Electrochemistry and Membrane-Based Water Treatment: Synergies and Challenges
David Jassby
Civil and Environmental Engineering, UCLA
ABSTRACT: The treatment and recovery of water from highly contaminated sources remains a serious challenge. Existing treatment technologies can produce the desired water quality, but the costs in terms of energy, chemicals, and physical footprint are often unacceptably high. Electro-active polymeric membranes offer significant advantages over traditional membrane materials. The goal of Jassby’s research program is developing innovative electrically conducting polymeric membrane materials and characterizing their electronic and transport properties. Jassby is also interested in scalable manufacturing methods and treatment processes that utilize the unique properties of these membranes. This talk covers two ongoing research projects: the fabrication and characterization of carbon nanotube-based polymeric membrane materials, and harnessing electrochemical reactions for enhanced water treatment processes.
