Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Faculty
NanoTECH Research Area Affiliations
Research Summary
The manufacture and use of carbon fullerenes, particularly C60, are expected to grow rapidly over the next decade with increasing commercial interest in their unique properties. Unfortunately, little is known about the environmental impact of unintentional release of fullerenes to natural systems, particularly with regard to water quality. Recent study suggested that when exposed to water, C60 forms discrete nano-scale crystalline aggregates which are stable in water over time. Such behavior, coupled with recent findings that these aggregates could interact with living cells, highlights the need to understand the fate and the transformation of carbon fullerenes during water treatment, currently our first line of defense against human consumption of these particles. Dr. Kim is currently examining the response of water-stable C60 aggregates to processes that are commonly used in water treatment such as ozonation and UV irradiation, in collaboration with Dr. Joe Hughes at School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Dr. Kim is also developing a novel integrity monitoring technique using fluorescence-labeled magnetic nano-particles for high pressure membrane processes in water treatment.
