Energy
The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) focuses its energy research on three core pillars: advanced energy storage, catalyst design for decarbonization, and energy harvesting. These interdisciplinary initiatives push past traditional departmental silos to tackle global climate and energy challenges.
Core Research and Initiatives
- Advanced Energy Storage: UChicago, in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory, operates one of the nation's largest clusters of energy technology experts. Key research areas include next-generation battery design (such as solid-state and high-capacity lithium-ion), battery recycling, and electrochemistry.
- Energy Technologies Initiative (ETI): Part of the broader Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth (ICSG), this initiative, rooted at UChicago PME, focuses on grid-scale energy storage, green hydrogen production, carbon capture, and sustainable, recyclable materials.
- Researchers also focus on molecular-level tools to extract valuable (e.g., lithium, uranium) or polluting elements from wastewater and seawater.
- Catalyst Design for Decarbonization: Working closely with Argonne, researchers design molecular catalysts to accelerate the chemical reactions needed to convert greenhouse gases into reusable fuels and chemicals.
Academic Programs
UChicago PME offers an Energy and Sustainability Track within its Master of Engineering (MEng) program. This curriculum focuses on battery engineering, electrochemistry, and sustainable systems management. The school also offers a rigorous PhD in Molecular Engineering, allowing students to utilize state-of-the-art facilities at both the university campus and Argonne National Laboratory.
Industry Translation
To ensure academic breakthroughs reach the market, UChicago operates the Energy Transition Network (ETN). This framework unites faculty with industry partners, investors, and policymakers to scale clean energy innovations, supported by business and innovation training from the university's Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Water
University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) focuses its water research primarily in four key areas: sustainable water purification, contaminant sensing, resource extraction/circular economy, and atmospheric water harvesting. This research spans topics from molecular-scale engineering to massive regional deployment.
Sustainable Water Purification & Treatment
- Membrane Technology: UChicago PME researches ion-conducting membranes to understand how water transports charged ions across components for clean energy systems (like fuel cells and redox flow batteries) without compromising membrane structure.
- Biomimetic Materials: Developing nanomaterials, oil-absorbing sponges, and biomimetic materials designed to filter out contaminants at the molecular scale.
Water Quality Sensing and Detection
- PFAS Detection: PME researchers have developed sensors capable of detecting harmful “forever chemicals” (PFAS) in minutes rather than weeks, vastly improving how communities and industries monitor water safety.
- Intelligent Water Systems: Creating wireless sensor networks that continuously monitor both water quality and quantity.
Resource Extraction and Circular Economy (The Energy-Water Nexus)
- Great Lakes ReNEW: UChicago PME is a major co-investigator in the Great Lakes ReNEW coalition—a massive initiative that works to recycle used water into clean resources while simultaneously extracting filtered-out waste minerals and metals to manufacture clean energy batteries.
- Resource Mining: PME scientists also study innovative ways to extract valuable minerals and elements directly from wastewater and groundwater.
Atmospheric Water Harvesting
- Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs): Using highly tunable, porous materials designed at the molecular level, researchers are building systems to pull freshwater directly from thin air. Recent developments in this area have optimized MOFs to adsorb up to \(50\%\) more water than previous iterations.
Much of this research is conducted in close partnership with the nearby Argonne National Laboratory. To explore these initiatives further or connect with ongoing research, visit UChicago PME’s Research Institutes – our problem-solving, interdisciplinary areas of focus. Energy & Water are part of the Institute for Materials and Sustainability at UChicago PME.