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Materials for the Environment

(Supported by NIH-CCNE, NSF-MWN, NSF-INT, NMH, ENH, NNIN)

We use sponge membranes as platform materials to leverage the environmental remediation capabilities of nanomaterials for a variety of applications including oil spill cleanup, nutrient recovery, heavy metal remediation, microplastics remediation, and moisture-driven carbon capture. The nanomaterials we work with are exceptionally versatile due to their high surface area, various functionalities (biocompatibility, superparamagnetism, RF-induced thermal activation, catalytic properties, etc), and their ability to be tailored to specific applications through targeted functionalization. In order to effectively deploy these structures, we incorporate them into sponges, or other 3D porous membranes. Our subgroup also characterizes these novel composite materials with a variety of advanced microscopy and spectroscopy techniques. Our current or recent areas of focus are listed below:

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Representative Publications:

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