Materials & Water
Water research is driving revolutionary advancements in clean water supply, toxin remediation, and resource reclamation. Operating at the forefront of the circular water economy—including a leadership role in Great Lakes RENEW, a multi-partner coalition supported by up to $160 million from the National Science Foundation—UChicago PME researchers are leveraging molecular engineering to tackle critical global water crises. Faculty and researchers are developing bio-inspired, atomically precise membranes that mimic biological ion channels to selectively extract valuable resources such as critical minerals from waste streams while filtering out impurities. Furthermore, UChicago PME innovators are pioneering rapid-response environmental technologies, including handheld sensors capable of detecting hazardous "forever chemicals" (PFAS) at minuscule levels as low as 250 parts per quadrillion, alongside novel, non-aqueous electrochemical techniques derived from battery degradation studies to effectively destroy pollutants.
