Solid-Phase Characteristics of Engineered Nanoparticles

The challenge associated with determining the environmental fate and risk of engineered nanomaterials lies in understanding the fundamentally associated solid-phase chemistry. The solid phase represents the most complex, most thermodynamically “powerful”, yet the least understood phase among the three phases (solid, liquid, gas) commonly present in environmental systems. This difficulty is compounded by the fact that the nanoparticle size range represents a frontier field in itself in solid-phase chemistry, being the smallest size particles, close to the solid-phase — macromolecule boundary yet the most chemically reactive fraction in solid mixtures.

This chapter contains a brief review of some important properties or characteristics of solid phase particles. These properties are presented theoretically as directed interactions among multiple linkages of any single property to another. Selected properties discussed in this chapter include particle charge, crystal structure, surface and bulk speciation, surface area, and adsorption phase composition. This discussion is presented in the context of solid-phase characteristics that influence nanoparticle dispersion stability and potential bioavailability by controlling particle size.