Impacts of Nanoparticle Surface Charge Heterogeneity on their Transport in the Environment
Understanding the fate and transport of colloids and nanoparticles transport in the environment is very important for many environmental processes and human health. Natural
colloids of biological and non-biological origin typically possess various degrees of surface heterogeneities. Most previous research assumed a homogeneous surface charge for colloids and nanoparticles. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that such approaches are insufficient
in describing observed colloidal transport and retention behaviors in many laboratory and field studies. To evaluate how surface charge heterogeneity impact nanoparticle deposition, we developed Janus SiO2 nanoparticles with dipolar charges (positive and negative charges) using a chemical functionalization method. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to measure the interaction forces between nanoparticles and surfaces. Deposition of Janus particles with various level of surface charge heterogeneity onto surfaces was measured using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D).
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