You are welcome to join the department as Nathan Grishkewich defends his PhD thesis, which explores the synthesis of new cellulose nanomaterials nanocomposites tailored towards advanced water treatment operations, and the construction and evaluation of continuous water treatment processes utilizing cellulose nanomaterials nanocomposites.
Abstract
Many advanced water treatment processes have been designed and implemented to purify water, such as adsorption, photocatalysis, and membrane filtration processes. All these processes have the potential to be enhanced through the use of nanotechnology, however, it is paramount that we use materials that are both functional and sustainable.
The most abundant resource on the planet, cellulose, fits the above criteria, as it is the source of cellulose nanomaterials (CNs). CNs encompass both cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and cellulose nanofibres (CNFs), and they possess many excellent properties, such as high specific strength, enormous surface area, high dispersibility in water, and immense potential for modification via the surface hydroxyl groups. Their ease of modification and abundance make them excellent candidates for water treatment applications, both in pristine form and as nanocomposites. They can be easily incorporated into both aerogel and hydrogel structures for adsorbing contaminants, coated with semiconducting metal oxides as supports for photocatalysts, and embedded in membranes to enhance strength and functionality in membrane filtration processes.
This thesis will explore (1) the synthesis of new CN nanocomposites tailored towards advanced water treatment operations, and (2) the construction and evaluation of continuous water treatment processes utilizing CN nanocomposites.
Supervisor: Professor Michael Tam