Descrizione del progetto
Il futuro delle nanobolle appare più luminoso che mai
Le nanobolle, con le loro notevoli proprietà, offrono infinite possibilità per settori che vanno dal trattamento delle acque reflue all’agricoltura. Finora, però, sfruttare queste minuscole meraviglie è stata una vera e propria sfida. Ma ecco il progetto NIMBLE, finanziato dal CER. L’obiettivo è rivoluzionare la tecnologia delle nanobolle e sbloccarne tutto il potenziale. In particolare, si affronterà l’ostacolo principale che è stato quello di creare e controllare la formazione di nanobolle in modo riproducibile. NIMBLE affronta questo problema, offrendo una soluzione efficiente dal punto di vista energetico con una stabilità delle nanobolle che dura mesi. Il progetto affronta anche l’intricata scienza alla base delle nanobolle e del loro rilascio controllato. NIMBLE mira a far luce sulla formazione di nanofasi e sulle relative applicazioni nella cattura del carbonio, nel trattamento delle acque e nell’agricoltura.
Obiettivo
Nano-bubbles exhibit several unique physical and mechanical characteristics, such as dramatically reduced buoyancy, extremely high surface area/volume ratio, large zeta potentials, enhanced solubility of gas in water. These properties render them good candidates for several commercial applications, such as fine-particle flotation, wastewater treatment, and in food and agricultural industries. A most important challenge lies in establishing facile and easily-controlled methods to promote nano-bubble formation, and, indeed, liquid-phase nano-droplets, i.e. in realising reproducibly and consistently a nano-phase. NIMBLE revolutionises formation of the nano-phase, providing substantial enhancement in effective gas/liquid solubility in water and aqueous media. Further, energy demands are very low visà-vis other nanobubble-generating technologies, with nanobubble stability over months.
A ‘Grand Challenge’ lies in understanding underlying mechanistic phenomena involved in nano-phase formation, and the metastability of pure nanobubbles. Indeed, developing experimental and theoretical insights into controlled, on-demand release for nanobubbles is also vital for efficient process-engineering applications. In this ERC ‘NIMBLE’ project, state-of-the-art computer-simulation methods in molecular and larger- (continuum-) scale will be employed in tandem with advanced experimental set-ups and techniques to investigate and manipulate mechanisms of nano-phase formation in the presence of electric fields (Work-Package 1), as well as its controlled, on-demand release (Work-Package 4), with applications to carbon capture and agriculture using nanobubbles’ “carrier” personality. NIMBLE will employ state-of-the-art experimental and simulation methods to investigate and manipulate nano-phase formation in electric fields and controlled release and study their mobility and carrier agency, with applications in carbon capture, water treatment and agriculture.
Campo scientifico
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC GrantsIstituzione ospitante
4 Dublin
Irlanda