Implementation of Green Chemistry and Engineering Principles into Nanomaterial Synthesis and Processing

Green chemistry and engineering aims toward the design of environmentally-benign products and processes using ecologically friendly materials and solvents, with limited waste generation. During the past six years of my research career, I have been working on the implementation of green chemistry principles into advanced nanomaterials synthesis and processes.I have developed the use of environmentally friendly capping agents, reducing agents, and solvents as well as green engineering processes to synthesize advanced metal nanoparticles^1-8 and subsequently assemble these monodisperse metal nanoparticle building blocks into supermolecular structures such as order arrays and thin films.^3,4 In addition, I have developed methodologies that use non-toxic and biodegradable sugars (as capping agent)and organic acid (as reducing agent) to precisely control the synthesis of nanoparticle building blocks for desired supermolecular assembly.¹ Moreover, these metal nanoparticles were used for novel ground water treatment² and as catalysts for alternative energy synthesis.⁹

1.Liu, J.; Roberts, C. B. “Green” and Precisely Size-controlled Seed Growth of Pd Nanoparticles, Journal of American Chemistry Society, submitted for publication, 2008

2.Liu, J. C.; He, F.; Durham, E.; Zhao, D.; Roberts, C. B. Langmuir. 2008, 24, 328.

3.Liu, J.; Sutton, J.; Roberts, C. B. J. Phys. Chem. C. 2007, 111, 11566.

4.Liu, J. C.; Anand, M.; Roberts, C. B. Langmuir, 2006, 22, 3964.

5.Liu. J. C.; Raveendran, P; Ikushima Y, Chemistry – A European Journal, 11, 2005, 1854 -1860.

6.Liu. J. C.; Qin, G. W.; Ikushima, Y. Chemistry – A European Journal, 2005, 12, 2131.

7.Liu. J. C.; Qin, G. W.; Ikushima, Y. Chemical Communication, 2005, 2972-2974.

8.Liu. J. C.; Raveendran, P; Ikushima Y, Chemical Communication, 2004, 2582-2583.

9.Research Proposal, “Green and Size-controlled Synthesis and Processing Cobalt Nanocrystals Deposited on Carbon Nanofiber/Nanotube Using CO2 Expanded Liquids as Novel Fischer-Tropsch Catalysts for Synthesis of Long-Chain Hydrocarbons and Clean Fuels” Christopher B. Roberts (PI), Juncheng Liu (Co-PI), Funding agency: Green Chemistry Institute (GCI)-ACS Petroleum Research Fund