Characterization of Environmentally Relevant Chemical and Physical Properties of Silver Nano-Particles.

Understanding and predicting the fate and transport of nano-materials in the environment requires a detailed characterization of the chemical and physical properties that control fate and transport.  In the current study we have evaluated chemical properties of silver nano-particles.  The properties of interest include: surface charging behavior, aggregation potential, chemical state of silver, and chemical reactivity.  Results indicate that the size, synthesis procedure, and capping agents used to control silver particle size all play a role in the chemical properties investigated.  The interaction between these factors will dramatically increase the complexity of developing accurate models to predict silver nano-particle fate and transport in natural and engineered environments.