3D reduced graphene oxide/sio 2 composite for ice nucleation

Abstract

The present invention provides for an ice-nucleating particle for cloud seeding and other applications, which can initiate ice nucleation at a temperature of -8 degC. Further, the ice nucleation particle number increased continuously and rapidly with the reducing of temperature. The ice nucleating particle in the present invention is a nanostructured porous composite of 3-dimensional reduced graphene oxide and silica dioxide nanoparticles (PrGO-SN). The present invention also provides for a process for synthesizing the PrGO-SN.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to the field of cloud seeding (cloud seeding). More particularly, the present invention relates to the synthesis of 3D graphene / metal oxide nanostructured composites for ice nucleation in cloud seeding, artificial snowmaking, and freeze-drying techniques in biomedicine and food industries, among others. Background technique [0002] Freezing of liquid water into solid ice is one of the most common natural phenomena, where ice can form either homogeneously from pure water, or heterogeneously in the presence of exotic materials called ice nucleating particles (INP). Such INPs can be derived from biological, mineralogical and anthropogenic sources, including pollen and bacteria, volcanic ash, atmospheric dust. Heterogeneous ice nucleation plays an important role in various fields such as atmospheric physics, cryopreservation technology, and freeze-drying in biomedical research and the food industry. For decades, although th...

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Problems solved by technology

However, there has not been much progress in the research on cloud seeding at sub-zero temperatures (cold cloud seeding), where AgI, as the most commonly used cold seeding cloud material for decades, is often associated with controversial environmental risks

[0009] The use of chemicals such as silver iodide poses an ecological threat and endangers public health because silver iodide may cause temporary incapacity or possible residual injury in humans and mammals with intense or prolonged exposure

Silver iodide microparticles currently used for cloud seeding raise concerns about their toxicity in different environments; especially aquatic environments

Furthermore, although the conventional method of cloud seeding has been shown to alter cloud shape and behavior, its ability to induce rainfall is very uncertain

Furthermore, the structure of ice is not well understood at the nanoscale

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