Georgia Tech Engineers Develop Carbon Membranes Enabling Efficient Removal and Concentration of Organic Molecules from Water

A recent publication from the Lively Lab was featured in a GT ChBE news article. Led by Haley White, a team developed rigid, carbon membranes that effectively remove and concentrate small organic molecules (such as solvents) from water. Published in PNAS, this discovery challenges conventional understanding and expands understanding of membrane behavior when rigid membrane materials are employed. To unravel the mystery, the group applied an analysis developed by Professor William Koros (a co-author on this study) in a paper published in AIChE journal in 2005 (“Sorp-Vection; An Unusual Membrane-Based Separation”). The potential applications for these membranes are wide-ranging, with particular promise in biorefineries where valuable organic species are often highly dilute in aqueous media. Check out the PNAS article here.