Nanotechnology Now

Our NanoNews Digest Sponsors







Heifer International

Wikipedia Affiliate Button


Home > Press > Another tiny miracle: Graphene oxide soaks up radioactive waste: Rice, Moscow State universities collaborate on solution to toxic groundwater woes

A new method for removing radioactive material from solutions is the result of collaboration between Rice University and Lomonosov Moscow State University. The vial at left holds microscopic particles of graphene oxide in a solution. At right, graphene oxide is added to simulated nuclear waste, which quickly clumps for easy removal. (Credit: Anna Yu. Romanchuk/Lomonosov Moscow State University)
A new method for removing radioactive material from solutions is the result of collaboration between Rice University and Lomonosov Moscow State University. The vial at left holds microscopic particles of graphene oxide in a solution. At right, graphene oxide is added to simulated nuclear waste, which quickly clumps for easy removal.

(Credit: Anna Yu. Romanchuk/Lomonosov Moscow State University)

Abstract:
Graphene oxide has a remarkable ability to quickly remove radioactive material from contaminated water, researchers at Rice University and Lomonosov Moscow State University have found.

Another tiny miracle: Graphene oxide soaks up radioactive waste: Rice, Moscow State universities collaborate on solution to toxic groundwater woes

Houston, TX | Posted on January 8th, 2013

A collaborative effort by the Rice lab of chemist James Tour and the Moscow lab of chemist Stepan Kalmykov determined that microscopic, atom-thick flakes of graphene oxide bind quickly to natural and human-made radionuclides and condense them into solids. The flakes are soluble in liquids and easily produced in bulk.

The experimental results were reported in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics.

The discovery, Tour said, could be a boon in the cleanup of contaminated sites like the Fukushima nuclear plants damaged by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. It could also cut the cost of hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") for oil and gas recovery and help reboot American mining of rare earth metals, he said.

Graphene oxide's large surface area defines its capacity to adsorb toxins, Kalmykov said. "So the high retention properties are not surprising to us," he said. "What is astonishing is the very fast kinetics of sorption, which is key."

"In the probabilistic world of chemical reactions where scarce stuff (low concentrations) infrequently bumps into something with which it can react, there is a greater likelihood that the ‘magic' will happen with graphene oxide than with a big old hunk of bentonite," said Steven Winston, a former vice president of Lockheed Martin and Parsons Engineering and an expert in nuclear power and remediation who is working with the researchers. "In short, fast is good."

Determining how fast was the object of experiments by the Kalmykov group. The lab tested graphene oxide synthesized at Rice with simulated nuclear wastes containing uranium, plutonium and substances like sodium and calcium that could negatively affect their adsorption. Even so, graphene oxide proved far better than the bentonite clays and granulated activated carbon commonly used in nuclear cleanup.

Graphene oxide introduced to simulated wastes coagulated within minutes, quickly clumping the worst toxins, Kalmykov said. The process worked across a range of pH values.

"To see Stepan's amazement at how well this worked was a good confirmation," Tour said. He noted that the collaboration took root when Alexander Slesarev, a graduate student in his group, and Anna Yu. Romanchuk, a graduate student in Kalmykov's group, met at a conference several years ago.

The researchers focused on removing radioactive isotopes of the actinides and lanthanides - the 30 rare earth elements in the periodic table - from liquids, rather than solids or gases. "Though they don't really like water all that much, they can and do hide out there," Winston said. "From a human health and environment point of view, that's where they're least welcome."

Naturally occurring radionuclides are also unwelcome in fracking fluids that bring them to the surface in drilling operations, Tour said. "When groundwater comes out of a well and it's radioactive above a certain level, they can't put it back into the ground," he said. "It's too hot. Companies have to ship contaminated water to repository sites around the country at very large expense." The ability to quickly filter out contaminants on-site would save a great deal of money, he said.

He sees even greater potential benefits for the mining industry. Environmental requirements have "essentially shut down U.S. mining of rare earth metals, which are needed for cell phones," Tour said. "China owns the market because they're not subject to the same environmental standards. So if this technology offers the chance to revive mining here, it could be huge."

Tour said that capturing radionuclides does not make them less radioactive, just easier to handle. "Where you have huge pools of radioactive material, like at Fukushima, you add graphene oxide and get back a solid material from what were just ions in a solution," he said. "Then you can skim it off and burn it. Graphene oxide burns very rapidly and leaves a cake of radioactive material you can then reuse."

The low cost and biodegradable qualities of graphene oxide should make it appropriate for use in permeable reactive barriers, a fairly new technology for in situ groundwater remediation, he said.

Romanchuk, Slesarev, Kalmykov and Tour are co-authors of the paper with Dmitry Kosynkin, a former postdoctoral researcher at Rice, now with Saudi Aramco. Kalmykov is radiochemistry division head and a professor at Lomonosov Moscow State University. Tour is the T.T. and W.F. Chao Chair in Chemistry as well as a professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and of computer science at Rice.

