Development of Materials that Selectively Sorb and Release Gaseous Oxidized Mercury Compounds

This projects seeks to develop advanced materials that are able to pre-concentrate oxidized mercury compounds (HgII) to enable improved measurement of their concentrations and characterization of their chemical behavior. Better understanding the abundance and chemistry of oxidized mercury is critical for assessing mercury exposure risks in both environmental and industrial settings and for informing effective management and policy decisions. The objectives of the project are to: (1) model chemical and physical interactions between simple HgII compounds and crystalline oxide substrates, and (2) correlate HgII capture with oxide surface properties under laboratory and field conditions. This is a novel interdisciplinary project that combines surface chemistry, glass science, and atmospheric mercury research, and will support the training of students and early-career researchers in interdisciplinary environmental science. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.