Collaborative Research: Development of Anti-fouling Electrochemical Membranes for Water Treatment

1159764/115/8990卓别林/埃布拉德化学与生物分离计划颁发的这项美国国家科学基金会奖支持布莱恩·卓别林和约塞夫·埃拉布教授为水处理应用开发和测试反应性电化学膜(REM)的工作。新颖的REM既能过滤污染物，又能销毁服务中的污染物。这些自清洁特性将使REM在没有膜污染的情况下具有较长的运行寿命，并有可能极大地增强膜技术的应用空间。工作将侧重于通过使用先进的表征技术在基本层面上了解可再生能源管理系统的运作机制。这项工作旨在为新一代反应电极材料奠定基础，这种材料将在大量应用中发挥作用。开发成功的REM将是克服膜分离系统的主要缺陷(膜污染)的重要一步。本文提出的工作有可能为REMS的开发奠定基础，这种REMS可以以最小的污染运行，从而导致更有效的水相分离。这一成果将从根本上改变环境与化学工程领域，并在水处理等领域有着广泛的应用。具体地说，拟议的研究有望对水处理的两个主要领域做出重大贡献：1)膜过滤和2)水消毒。该项目还将培训和发展一名本科生和几名本科生，并将寻求增加来自代表性不足群体的学生对工程研究的参与。拟议的工作还将寻求启动Villanova-Drexel NSF-REU/RET联合计划的开发，重点是：水-能源联系：通过材料、工程和设计的可持续解决方案。这一联合努力将利用大学吗？将重点放在本科教育上，这将是在大费城地区实现社区外展的最有效手段。

1159764/115/8990 Chaplin/Elabd This NSF award by the Chemical and Biological Separations program supports work by Professors Brian Chaplin and Yossef Elabd to develop and test reactive electrochemical membranes (REMs) for water treatment applications. The novel REM acts to both filter and destroy contaminants on its service. These self-cleaning properties will allow the REM to have a long operational life without membrane fouling, and have the potential to greatly enhance the application space of membrane technologies. Work will focus on understanding the mechanisms of operation of the REMs at the fundamental level by using advanced characterization techniques. This work seeks to lay the groundwork for a new generation of reactive electrode materials that will have utility in a vast number of applications. The development of a successful REM would be a monumental step in overcoming the primary downfall of membrane separation systems (Membrane Fouling). The work proposed here has the potential to lay the groundwork for the development of REMs that can operate with minimal fouling which will result in more efficient aqueous separations. Such an accomplishment would radically change the fields of Environmental and Chemical Engineering and has broad applications in water treatment and other fields. Specifically, the proposed research is expected to contribute significantly to two main areas in water treatment: 1) membrane filtration and 2) water disinfection. The project will also result in the training and development of one graduate and several undergraduate students and will seek to increase participation of students from underrepresented groups in engineering research. The proposed work will also seek to initiate the development of a Villanova-Drexel joint NSF-REU/RET program focused on: Water-Energy Nexus: Sustainable Solutions through Materials, Engineering, and Design. This joint effort will utilize the Universities? focus on undergraduate education and will be the most efficient means of achieving community outreach in the greater Philadelphia area.