Title: Nanofluidic membranes for fast molecular and ionic separations

Abstract

Membranes are indispensable for a wide range of separation and ion conduction processes such as in the fields of energy, water, food, healthcare, mining, chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing. When membrane pore sizes decrease to the size of molecules and ions, new physical constraints (known as nanoconfinement) strongly affect the behaviour of the fluid, inducing new properties not observed in larger structures. Nanomaterials such as metal–organic frameworks (MOF) and 2D materials have been explored for construction of nanofluidic membranes for a range of separation applications such as gas separation, chiral separation, and ion separation due to their structural diversity, and tuneable chemistry and functionality. In this presentation, I will focus on our effort on the development of nanofluidic membranes for transport and separation of molecules and ions, with aims at gaining a better understanding of how the structures and chemistry of membranes can be tailored and functionalised to achieve desirable separation properties

Bio

Dr Huanting Wang is a Professor and an ARC Australian Laureate Fellow in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering Monash University and Director of the ARC Research Hub for Energy-efficient Separation. His research focuses on membranes and nanomaterials for gas separation, water desalination, water purification, chiral separation, ion transport and separation, and electrochemical energy applications. He has co-authored over 400 journal papers and had 11 patents licensed for commercialisation, and his research has led to the establishment of three startup companies in Australia.