Nanotechnology-enabled water treatment
Accessibility to clean, safe and affordable sources of water is a fundamental human requirement that is emerging as a major global threat of the current century. Anthropogenic activities from rapid industrialization, urbanization and use of chemicals in agriculture activities have seriously contaminated the meagre fresh water resources. Water remediation with energy efficient and environmental benign processes are highly attractive and has been given a great deal of attention. Nanotechnology-based water treatment has been one of the highly research areas in water remediation due to its high efficiency, high capacity, facile regeneration and environmentally benign implications. Apart from having a high surface area, nanomaterials also poses a very high surface-to-volume ratio that make them more reactive and offers high adsorption sites. Moreover, unlike bulk materials, nanomaterials show a huge diversity of properties and versatility in functions due to their tunable size, morphology and surface chemistry that makes them ideal materials for use in various water treatment processes.
Currently, the group is working on the use of 1D and 2D nanomaterials for water remediation and resources recovery. Our main research focus is on selective removal of ions (Heavy metal ions) and resources recovery (Lithium) from water. Apart from normal adsorbent for ions removal we also use electrochemical technique for selective removal and recovery of ions. Electrochemical process is an attractive technique for water remediation and resources recovery due to its low cost, energy efficient, environmental friendly and ability to simultaneously treat and remediate multiple contaminants in water. Electrochemical process that can selectively remove specific ion or contaminants from a multi-ion/contaminants system will have huge implications in various water treatment processes ranging from deionization, water softening, resource recovery and heavy metal removal.
Currently, the group is working on the use of 1D and 2D nanomaterials for water remediation and resources recovery. Our main research focus is on selective removal of ions (Heavy metal ions) and resources recovery (Lithium) from water. Apart from normal adsorbent for ions removal we also use electrochemical technique for selective removal and recovery of ions. Electrochemical process is an attractive technique for water remediation and resources recovery due to its low cost, energy efficient, environmental friendly and ability to simultaneously treat and remediate multiple contaminants in water. Electrochemical process that can selectively remove specific ion or contaminants from a multi-ion/contaminants system will have huge implications in various water treatment processes ranging from deionization, water softening, resource recovery and heavy metal removal.
Representative Publications:
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