VCU

vculogo

imagearea
announcements Special events Seminar programs Job opening Department news



aboutresearchugradgraduatepeople
 

People

back

Everett E. Carpenter

 

Assistant professor
Inorganic and materials chemistry
(804) 828-7508
ecarpenter2@vcu.edu

 

Research page

Education

B.S., Appalachian State University, 1994
Ph.D., University of New Orleans, 1999

National Research Council Fellow, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., 1999-2000

Research Chemist, Naval Research Laboratory, Complex Materials Section, Washington, D.C., 2000-2004.

Research interests

Recent decades have seen a flurry of promising methods for nanoparticles synthesis. My research continues to be on the forefront of nanoparticle synthesis, focusing primarily on mixed-metal iron oxide (ferrites) and metallic iron nanoparticles. While much my early work focused on reverse micelle techniques, we have expanded our synthesis to include many other synthetic techniques such as precipitation reactions, and polyol or thermal decomposition. Research in my laboratory is focused on three main areas.

1. Biomedical applications

Ferrite materials are ideally suited for a wide variety of applications ranging from power electronics and electromagnetic filtering to biomedical applications. While enhanced ferrites would have a major impact on electronic applications, probably the greatest impact would be in the biomedical applications like Magnetodynamic therapy (MDT), specifically magnetic hyperthermia where an AC magnetic field induces localized heating used to destroy targeted cells. MDT applications research for the past several years has focused primarily on instrumentation optimization chiefly because adequately stable nanoparticles have been lacking. The majority of research on MDT utilizes frequencies closer to 400 KHz since higher frequencies can stimulate nerves.

We however are taking a higher risk approach and trying to develop enhanced ferrites which would operate at MRI frequencies or higher. With our experience in higher frequency applications, we could produce functionalized core-shell enhanced ferrites with the potential to absorb significant AC energy at 100 MHz, the operating frequency of the MRI, making it possible to perform new MDT treatments with existing MRI equipment. This proposed coupling of MDT with pre-existing MRI facilities could have a revolutionary impact on cancer treatment. However there are many obstacles to overcome before MRI coupled MDT is possible or could even be evaluated. However given the potential impact this would have on oncological diagnosis and treatment it is worth the research time.

2. Growth mechanisms

With the wide range of reactions, there are several different often-competing mechanistic theories. Several attempts to reconcile the different theories have driven the need to create a comprehensive model of nanoparticle growth and nucleation. The initial models were based on population dynamics of the small systems and focused more on the changing concentration of products and reactants. Nucleation and growth were explained via the traditional LaMer model of nucleation followed by Ostwald ripening and left out of the model for simplicity. With more computing power, new Monte Carlo models have been developed which take into account growth and nucleation steps but also include many other steps such as the autocatalysis, polydispersity and the surface energies. These models while intriguing have found limited applicability due to a lack of available experimental data. We are seeking to study systems where we can add our experimental expertise in expanding the available models and create new ones. This will allow for the faster discovery of new magnetic materials as well as greater control over the size and shape of the nanoparticles. The size and shape of the nanoparticle dramatically impact the electronic and magnetic properties.

3. Nanomanufacturing

Nanoparticles have the potential to have significant impact on a number of different areas including application as nanocatalysts for chemical synthesis. A significant problem that has been identified is the need to transition bench-scale research to larger-scale production for real world applications. To achieve this, fundamental knowledge of the factors that govern nanoparticle synthesis is required so that process parameters can properly be controlled during scale-up.

References

Patents

Ward, K. W.; Carpenter, E. E. Portable oxygen generator, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2007.

Ward, K. W.; Carpenter, E. E. Novel means to provide nonpulmonary oxygenation and improve tissue oxygenation, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2006.

Carpenter, E.E.; Harris, V. G. Fluorescent-magnetic nanoparticles with core-shell structure, 2004, US Patent 7235228.

Kurihara, L.K.; Carpenter, E.E. Low temperature diol processing of fine metallic particles and coatings, 2002, US Patent 7033416.

Carpenter, E.E.; O’Connor, C. J.; Khumbar, A. Synthesis of core-shell nanoparticles via micro-emulsions, 1999 US Patent 6773823.

