The collaborative research team is represented by DuPont, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Penn State University, and the University of Texas at Austin.
This research team represents a successful collaboration between academia and industry over the past 6 years where the details of the structure and function of reverse osmosis membranes have been unraveled. Their research covered key innovations in x-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy of reverse osmosis membranes that are the backbone of converting seawater into drinkable water for human consumption. Through the team’s development of new analytical techniques and deep insights into how the chemistry and processing of the materials creates the unique structure of these membranes, this team has identified new directions for understanding material performance and built the knowledge base for developing next-generation water purification technologies.
Some of their work can be found in “Nanoscale control of internal inhomogeneity enhances water transport in desalination membranes”, published in Science in 2021. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abb8518
PMSE will have a session in their honor at the Spring ACS National Meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana in March 2023.