title: Robust magnetic/polymer hybrid nanoparticles designed for crude oil entrapment and recovery in aqueous environments.
abstract: Well-defined, magnetic shell cross-linked knedel-like nanoparticles (MSCKs) with hydrodynamic diameters ca. 70 nm were constructed through the co-assembly of amphiphilic block copolymers of PAA20-b-PS280 and oleic acid-stabilized magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles using tetrahydrofuran, N,N-dimethylformamide, and water, ultimately transitioning to a fully aqueous system. These hybrid nanomaterials were designed for application as sequestering agents for hydrocarbons present in crude oil, based upon their combination of amphiphilic organic domains, for aqueous solution dispersibility and capture of hydrophobic guest molecules, with inorganic core particles for magnetic responsivity. The employment of these MSCKs in a contaminated aqueous environment resulted in the successful removal of the hydrophobic contaminants at a ratio of 10 mg of oil per 1 mg of MSCK. Once loaded, the crude oil-sorbed nanoparticles were easily isolated via the introduction of an external magnetic field. The recovery and reusability of these MSCKs were also investigated. These results suggest that deployment of hybrid nanocomposites, such as these, could aid in environmental remediation efforts, including at oil spill sites, in particular, following the bulk recovery phase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Department of Chemical Engineering, and Laboratory for Synthetic-Biologic Interactions, Texas A&M University , P.O. Box 30012, 3255 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77842, United States.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pavía-Sanders
authors.forename: Shiyi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jeniree A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.forename: Jonathan E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: Jeffery E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Raymond
authors.forename: Karen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Wooley
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000737:chemistry*; D060526:Magnetic Fields; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008422:Materials Testing; D010316:Particle Size; D010578:Petroleum / Q000032:analysis* / Q000528:radiation effects; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D014462:Ultrafiltration / Q000379:methods*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000528:radiation effects; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D010578:Petroleum; D011137:Polystyrenes; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C006903:carbopol 940