Production of reactive oxygen species from zero-valent iron nanomaterials

ENVR 249

Quan Sun, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2025, Australia, Steven E. Mylon, mylons@lafayette.edu, Department of Chemistry, Lafayette College, Easton, PA 18042, and T. David Waite, d.waite@unsw.edu.au, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, Australia.
Zero-valent iron nanomaterials (nZVI) have demonstrated a great deal of potential as decontaminants for a variety of toxic compounds. Commonly this mechanism exploits the reductive capability of nZVI. Use of nZVI in contaminated systems has overlooked the potential effects of these engineered nanomaterials in the event of a release into oxic aquatic systems. In these cases, these materials have the potential to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can be highly toxic to aquatic micro-organisms. We demonstrate the oxidative capability of nZVI through experiments using the model compounds p-hydroxybenzoic acid and formic acid. The potential for enhancing ROS generation using Ni- and Pd-doped nZVI is also examined as is the use of functionalized nZVI. Under oxic conditions, these particles produce H2O2 and Fe(II) upon the initial oxidation of Fe(0) which, as the key components of Fenton's reagent, result in the formation of hydroxyl radicals which are capable of oxidation of our model substrates.
 

Environmental Behavior and Fate of Manufactured Nanomaterials
6:00 PM-8:00 PM, Wednesday, April 9, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster

Division of Environmental Chemistry

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008