SNM-IS: Scalable Biomineralization of Functional Oxide Nanoparticles and Nanostructures for Environmental and Energy Applications

SNM-IS：用于环境和能源应用的功能性氧化物纳米颗粒和纳米结构的可扩展生物矿化

基本信息

批准号：
1821389
负责人：
Bryan Berger
金额：
$ 149.96万
依托单位：
University of Virginia Main Campus
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2017
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2017-10-09 至 2024-12-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1821389&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
SNM Scalable Biomineralization Functional Oxide

项目摘要

This research project seeks to create a scalable, green, continuous process for biomineralization of nanoparticles directly from aqueous solutions at room temperature and to create structured catalysts for automotive and other industrial applications. Biomineralization is the process by which biological systems produce inorganic minerals, which display nanostructured features that are otherwise difficult to achieve. Nanostructured minerals are essential components in a number of industrially-important processes and products, in which control over the particle size is key to performance. As one example, certain nanostructured minerals, such as ceria, are used in automobile emission control, to remove carbon monoxide and other environmentally harmful exhaust gases. Current industrial methods for nanostructured ceria production often require high temperatures, high pressures and toxic solvents, thus limiting their utility. This research project involves studying methods to overcome these limitations by engineering enzymes as biocatalysts for the large-scale production of nanostructured ceria. The researchers on this project collaborate with researchers at Cerion, an industrial partner, to understand industrial-scale production issues. This project provides a unique, cross-disciplinary educational opportunity for U.S. graduate and undergraduate students to gain training in synthetic biology, nanoparticle manufacturing and catalysis. It also provides opportunities to partner with leading international institutes such as the Cardiff Catalysis Institute which will enable U.S. students to learn state-of-the-art production and characterization methods. This project will lead to a new, environmentally-friendly process to produce high-value materials and demonstrate their enhanced performance in consumer products such as automobiles. The goal of this research is to develop a robust, green and flexible platform for the high-yield enzymatic synthesis of size-controlled ceria and ceria-zirconia nanoparticles directly from aqueous solutions at room temperature, and to integrate these materials into structured catalyst platforms. The approach is to study and develop engineered silicatein, the enzyme responsible for silica mineralization in sea sponges, to control mineralization of both ceria and ceria-zirconia in a size range, less than 2 nm, that enables functional superiority in primary catalytic applications as compared to conventional chemically-synthesized nanoceria. The fundamental technical barriers to scalable, green nanomanufacturing of these materials are overcome by using directed evolution in engineering enzymes with enhanced nanoceria synthesis rates and integrating them into immobilized enzyme biocatalysts for large-scale nanoceria production. The unique advantages of biomineralization enables the synthesis of smaller, more homogeneous nanoparticles and the direct, enzymatic synthesis of nanomaterials on structured support materials for their integration into catalytic nanosystems. Ultimately, the ability to produce nanoceria directly from aqueous solutions and to control particle size will create the next generation of these important classes of new, emergent nanomaterials at a cost and scale compatible with the needs of industry.

该研究项目旨在创建一种可扩展、绿色、连续的工艺，用于在室温下直接从水溶液中生物矿化纳米颗粒，并为汽车和其他工业应用创建结构化催化剂。生物矿化是生物系统产生无机矿物质的过程，无机矿物质具有其他方式难以实现的纳米结构特征。纳米结构矿物是许多工业上重要的工艺和产品的重要组成部分，其中对粒度的控制是性能的关键。举例来说，某些纳米结构矿物（例如二氧化铈）用于汽车排放控制，以去除一氧化碳和其他对环境有害的废气。目前纳米结构二氧化铈生产的工业方法通常需要高温、高压和有毒溶剂，从而限制了它们的实用性。该研究项目涉及研究通过将酶工程化作为大规模生产纳米结构二氧化铈的生物催化剂来克服这些限制的方法。该项目的研究人员与工业合作伙伴 Cerion 的研究人员合作，以了解工业规模的生产问题。该项目为美国研究生和本科生提供了独特的跨学科教育机会，以获得合成生物学、纳米颗粒制造和催化方面的培训。它还提供了与卡迪夫催化研究所等领先国际机构合作的机会，这将使美国学生能够学习最先进的生产和表征方法。该项目将开发一种新的环保工艺来生产高价值材料，并展示其在汽车等消费品中的增强性能。这项研究的目标是开发一个强大、绿色和灵活的平台，用于在室温下直接从水溶液中高产率酶法合成尺寸受控的二氧化铈和二氧化铈-氧化锆纳米颗粒，并将这些材料集成到结构化催化剂平台中。该方法是研究和开发工程化硅酸蛋白（一种负责海绵中二氧化硅矿化的酶），以将二氧化铈和二氧化铈-氧化锆的矿化控制在小于 2 nm 的尺寸范围内，从而在初级催化应用中实现功能优势。到传统的化学合成纳米二氧化钛。通过在工程酶中使用定向进化来提高纳米二氧化钛合成速率，并将其集成到固定化酶生物催化剂中以进行大规模纳米二氧化钛生产，克服了这些材料的可扩展、绿色纳米制造的基本技术障碍。生物矿化的独特优势使得能够合成更小、更均匀的纳米颗粒，以及在结构化支撑材料上直接酶法合成纳米材料，以便将其集成到催化纳米系统中。最终，直接从水溶液生产纳米二氧化钛并控制粒径的能力将以符合工业需求的成本和规模创造出这些重要类别的下一代新兴纳米材料。