"If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn't be research, would it?"

"If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn't be research, would it?"
Albert Einstein

This quote always perks me up, especially when it seems like I am going nowhere, and making good time getting there.

But today was different. I ran across the following …

AIChE Annual Meeting 2009
Nanoscale Materials as Catalysts II
Monday, November 9, 2009: 3:15 PM
Lincoln C (Gaylord Opryland Hotel)
source: http://aiche.confex.com/aiche/2009/webprogram/Session10100.html

Browsing the scheduled presentations, I picked out a couple of interesting key words, including “nanoscale” and “catalysis.” Following the more interesting Google® and Yahoo!® links led me to …

Olga B Koper
Vice President Technology & Technical Services, Chief Technology Officer
NanoScale Corporation
1310 Research Park Dr
Manhattan, KS 66502
Fax: 785-537-0226
olga@nanoactive.com

Searching for “Olga B Koper” led to the following impressive bio …

“As the first full time employee of NanoScale, joining the company in 1996, she played a key role in the start-up and growth of the company that currently employs 50 associates.

“Koper has developed her experience in the synthesis and optimization of novel reactive nanomaterials for chemical and bio related applications, including environmental remediation, odor control and destruction
of chemical and biological warfare agents

“She has authored and co-authored more than 20 papers and co-holds 17 patents for composition and applications of nanomaterials”

source: http://www.kansasbio.org/news/events/08biokit/bigthinkers.htm

In 2008, Ms. Koper co-authored a presentation summarized below …

“NanoActive materials are metal oxide aggregates that possess very large surface areas, defect-rich morphology, large porosities, and small crystallite sizes. This combination of properties results in extremely high reactivity including both enhanced reaction kinetics and large capacities. These materials have shown utility in both consumer and military applications. Of particular importance is the destructive adsorption of various toxic and odorous compounds, air and water filtration, as well as removal of heavy metals and sulfur species. In addition, novel metal oxide formulations with the unique ability to neutralize toxic chemicals as well as biological organisms were developed. Several of oxides have been shown to possess considerable biocidal activity against the opportunistic pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with applications in antimicrobial paints and coatings. Consumer products based on these materials include chemical spill control systems and odor neutralization systems.”
Source: http://membership.acs.org/i/iec/docs/23_IEC_S.pdf

According to the NanoScale Corporation Web (http://www.nanoscalecorp.com/ ) …

“Dr. Koper holds a Master of Sciences degree in general chemistry from Silesian University in Katowice, Poland. She earned her Doctorate of Philosophy in inorganic chemistry from Kansas State University with specialization in reactive metal oxide nanoparticles. She joined NanoScale as Senior Scientist in 1996 and has progressed through a series of key management leadership positions as Director of Research and Development, Senior Director of Technical Services, Senior Director of Technology and Technical Services, and Vice President of Technology and Technical Services. For more than a decade Dr. Koper has worked in the areas of nanochemistry research and commercialization. She is an expert in the synthesis and optimization of novel reactive nanomaterials comprised of metals, metal oxides, organometallic compounds, and various combinations thereof. Dr. Koper has authored and co-authored over twenty papers and co-holds eightteen patents related to the synthesis characterization and application of nanoparticles. She is active in numerous professional organizations and an expert presenter on the subject of reactive “

source: http://www.nanoscalecorp.com/content.php/company/leadership/

One of the patents for which she is listed as a co-inventor is …

US Patent 7335808 - Method for biological and chemical contamination
US Patent Issued on February 26, 2008
Estimated Patent Expiration Date: September 9, 2023
Abstract
Compositions
and methods for destroying biological agents such as toxins and bacteria are provided wherein the substance to be destroyed is contacted with finely divided metal oxide or hydroxide nanocrystals. In various embodiments, the metal oxide or metal hydroxide nanocrystals have reactive atoms stabilized on their surfaces, species adsorbed on their surfaces, or are coated with a second metal oxide. The desired metal oxide or metal hydroxide nanocrystals can be pressed into pellets for use when a powder is not feasible. Preferred metal oxides for the methods include MgO, SrO, BaO, CaO, TiO2, ZrO2, FeO, V2O3, V2O5, Mn2O3, Fe2O3, NiO, CuO, Al2O3, SiO2, ZnO, Ag2O, [Ce(NO3)3—Cu(NO3)2]TiO2, Mg(OH)2, Ca(OH)2, Al(OH)3, Sr(OH)2, Ba(OH)2, Fe(OH)3, Cu(OH)3, Ni(OH)2, Co(OH)2, Zn(OH)2, AgOH, and mixtures thereof
Inventors
Koper, Olga
Klabunde, Kenneth J.
Martin, Lisa S.
Knappenberger, Kyle B.
Hladky, Laura L.
Decker, Shawn P.
Assignee
NanoScale Corporation

If you are looking for a practical application of nanotech to the desulfurization problem, you could do worse than monitoring the progress of NanoScale Corporation in general, and of Olga B. Koper in particular.