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Stability of SiO2 nanoparticles with complex environmental conditions with the presence of electrolyte and NOM

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Abstract

SiO2-engineered nanoparticles (SiO2-ENPs) are one of the most commonly employed nanomaterials. There was a lack of research on the comprehensive effects of environmental factors on the stability of SiO2-ENPs. In the present work, the aggregation size, surface charge, and percentage of nanoparticles have been studied under the presence of monovalent/divalent cations combined with natural organic matter (NOM), in an effort to provide a comprehensive investigation of the stability of SiO2-ENPs in complex environmental conditions. Results show that NOM adsorbed to the particles and made their zeta potential more negative, hence stabilizing them by electrostatic repulsion, and the stability of nano-SiO2 in NOM solutions follows the order of pH 9 > pH 7 > pH 5. In addition, SiO2-ENPs size in solutions with humic acid (HA) was larger than that with fulvic acid (FA). The aggregation of SiO2-ENPs enhanced with the increase of cation concentrations, and divalent cations (Ca2+) show stronger influence on SiO2-ENPs aggregate than monovalent cations. Divalent cations partially neutralized the adsorbed organic matter, and aggregation was enhanced with Ca2+, suggesting the presence of specific Ca2+-NOM bridges. The aggregation of SiO2-ENPs in electrolyte (CaCl2 or NaCl) and CaCl2 + NOM solutions follows in the order of pH 5~pH 9 > pH 7, showing that weakly acidic or alkaline conditions are not favorable for the stability of SiO2-ENPs in complex environmental systems.

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Funding

This work was supported by Construction of High Level Teaching Teams in Universities of Beijing-the Youth Top-Notch Talent Cultivation Program (CIT&TCD201804051), National Natural Science Foundation of China (51508017), and the Youth Beijing Scholars program (NO.024).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Urban Stormwater System and Water Environment, Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing, 102616, China

    Xiaoran Zhang, Xinyue Du, Mingxiu Wang, Chaohong Tan & Haiyan Li

  2. Beijing Engineering Research Center of Sustainable Urban Sewage System Construction and Risk Control, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing, 100044, China

    Xiaoran Zhang, Xinyue Du, Ziyang Zhang, Chaohong Tan & Haiyan Li

  3. Nanjing Water Purification, Environment Institute Co. Ltd, Nanjing, 211500, China

    Mingxiu Wang

  4. Beijing General Municipal Engineering Design & Research Institute Co, Ltd, Beijing, 100044, China

    Zhifei Li

  5. Department of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Beijing Vocational College of Agriculture, Beijing, 102442, China

    Junfeng Liu

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  1. Xiaoran Zhang
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Zhang, X., Du, X., Wang, M. et al. Stability of SiO2 nanoparticles with complex environmental conditions with the presence of electrolyte and NOM. J Nanopart Res 24, 187 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-022-05555-8

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