The Office of Naval Research Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative, M-I SWACO and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research funded work at Rice. The Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, a Russian Federation President stipend to Romanchuk and the Russian Basic Research Foundation funded research at Moscow State.

####

About Rice University
Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,708 undergraduates and 2,374 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice has been ranked No. 1 for best quality of life multiple times by the Princeton Review and No. 2 for "best value" among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance. To read "What they're saying about Rice," go to tinyurl.com/AboutRice.

For more information, please click here

Contacts:
David Ruth
713-348-6327


Mike Williams
713-348-6728

Copyright © Rice University

If you have a comment, please Contact us.

Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Bookmark:
Delicious Digg Newsvine Google Yahoo Reddit Magnoliacom Furl Facebook

Related Links

Read the abstract at:

Tour Group:

Related News Press

News and information

Nanoparticle Harnesses Powerful Radiation Therapy for Cancer May 20th, 2013

Microneedle-Delivered Nanoparticles Boost Antitumor Vaccines May 20th, 2013

Competition in the Quantum World May 20th, 2013

Elsevier Business Intelligence (EBI) to Host 'IN3 Medical Device 360 Boston,' June 24-26, 2013 May 20th, 2013

Graphene

Add boron for better batteries: Rice University theorists say graphene-boron mix shows promise for lithium-ion batteries May 17th, 2013

Seville will host the 14th Trends in Nanotechnology International Conference (TNT 2013): Call for abstracts announced May 14th, 2013

Agilent Technologies New AFM/Raman Spectroscopy System Provides Nanoscale Material Identification and Analysis May 13th, 2013

Graphene joins the race to redefine the ampere May 12th, 2013

Govt.-Legislation/Regulation/Funding/Policy

Protein 'Passport' Helps Nanoparticles Get Past Immune System May 20th, 2013

Nanoparticle Harnesses Powerful Radiation Therapy for Cancer May 20th, 2013

Microneedle-Delivered Nanoparticles Boost Antitumor Vaccines May 20th, 2013

New Nanopore Sensor Simplifies Analysis of Methylated DNA May 20th, 2013

Announcements

Competition in the Quantum World May 20th, 2013

Elsevier Business Intelligence (EBI) to Host 'IN3 Medical Device 360 Boston,' June 24-26, 2013 May 20th, 2013

Penn engineers' nanoantennas improve infrared sensing May 20th, 2013

Researchers Perform Fastest Measurements Ever Made of Ion Channel Proteins May 20th, 2013

Military

Using clay to grow bone: Researchers use synthetic silicate to stimulate stem cells into bone cells May 15th, 2013

Flawed Diamonds Promise Sensory Perfection: Berkeley Lab researchers and their colleagues extend electron spin in diamond for incredibly tiny magnetic detectors May 10th, 2013

Researcher Construct Invisibility Cloak for Thermal Flow: Copper-Silicon Plate Deflects Heat / Optical Process Transferred to Thermodynamics / Basis for Future Heat Management in Microchips and Components May 8th, 2013

Improved material for ‘laser welding’ of tissue in intestinal surgery May 8th, 2013

Environment

NIA Public Briefing: Nanotechnology and the Council of Europe May 17th, 2013

Nanoadsorbent Synthesized to Remove Toxic Dyes from Textile Industry Wastewater May 16th, 2013

New Stanford Nanoscavengers Could Usher In Next Generation Water Purification May 15th, 2013

INSCX™ exchange to present a nanotechnology-based Emission Reduction Programme, Ankara, Turkey, June 2013 May 14th, 2013

Research partnerships

Kinks and curves at the nanoscale: New research shows 'perfect twin boundaries' are not so perfect May 20th, 2013

Advancements and developments of solid-state nanopores sensors May 16th, 2013

Imec and Renesas collaborate on ultra-low power short range radios: Collaboration will develop robust wireless solutions for future electronics May 16th, 2013

Silex Microsystems Joins ENIAC Project PROMINENT To Bring Flexible and Cost Effective Inkjet Technologies to the MEMS Manufacturing Process: Silex Will Develop New Solutions for Through-Silicon Via Manufacture and Hermetic Wafer Bonding May 13th, 2013

NanoNews-Digest
The latest news from around the world, FREE





  Premium Products
NanoNews-Custom
Only the news you want to read!
 Learn More
NanoTech-Transfer
University Technology Transfer & Patents
 Learn More
NanoStrategies
Full-service, expert consulting
 Learn More












ASP
Nanotechnology Now Featured Books




NNN

The Hunger Project








abbigliamento uomo
Computer Accessories
© Copyright 1999-2013 7th Wave, Inc. All Rights Reserved PRIVACY POLICY :: CONTACT US :: STATS :: SITE MAP :: ADVERTISE