Engineering Silver Nanoparticles
Student results of plant extract mixed with silver nitrate.Copyright 2019 Taylor Miller, Rice University RET
Engineering silver nanoparticles for use in water filters has shown promising results in keeping water free of disinfection byproducts that arise after chlorination. In this activity, the students do individual research to learn about nanotechnology and silver nanoparticles, and how silver nanoparticles can be used in water treatment. Students choose a plant of their choice (from home, school, or from the teacher) to use as an agent to reduce silver nitrate into silver nanoparticles. They retest with a different plant or change the procedure to see if they can improve their chances at engineering nanoparticles.
Students use principles of reduction reactions to engineer a plant extract that can effectively reduce silver nitrate into silver nanoparticles. Students identify how disinfection byproducts are a problem in water treatment and how environmental engineers can use silver nanoparticles to fix these problems. They test a plant of their choice and evaluate how well their plant works at making silver nanoparticles, and then they iterate on their testing using different parameters to see if they can achieve a better result. Like engineers iterating their designs, students make improvements in their design proposals in order to create the most efficient process.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Discuss how nanotechnology and silver nanoparticles can be used in water treatment.
- Explain the current process for creating silver nanoparticles and issues with cost of use of energy to make them.
- Describe how plants can be used as a reducing agent when added to silver nitrate to make silver nanoparticles.
- Explain the results of their experiment and make recommendations for what plant(s) to use to make silver nanoparticles.