Water Research
The center focuses on novel ways of remediating water, taking advantage of hydrophobic molecular sieves and liquid-phase oxidation chemistry. Among the compounds being investigated are:
- pharmaceuticals and personal-care products
- hormones and metabolites
- antioxidants
- steroids and growth stimulants
- pesticides and insecticides
- fragrances, solvents, fire retardants, and plasticizers
Some of these harmful compounds escape conventional water treatment technologies. Therefore, the center is developing better ways to detect hazardous chemicals, assess their risks, and remove and destroy them, making water safer for plants, animals, and humans. In addition to laboratory studies, center researchers make use of state-of-the-art computational chemistry techniques to predict favorable guest-host interactions and to understand what factors lead to favorable, or unfavorable, interactions. The ultimate objective of the research program is to develop engineered systems for practical applications.
Maintained by webmaster@wpi.eduLast modified: July 02, 2008 14:51:16