| NSF Org: |
PHY Division Of Physics |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | April 19, 2022 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | April 19, 2022 |
| Award Number: | 2213526 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Kathleen McCloud
kmccloud@nsf.gov (703)292-8236 PHY Division Of Physics MPS Direct For Mathematical & Physical Scien |
| Start Date: | August 1, 2022 |
| End Date: | July 31, 2024 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $249,434.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $249,434.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
14 E CACHE LA POUDRE ST COLORADO SPRINGS CO US 80903-3243 (719)389-6318 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
14 E. Cache La Poudre St. Colorado Springs CO US 80903-3243 |
| Primary Place of Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| NSF Program(s): | OFFICE OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY AC |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.049 |
ABSTRACT
This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). Contamination of groundwater by poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is increasingly recognized as a major environmental issue. Sometimes called ?forever chemicals,? these compounds bioaccumulate, can cause adverse health outcomes, and are difficult to break down. Plasma technologies offer promising avenues to remediation, especially via the production of free electrons dissolved in water (?solvated electrons?). This award supports Dr. Light at Colorado College in a project to study the production of solvated electrons by atmospheric pressure plasma. The award will also provide the resources to involve a significant number of undergraduates from minoritized backgrounds in cutting edge research through a ?research incubator? course and funded summer research positions.
The overarching goal of this research program in the next five to ten years is to understand the physics and chemistry involved in using low-temperature plasma (LTP) to break apart and extract recalcitrant contaminants from water. The project seeks to measure the time-dependent concentration of solvated electrons at the water?s surface by adapting an existing spectroscopic technique. Supercontinuum transient absorption spectroscopy is a well-established method for studying time-resolved chemical and physical processes, but it has not yet been applied to LTP or to the plasma/water interface. The development of this diagnostic would open new avenues for time-resolved studies of LTP and of the chemistry they drive. The proposed study will also illuminate the landscape of atmospheric pressure plasma jets as sources for solvated electrons, yield information about what plasma parameters are important to the process, and guide efforts to optimize plasma sources for remediation applications. This award funds a pilot ?research incubator? course designed for first- and second-year students from underrepresented backgrounds in order to lower the entry barrier into undergraduate research positions. The course will run twice during the grant period, with a cap of ten students each time. The award also establishes six dedicated research stipends for low-income, minoritized, and first-generation college students.
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.
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