CREST-Postdoctoral Research Fellowship: Investigating Non-Biofouling (NB) Membrane Materials as Forward Osmosis (FO) Membranes to Remediate from Saltwater Intrusion Las Cucharillas

卓越研究中心在科学和技术博士后研究奖学金（CREST-PRF）的CREST计划内的轨道支持开始CREST中心研究人员具有显着的潜力，并为他们提供培训和研究经验，将拓宽视野，促进跨学科的互动，并建立他们在科学界的领导地位。该CREST-PRF项目与波多黎各大学-里奥皮德拉斯校区的CREST环境纳米技术创新研究和教育中心的研究重点保持一致。本研究的目标是为博士后研究员调查水修复处理从盐度入侵通过基于新型聚合物的脱盐方法。拟议的工作有可能增加对Las Cucharillas社区沃茨的了解。拟议的工作旨在研究通过使用新型聚合物的脱盐方法，通过详细检查水修复处理从盐度入侵到含水层的盐度入侵。该研究的一个具体目标是合成具有可用于海水环境的非生物污染特征的材料。研究了一种环境友好的两性离子型聚甲基丙烯酸羧基甜菜碱（PCBMA）聚合物。这种亲水性聚合物的这种利用具有可以防止有机物附着的水净化应用的潜力。该方法具有保护岛屿地下水资源和相关自然生态系统的潜力。该项目的成功实施有可能产生重要的信息，通过新兴的聚合物接枝技术促进对亲水聚合物使用的理解。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

The Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology-Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (CREST-PRF) track within the CREST program supports beginning CREST Center investigators with significant potential and provides them with training and research experiences that will broaden perspectives, facilitate interdisciplinary interactions and establish them in positions of leadership within the scientific community. This CREST-PRF project is aligned with the research focus of the CREST Center for Innovation Research and Education in Environmental Nanotechnology at the University of Puerto Rico – Rio Piedras Campus. The goal of this research is for the post doctoral fellow to investigate water remediation treatment from salinity intrusion via a desalination method based on novel polymers. The proposed work has the potential to increase understanding about the waters in the Las Cucharillas community. The proposed work intends to study salinity intrusion into water aquifers through a detailed examination of water remediation treatment from salinity intrusion via a desalination method using novel polymers. A specific aim of the research is to synthesize materials with non-biofouling features that may be used in seawater environments. An environmentally friendly zwitterionic poly(carboxybetainmethacrylate) (PCBMA) based polymer will be studied and characterized. This utilization of this hydrophilic polymer has the potential to have water purification applications which may prevent organic matter attachment. This proposed method has the potential to preserve the island groundwater sources and associated natural ecosystems. The successful implementation of this project has the potential to yield significant information to advance understanding regarding the use of hydrophilic polymers via emerging polymeric grafting techniques.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.