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Selective, Decentralized & Circular Systems
Our research develops physicochemical processes to transform harmful contaminants, generate treatment chemicals on demand, and recover valuable resources from complex water streams. We seek to control chemical reactions and transport with high selectivity while reducing energy use, chemical consumption, and waste generation.By integrating fundamental understanding of engineered interfaces with process and system design, we aim to create compact, robust, and decentralized water technologies for fit-for-purpose water reuse, resource recovery, and sustainable chemical management.
Decentralized Water Systems
Conventional water systems (blue arrows) often follow a centralized and linear model, in which water, treatment chemicals, and other resources are transported over long distances, used once, and ultimately discharged as waste. In contrast, decentralized water systems (green arrows) treat water closer to the point of use or waste generation, enabling local water reuse, on-demand chemical generation, and resource recovery.By integrating these functions into modular and adaptable treatment systems, decentralized approaches can reduce infrastructure and transportation demands, improve resource and energy efficiency, and create more circular material flows. Distributed treatment capacity can also enhance system resilience by reducing dependence on centralized infrastructure and allowing treatment to respond to local water quality, resource availability, and changing operational needs.
Electrochemical Water Treatment
We develop electrochemical processes and reactive electrodes to selectively transform contaminants in complex water matrices. Our research focuses on controlling interfacial reactions, electron transfer, and mass transport to improve contaminant degradation while limiting undesirable byproducts and energy demand.We investigate electrode materials, reaction mechanisms, and flow-through reactor designs that translate molecular-scale understanding into efficient treatment processes. Our goal is to develop compact, robust, and adaptable electrochemical technologies for decentralized water treatment and reuse.
On-Demand Chemical Generation
We develop electrochemical processes to produce treatment chemicals on-site and on demand using electricity and locally available feedstocks. Target products include hydrogen peroxide and other oxidants, chlorine-based disinfectants, acids, and bases, reducing dependence on centralized chemical manufacturing, transportation, storage, and handling.Our research focuses on improving the selectivity, efficiency, stability, and integration of these processes with downstream water treatment. On-demand acid and base generation can also enable pH control, membrane regeneration, resource recovery, and carbon management; in particular, locally generated alkalinity can promote CO₂ capture and sequestration.
Reactive Membrane Filtration
We develop reactive membranes that integrate selective separation and contaminant transformation within a single process. By introducing catalytic functionality into nanofiltration membranes, contaminants that are difficult to remove by conventional size- or charge-based separation can be transformed while desirable water constituents are selectively retained or transported.Our research examines how nanoconfinement, interfacial reactions, and molecular transport influence membrane selectivity, reaction pathways, and fouling or scaling behavior. These insights guide the design of multifunctional membranes for efficient and compact water treatment.
Resource Recovery & Valorization
Wastewater and brines contain valuable nutrients and critical elements that are often lost during conventional treatment. We develop selective membranes, electrodes, and functional interfaces that preferentially transport, capture, or extract target species such as lithium, nitrogen, phosphorus, and other critical elements from complex water matrices.We also investigate process integration to translate material-level selectivity into practical recovery systems by coupling separation, concentration, regeneration, and product recovery. Our goal is to transform waste streams into valuable resource streams and support more decentralized and circular water systems.
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