Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Nanotechnology has now emerged as a important research branch leading to potentially major breakthoughs in many areas of economic and social benefit. The ability to make materials that can execute specific tasks is one of the main objectives in materials science research. The manipulation of matter at the "nanoscale" (length scale approaching that of molecules), is now recognized as an excellent approach to make materials (known as nanomaterials) whose reactivity can be precisely tuned. In this research, we aim to prepare highly efficient nanomaterials that can be used to improve the health of the environment, as well as to make certain industrial processes more efficient. Our general approach is to prepare "sponge-like" nanomaterials that contain numerous pore channels with nano-sized openings. Using the tools of chemistry, the surface of these pore channels will be modified to make the materials active for specific environmental and industrial tasks. Some of our specific environmental goals include the design of nanomaterials that can remove toxic compounds such as heavy metals and pesticides from water systems, and to clean up toxic gas emissions from mine smelters. We will also design nanomaterials that can improve the efficiency of converting ores into metal products, so that these processes become less energy-intensive and less polluting.