Books, Book Chapters

LaLena, J.N.; Cleary, D. A.; Carpenter, E.E.; Dean, N.F. Inorganic Materials Synthesis and Fabrication. John Wiley and Sons: New York, NY, 2008. http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0471740047.html

Morrison, S.A.; Harris, V.G.; Carpenter, E.E. Chemistry and Physics of Doped Mixed Metal Ferrites Nanoparticles, In Doped Nanomaterials and Nanodevices; Chen, W., Ed.; American Scientific Press: 2008; Vol. 5, 87-96. http://www.aspbs.com/

Willard, M.A.; Kurihara, L.K.; Carpenter, E.E.; Calvin, S.; Harris, V.G., Chemically prepared magnetic nanoparticles. In Encyclopedia of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology; Nalwa, H.S., Ed 2004, 2, 815-848. http://www.aspbs.com/enn/

Selected research papers

Pettigrew, K.A.; Long, J.W.; Carpenter, E.E.; Baker, C.C.; Lytle, J.C.; Chervin, C.N.; Logan, M.S.; Stroud, R.M.; Rolison, D.R. “Nickel Ferrite Aerogels with Monodisperse Nanoscale Building Blocks the Importance of Processing Temperature and Atmosphere” ACS Nano 2008, 2, 784-790.

Naik, S.; Carpenter, E.E. “Poly (D, L-lactide-co-glycolide) microcomposite containing magnetic iron core nanoparticles as a drug carrier” Journal Of Applied Physics 2008, 103, 07A313. Also highlighted in the AIP virtual Journal of Nanoscience and Technology and the AIP virtual journal of Biological Physic Research.

Shultz, M.D.; Calvin, S.; Fatouros, P.P.; Morrison, S.A.; Carpenter, E.E. “Enhanced ferrite nanoparticles as MRI contrast agents” Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials 2007, 311, 464-468.

Shultz, M.D.; Allsbrook, M.J.; Carpenter, E.E. “Control of the cation occupancies of MnZn ferrite synthesized via reverse micelles” Journal of Applied Physics 2007, 101, 09M518. Also featured in Virtual Journal of AIP virtual Journal of Nanoscience and Technology

Michaels, M.A.; Sherwood, S.; Kidwell, M.; Allsbrook, M.J.; Morrison, S.A.; Rutan, S.C.; Carpenter, E.E. “Quantitative Model for Prediction of Hydrodynamic Size of Nonionic Reverse Micelles” Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 2007, 311, 70-76.

Brewer, C.T.; Brewer, G.; Butcher, R.J.; Carpenter, E.E.; Schmiedekamp, A.M.; Viragh, C., Synthesis and characterization of a spin crossover iron(II)-iron(III) mixed valence supramolecular pseudo-dimer exhibiting chiral recognition, hydrogen bonding, and pi-pi interactions. Dalton Transactions 2007, (3), 295-298.

Shultz, M.D.; Reveles, J.U.; Khanna, S.N.; Carpenter, E.E. “Reactive Nature of Dopamine as a Surface Functionalization Agent in Iron Oxide Nanoparticles,” Journal of the American Chemical Society 2007, 129(9), 2482-2487.

Brewer, C.; Brewer, G.; Butcher, R.J.; Carpenter, E.E.; Cuenca, L.; Noll, B.C.; Scheidt, W.R.; Viragh, C.; Zavalij, P.Y.; Zielaski, D., Synthesis and characterization of manganese(II) and iron(III) d(5) tripodal imidazole complexes. Effect of oxidation state, protonation state and ligand conformation on coordination number and spin state. Dalton Transactions 2006, (8), 1009-1019.

Shultz, M.D.; Carpenter, E.E.; Morrison, S.A.; Calvin, S., Cation occupancy determination in manganese zinc ferrites using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Journal of Applied Physics 2006, 99, 08M901

Morrison, S.A.; Cahill, C.L.; Carpenter, E.E.; Harris, V.G., Production Scaleup of Reverse Micelle Synthesis. Industrial Engineering and Chemistry Research 2006, 45, (3), 1217-1220.

