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UID:0-6131@eng.ufl.edu
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231024T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231024T100000
DTSTAMP:20231016T191108Z
URL:https://www.eng.ufl.edu/news-events/events/che-molecularly-tunable-pol
 ymer-membranes-for-precise-chemical-separations/
SUMMARY:CHE: Molecularly tunable polymer membranes for precise chemical sep
 arations
DESCRIPTION:Title: Molecularly tunable polymer membranes for precise chemic
 al separations\nAbstract: Highly selective polymer membranes could revolut
 ionize how industrial separations for ions\, liquids\, and gases are perfo
 rmed due to their inherent energy efficiency. Unfortunately\, identifying 
 polymer functional groups that could enable precision separations is hinde
 red by synthetic difficulties of efficiently incorporating diverse chemica
 l moieties into well-controlled polymer structures.\nWe addressed these ch
 allenges by developing a versatile synthetic platform using active ester 
 “click” chemistry to prepare controlled libraries of functionalized me
 mbranes for ion separations in aqueous solutions. Hydrogel networks were p
 repared using active ester co-monomers that can be functionalized after po
 lymerization with a wide array of ligands while maintaining direct control
  over polymer architecture and functionality. Using this platform\, we fou
 nd that interactions between divalent ions and grafted Lewis-base ligands 
 (e.g.\, imidazole) increase divalent salt sorption while slowing diffusion
 \, increasing divalent/monovalent ion selectivity. Pulsed-Field Gradient N
 MR measurements further reveal how microscale water\, cation\, and anion t
 ransport is coupled with membrane hydration and ligand chemistry.\n“Clic
 k” chemistry thus offers a powerful and versatile tool to enable mechani
 stic insights into macroscopic and microscopic transport in polymer membra
 nes. Looking forward\, my group aims to develop new modular strategies for
  studying transport mechanisms in next-generation membranes for carbon cap
 ture\, hydrocarbon purification\, and perfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) reme
 diation.\nBio: Dr. Joshua Moon is an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engin
 eering at UF. Prior to joining UF faculty in 2023\, he worked as a postdoc
 toral researcher at UC Santa Barbara under the guidance of Prof. Craig Haw
 ker and Prof. Rachel Segalman as part of the Center for Materials for Wate
 r and Energy Systems (M-WET) in the Materials Science Department and Depar
 tment of Chemical Engineering. He received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineeri
 ng in 2019 from the University of Texas at Austin where he was an NSF Grad
 uate Research Fellow under the advisement of Prof. Benny Freeman and Prof.
  Donald Paul. His prior research focused on multicomponent gas and vapor t
 ransport in glassy and rubbery polymers and macroscopic and molecular scal
 e transport in polymers for ion-selective separations.\nDr. Moon’s resea
 rch group at UF aims to tackle Grand Challenges in clean water\, energy\, 
 and sustainability by coupling innovative soft material design for membran
 es and adsorbents with a fundamental understanding of molecular transport 
 in polymers that is informed by polymer physics and thermodynamics. Curren
 t applications for his research span conventional and direct air capture o
 f CO2\, selective hydrocarbon separations\, environmental remediation of w
 ater resources\, PFAS capture and removal\, and sustainable use of polymer
  materials.
CATEGORIES:Seminars
LOCATION:HPNP 1404\, 1225 Center Drive\, Gainesville\, Florida\, 32611\, Un
 ited States
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