Scientists study nanoparticles reacting with light hoping to break down forever chemicals such as PFAS

Two scientific researchers at the Rice University’s Laboratory for Nanophotonics (LANP) are studying how a particle that interacts with light may lead to revolutionary applications, such as the splitting of ammonia to produce hydrogen fuel and breaking apart and de-toxifying “forever” chemicals such as PFAS, can be used in firefighting spray and Teflon pan coatings.

Called forever chemicals because they can be ingested in the body through contaminated drinking water and can last for decades, PFAS have been identified in recent months as a major pollution threat throughout the U.S.

Much smaller than visible wavelengths of light, nanoparticles are so tiny they cannot be seen with ordinary optical microscopes.   

A report in the Rice University News and Media Relations page said LANP graduate students Lin Yuan and Minhan Lou are conducting experiments that show how the shape of a particular type of matter uses light to cause a chemical reaction.

The two researchers with their colleagues studied aluminum nanoparticles with identical optical (visible) properties but with different shapes.

Though differently shaped, the particles have the ability to capture energy from light and release it in the form of hot electrons that can speed up a catalytic reaction, in other words a substance that undergoes a chemical reaction without changing its own chemistry.

According to the report the research is building information on the chemical synthesizing of aluminum nanoparticles, the process of the production of a chemical compound from a simpler material.

An example would be the production of the substance methanol, used for development of fuel and solvents, by synthesizing carbon monoxide and hydrogen.  

Lou indicated the research allows scientists to determine the type of chemical reaction a certain particle will cause.       

“We input the wavelength of light and particle shape,” he said in the Rice University report. “Using these two aspects, we can accurately predict which shape will produce the best catalyst.”

The research, showing chemical reaction when light interacts with a particular material of a certain shape, opens up great possibilities for the future, according to the report.

“This study shows that (particle) shape is another design element engineers can use to create higher reaction rates,” Naomi Halas, Rice professor in electrical and computer engineering, said in the report.