Surface properties and interactions of transition metal oxide nanoparticles: A perspective on sustainability

Abstract

Lithium intercalation compounds represent a class of technologically relevant nanoparticles that have revolutionized energy storage, namely, in their practical application as cathode materials used in rechargeable lithium ion batteries. An important class of such materials is the lithium metal oxides with the form LiMO2, where M represents Fe, Mn, Co, or Ni. The demand for these materials has led to a rapid increase in production volume in the last decade; however, there is very little infrastructure in place for disposal of these materials after use and very little is known about their transformations under environmental conditions. In this perspective, the authors highlight recent work investigating the surface properties of these materials to gain a fundamental molecular-level understanding of the transformations of complex metal oxides in experimental and computational studies.

Metal/metal oxide nanoparticles: Toxicity concerns associated with their physical state and remediation for biomedical applications

“…Molecular and classical thermodynamics and kinetics of the bulk are traditionally thought to govern environmental impact. The fate of nanoparticles, on the other hand, is largely determined by surface interactions in the nanoscale regime [ [72] , [73] , [74] ]. Several parameters to studying these surface interactions and consequently their environmental impact includes dissolution, morphology/structural changes, and aggregation or stabilization.…”

“…It has been noticed that nanomaterial shape and, in some cases, aspect ratio influence nanoparticle cellular internalization pathways [ 53 , 75 ]. Furthermore, when the two nanomaterial morphologies are compared under identical mass concentrations and time points, the nanosheets release more metal cations than the nano blocks [ 74 ]. For example, the nanosheets released four times as many Ni cations as the nano blocks after 72 h in solution.…”

Similarity of multicomponent nanomaterials in a safer-by-design context: the case of core–shell quantum dots

“…14 The choice of the preferred technological alternative is based on the trade-offs between performance, safety and sustainability, which have been addressed in only a few MCNM case studies. [15][16][17] Our work addresses the safety of quantum dots (QDs) and their functionality by screening methods, and thus enables a low-TRL approach to social and economic sustainability, as suggested by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission. 14 When applying the existent grouping approaches to QDs, because of their multicomponent nature, more than one component should be addressed at a time, for a certain physicochemical property and/or hazard endpoint.…”

“…14 The choice of the preferred technological alternative is based on the trade-offs between performance, safety and sustainability, which have been addressed in only a few MCNM case studies. 15–17 Our work addresses the safety of quantum dots (QDs) and their functionality by screening methods, and thus enables a low-TRL approach to social and economic sustainability, as suggested by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission. 14…”

Study of the Influence of Process Parameters on the Morphology of ZnO Nanostructures

“…Current efforts in the field of nanotechnology have led to the orientation of research towards transition metal oxide nanostructures, due to their characteristics, such as composition, size, shape, high surface-to-volume ratio, thermal and chemical stability, low toxicity, and the ability to be modified with specific sensitive elements [1].…”