Small-sized platinum nanoparticles in soil organic matter: Influence on water holding capacity, evaporation and structural rigidity

Renata Komendová; Jan Žídek; Michal Berka; Marta Jemelková; Veronika Řezáčová; Pellegrino Conte; Jiří Kučerík

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133822

Small-sized platinum nanoparticles in soil organic matter: Influence on water holding capacity, evaporation and structural rigidity

Sci Total Environ. 2019 Dec 1:694:133822. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133822. Epub 2019 Aug 6.

Authors

Renata Komendová¹, Jan Žídek², Michal Berka¹, Marta Jemelková¹, Veronika Řezáčová¹, Pellegrino Conte³, Jiří Kučerík⁴

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Chemistry and Technology of Environmental Protection, Faculty of Chemistry, Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 118, 61200 Brno, Czech Republic.
² Central European Institute of Technology, Purkyňova 123, 61200 Brno, Czech Republic.
³ Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali, Università degli Studi di Palermo, v.le delle Scienze edificio 4, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
⁴ Institute of Chemistry and Technology of Environmental Protection, Faculty of Chemistry, Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 118, 61200 Brno, Czech Republic. Electronic address: kucerik@fch.vut.cz.

PMID: 31756795
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133822

Abstract

Engineered and anthropogenic nanoparticles represent a new type of pollutants. Up until now, many studies have reported its adverse effect on biota, but the potential influence on the properties and functions of environmental compartments has largely been ignored. In this work, the effect of Pt nanoparticles on the functions and properties of model soil organic matter has been studied. Using differential scanning calorimetry and molecular modeling, the effect of a wide range of 3 nm Pt nanoparticles concentrations on water holding capacity, the strength of water binding, the stability of water molecule bridges and the content of aliphatic crystallites was studied. It was found that strong hydration of the nanoparticles influences the 3D water structural network and acts as kosmotropic agents (structure-forming) in water bridges and as chaotropic agents (i.e. water destructuring) in larger water volumes. Contrarily, the interaction with soil organic matter moieties partially eliminates these effects. As a result, the 3 nm Pt nanoparticles decreased the evaporation enthalpy of water in soil organic matter and supported soil desiccation. They also increased the strength of water molecule bridges and increased the soil structural rigidity even at low concentrations. Additionally, at high concentrations, they decreased the water content in soil organic matter and induced the aliphatic moieties' crystallization. It is concluded that the small-sized Pt nanoparticles, and perhaps other types as well, may affect the local physicochemical processes in soils and may consequently contribute to enhanced evapotranspiration and deterioration of soil functions.

Keywords: Evaporation; Ice; Nanoparticles; Platinum; Soil; Water.