Chemistry for
Environmental Remediation
& Sustainability

My group aims to develop a multi-disciplinary approach to studying physical and chemical transformations in liquid-phase systems, with a focus on environmental and energy-related methods and materials. Our research is guided by two main thrusts: (1) Environmental Remediation and Sustainability, and (2) Energy Harvesting and Storage. The first research area concentrates on innovative solutions for environmental remediation and sustainability in water treatment and resource recovery. The second aims to develop advanced methods that support the global pursuit of sustainable energy solutions.
By pursuing these interconnected research tracks, my research seeks to offer novel strategies for addressing environmental issues, improving resource utilization, and enhancing energy storage capabilities. Training in this research group involves investigating aqueous and organic chemical systems to drive reactions thermally, photolytically, and electrolytically. This includes mastering materials characterization techniques (e.g., XRD, XPS, SEM-EDS) and analytical chemistry methods (e.g., chromatography, mass spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy), as well as developing skills in writing and public speaking.

Advanced reduction processes for applications in water treatment

Physical separation methods, such as adsorption and filtration, are highly effective for water treatment due to their low costs and ease of integration into existing infrastructure. In addition, chemical methods like advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are often used to destroy organic pollutants but struggle with contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Therefore, alternative strategies, such as advanced reduction processes (ARPs), offer promising solutions. Our approach focuses on developing ARP technologies that can chemically destroy a wide range of contaminants with minimal or no chemical additives, thereby reducing costs and avoiding toxic by-products. For ARPs to be viable on a large scale, they must be efficient, cost-effective, and compatible with existing water treatment systems. To support this, we use photochemical systems to investigate the underlying mechanisms and electron transfer pathways of these processes, with the goal of applying this knowledge to improve electrochemical systems.

Advanced materials for pollution remediation and resource recovery

An estimated 25–40% of the world's drinking water comes from groundwater, which is also crucial for agriculture and industrial processes. However, groundwater can be contaminated by both human activities and natural factors, including unregulated waste disposal, excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides, industrial spills, and urban runoff. These contaminants pose serious public health risks, such as poisoning and the spread of diseases. We aim to develop cost-efficient remediation strategies that achieve chemical transformation without requiring additional chemical amendments or energy inputs, while minimizing contamination risks. By considering factors such as free energy, chemical reactivity, and toxicity, we can use materials science to synthesize and develop a diverse range of materials for addressing various contaminants, enhancing their applicability and versatility. Additionally, materials can be engineered to recover resources from water, thereby challenging and potentially transforming existing paradigms towards water resource recovery facilities.

Electrochemistry for applications in water resource recovery facilities

The development of mature renewable energy technologies, such as photovoltaics, has significantly increased the practicality of using electrochemistry to address environmental challenges. Fossil fuel-based electricity generation is a major contributor to climate change due to CO2 emissions. In contrast, renewable electricity can simultaneously address CO2 pollution, energy generation, and energy storage through processes like CO2 reduction reactions and water splitting. This research focuses on developing electrochemical strategies to sequester CO2 while producing fuels, commodity chemicals, and hydrogen for energy storage and pollution remediation. By integrating these processes, we have the potential to advance water resource recovery facilities through the electrification of water treatment. Thus, we are interested in understanding the electrochemistry of CO2 reduction reactions, with a particular focus on interactions with solvated constituents. Similarly, we aim to explore water splitting as a method for both water remediation and energy storage.