohen, Georgios A. Sotiriou, Sotiris E. Pratsinis, Philip Demokritou

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Engineering less toxic nanomaterials that maintain valuable functional properties is crucial to the sustainability of the nanotech industry. Herein, a safer formulation concept for flame-generated nanomaterials based on the encapsulation of potentially toxic nanomaterials by a biologically inert nanothin amorphous SiO 2 layer was explored. The core-shell particles maintain specific properties of their core material but exhibit surface properties of their SiO 2 shell. The SiO 2-coating was performed using a previously developed flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) based Versatile Engineered Nanomaterial Generation System (VENGES) in which core ENMs are coated in-flight by the swirl injection of hexamethyldisoloxane (HMDSO). The versatility of the proposed SiO 2-coating process was demonstrated on a number of ENMs (CeO 2, Fe 2O 3, ZnO, Ag) marked by their prevalence in consumer products as well as their range in toxicity. Furthermore, the fundamentals of the SiO 2-coating process were investigated for each ENM. State of the art analytical methods were used to assess the core material structure, composition and morphology (XRD, BET, and TEM). The coating efficiency for each ENM was also assessed by XPS and Chemisorption. Moreover, the effect of the SiO 2-coating on the mobility and aggregation potential of ENMs in water, biological media and air were explored using state of the art analytical methods and instrumentation (DLS, SMPS). Finally, the effect of the SiO 2 coating on the particle-cellular interactions was investigated using a variety of cellular lines (A459, THP1, and human primary monocyte-derived macrophages) and cellular toxicological assays (MTT, LDH and Live/Dead). Results confirmed that the SiO 2 coating of ENMs can significantly reduce the toxicity of the the core material. This method can be scaled up by the nanotechnology industry and used to mediate environmental healh and safety issues related to flame generated ENMs.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationTechnical Proceedings of the 2012 NSTI Nanotechnology Conference and Expo, NSTI-Nanotech 2012
Pages323-326
Number of pages4
StatePublished - 2012
Externally publishedYes
EventNanotechnology 2012: Bio Sensors, Instruments, Medical, Environment and Energy - 2012 NSTI Nanotechnology Conference and Expo, NSTI-Nanotech 2012 - Santa Clara, CA, United States
Duration: Jun 18 2012Jun 21 2012

Publication series

NameTechnical Proceedings of the 2012 NSTI Nanotechnology Conference and Expo, NSTI-Nanotech 2012

Other

OtherNanotechnology 2012: Bio Sensors, Instruments, Medical, Environment and Energy - 2012 NSTI Nanotechnology Conference and Expo, NSTI-Nanotech 2012
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySanta Clara, CA
Period6/18/126/21/12

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Ceramics and Composites
  • Surfaces, Coatings and Films

Keywords

  • Core-shell nanoparticles
  • ENM
  • FSP
  • Mitigating toxicity
  • Nanotoxicology
  • SiO coating

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