Electro-Functional Membranes: New Materials for Selective Separations and Catalytic Degradations of Aqueous Environmental Contaminants

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**** * 0* 0* 1* 468* 2670* a* 22* 6* 3132* 14.0* * * * *** * Normal* 0* * * * * false* false* false* * EN-US* JA* X-NONE* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * **** /* Style Definitions */*table.MsoNormalTable* {mso-style-name:"Table Normal";* mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;* mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;* mso-style-noshow:yes;* mso-style-priority:99;* mso-style-parent:"";* mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;* mso-para-margin:0in;* mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;* mso-pagination:widow-orphan;* font-size:12.0pt;* font-family:Cambria;* mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;* mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;* mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;* mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}****A growing*number of recalcitrant pollutants of human health and environmental concern are*entering Canadian and global water and wastewater systems at alarming rates.*While conventional water and wastewater treatment technologies are effective at providing clean, usable water, these methods are*insufficient to remove emerging aquatic contaminants. Unlike naturally*occurring organic aquatic contaminants, emerging recalcitrant contaminants must*not only be removed from aqueous systems, but also degraded. Membrane separation is currently the most effective technology for*purifying water, but conventional membranes lack mechanisms for contaminant*degradation. Many environmental contaminants are highly susceptible to*aggressive oxidative or reductive degradation. This is achievable with electro-*or catalytically-enhanced oxidation and reduction.***My research*seeks to address the increasing challenges of treating contaminated waters by*leading advancements in a new frontier in membrane science – active membranes. My*previous research produced electrically conductive polymer nanocomposite*membranes able to perform efficient and effective aqueous solute separations, while also demonstrating high*electrical conductivity. I propose to build on this success and create active membranes able to both*separate and catalytically degrade emerging pollutants. ***My research*will focus on three areas of advancement: 1) the ability of these novel*electrically conductive membranes to electro-catalytically degrade model*organic contaminants in aqueous solutions. The ability of*these membranes to reductively degrade model aromatic compounds will also be*tested, and their reductive transformation by-products will be tracked. It is hypothesized*that an alternating applied electric potential will enhance the flux*of water across the membrane by preventing surface fouling and reducing surface*concentration polarization. 2) Developing advanced surface modifications using*catalytic nanoparticles grafted to the electrically conductive membrane*surfaces. These grafted catalytic nanoparticles will be able to oxidize organic*contaminants, while the electrically conductive membranes will enhance the*degradation efficacy of these catalysts. 3) Challenging these*electro-catalytically active membranes with real waters containing contaminants*of human health and environmental concern. Real waters contain a variety of*organic compounds, including bacteria, and we will study*the ability of these catalytically active membranes to resist biofouling while degrading recalcitrant contaminants. ***The study and development of such membranes will push the boundaries of membrane*research and their use will improve the quality of Canadian waters and*wastewater, thereby improving the health of Canadians, protecting our*enviro