Morrison, S.A.; Cahill, C.L.; Carpenter, E.E.; Calvin, S.; Harris, V.G., Atomic engineering of mixed ferrite and core-shell nanoparticles. Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 2005, 5, (9), 1323-1344.

Brewer, C.; Brewer, G.; Butcher, R.J.; Carpenter, E.E.; Cuenca, L.; Schmiedekamp, A.M.; Viragh, C., Synthesis and characterization of seven-coordinate tripodal imidazole complexes of iron(II) and manganese(II). Dalton Transactions 2005, (22), 3617-3619.

Poddar, P.; Wilson, J.L.; Srikanth, H.; Morrison, S.A.; Carpenter, E.E., Magnetic properties of conducting polymer doped with manganese-zinc ferrite nanoparticles. Nanotechnology 2004, 15, (10), S570-S574.

Calvin, S.; Carpenter, E.E.; Cestone, V.; Kurihara, L.K.; Harris, V.G.; Brown, E.C., Automated system for x-ray absorption spectroscopy of nanoparticle nucleation and growth. Review of Scientific Instrumentation 2005, 76, (1), 016103.

Long, J. W.; Logan, M.S.; Rhodes, C.P.; Carpenter, E.E.; Stroud, R.M.; Rolison, D.R., Nanocrystalline Iron Oxide Aerogels as Mesoporous Magnetic Architectures. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2004, 126, (51), 16879-16889.

Poddar, P.; Wilson, J.L.; Srikanth, H.; Morrison, S.A.; Carpenter, E.E., Magnetic properties of conducting polymer doped with manganese-zinc ferrite nanoparticles. Nanotechnology 2004, 15, (10), S570-S574.

Calvin, S.; Carpenter, E.E.; Harris, V.G., Characterization of passivated iron nanoparticles by x-ray absorption spectroscopy. Physical Review B 2003, 68, (3), 033411-1-033411-4

Carpenter, E.E.; Calvin, S.; Stroud, R.M.; Harris, V.G., Passivated iron as core-shell nanoparticles. Chemistry of Materials 2003, 15, (17), 3245-3246.

Publications

Poddar, P., Srikanth, H., Morrison, S. A. & Carpenter, E. E. Inter-particle interactions and magnetism in manganese-zinc ferrite nanoparticles. Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials 288, 443-451 (2005).

Calvin, S. et al. Automated system for x-ray absorption spectroscopy of nanoparticle nucleation and growth. Review of Scientific Instrumentation 76, 016103 (2005).

Long, J. W., Logan, M. S., Carpenter, E. E. & Rolison, D. R. Synthesis and characterization of Mn-FeOx aerogels with magnetic properties. Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids 350, 182-188 (2004).

Long, J. W. et al. Nanocrystalline Iron Oxide Aerogels as Mesoporous Magnetic Architectures. Journal of the American Chemical Society 126, 16879-16889 (2004).

Brewer, G., Brewer, C., Butcher, R. J., et al., Synthesis and characterization of Cu(II) and Ni(II) complexes of a tripodal ligand containing imidazoles, Inorganic Chimica Acta 359 (4): 1263-1268 Mar 1, 2006

Morrison, S. A., Cahill, C. L., Carpenter, E. E., et al., Production scaleup of reverse micelle synthesis Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 45 (3): 1217-1220 Feb 1, 2006
Brewer, C., Brewer, G., Butcher, R. J., et al. Synthesis and characterization of seven-coordinate tripodal imidazole complexes of iron(II) and manganese(II), Dalton Transactions (22): 3617-3619 Nov 21, 2005. Journal cover.

Morrison, S. A., Cahill, C. L., Carpenter, E. E., et al. Atomic engineering of mixed ferrite and core-shell nanoparticles Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 5 (9): 1323-1344 SEP 2005. Invited feature research article in a special issue.

back to top

 

Virginia Commonwealth University
College of Humanities and Sciences
Department of Chemistry
1001 West Main Street
P.O. Box 842006
Richmond, Virginia 23284-2006
Phone: (804) 828-1298
Fax: (804) 828-8599
E-mail: npfarrell@vcu.edu
Updated: 03/12/2009