Graphene-Enhanced Spectro-Electrochemistry on Boron-Doped Diamond Waveguides
At a Glance
Section titled āAt a Glanceā| Metadata | Details |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 2019-09-01 |
| Journal | ECS Meeting Abstracts |
| Authors | Boris Mizaikoff |
Abstract
Section titled āAbstractāWith an increasing usage of engineered nanoparticles, a considerable amount of nanoparticles is inevitably released into the environment. This circumstance raises increasing environmental pollution and human health concerns. To mitigate their negative impacts, it is essential to understand the transport, transformation, and ultimate fates of these species within the environment. Among the most important parameters is their interaction with dissolved organic matters (DOM), which may significantly affect the surface properties and aggregation behavior of engineered nanoparticles. Consequently, this affects not only their geochemical cycling, but also any potential environmental remediation strategy. Understanding the heterogeneity of nanoparticle-DOM interactions, and unravelling the mechanisms in molecular details, as well as the factors regulating such interactions calls for effective analytical tools. Here, we present the development of advanced infrared attenuated total reflection (IR-ATR) sensing technologies for environmental analysis with specific focus on elucidating DOM-nanoparticle interactions in aquatic environments. The interaction dynamics of DOM with nanoparticles will be studied via thin-film diamond ATR waveguides combined with tunable quantum cascade laser and signal-enhancing graphene and graphene oxide surface structures (a.k.a. surface enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy) enabling unprecedently sensitive detection of DOM-nanoparticle interactions via molecular spectroscopy. Doping the diamond waveguide with boron (BDD) establishes an IR-transparent electrode material facilitating simultaneous electrochemical studies. Based on these orthogonal IR-spectroscopic and electrochemcial data sets derived from the same sample it is anticipated that DOM-nanoparticle interactions may be elucidated in yet unprecedented detail.