Innovation in materials and membranes provides opportunity for enhancing water and food safety, diversifying and expanding water and food sources, protecting nutrient quality and bio-availability, and improving human health and well-being. Food and water are transitioned from their original sources into resources for animal feed and human food through production, processing, packaging, and distribution/retail stages. Throughout these stages, membranes and materials for physical and chemical separations, microbiological control, analysis and measurement, capture and containment are required.

Synergistic partnerships, among scientific disciplines and between private-public entities, encourage innovation in the design and applications of materials and membranes for discoveries and advancements in water and food processing and packaging. The objective of this discussion is to showcase the engagement of chemists, engineers, and food scientists in approaching and resolving challenges relating to water and food processing, safety, and quality and the relationship to the consumer. Three featured examples, relating to membranes and materials, include:

• Aquaculture: Recirculating water for the purpose of raising fish has high economic and global impact by increasing sustainable supply of high quality food proteins for feeding the growing global population. Challenges include the need for removing biosolids, small molecular weight molecules, and bacteria that influence fish health and quality of the fish as a food source.
• Water Safety from Source and Supplier to the Consumer: Protecting public health is the primary role of water treatment. Changes in water disinfectant treatment, e.g. chlorine to chloramine, affect material stability, safety and performance and can lead to significant economic impacts and consumer concerns.
• Food Packaging Functionality: Protecting food and beverage freshness from processing to purchase requires understanding of the food system, the process, and storage conditions. Innovative materials that interfere with light energy can protect beverage and food quality for retaining freshness and nutrient retention for enhancing human health.

Expanding our scientific continuum from molecule to materials through process, package and consumer perspective enriches and guides scientific discovery.

The National Academy of Engineering identified “providing access to clean water” as one of the top 10 grand challenges for engineering in the 21^st century. A central requirement for safe drinking water is the availability of low-cost and real-time water quality monitoring. Current detection methods for critical analytes in water are often too expensive or unsuitable for in-situ and real-time detection (an unmet need). As a result, there is a lack of water quality monitoring along the water distribution line and at the point of use, which is inadequate because of potential deterioration in water quality within water distribution systems (e.g., Flint Water Crisis). This talk will unveil a powerful approach to real-time water sensors through a graphene-based field-effect transistor platform. The working principle of the sensor is that the conductivity of 2D nanomaterial channel (usually measured in resistance) changes upon binding of chemical or biological species to molecular probes anchored on the graphene surface. As such, the presence and the concentration of analytes, such as heavy metals, bacteria, and nutrients, can be rapidly determined by measuring the sensor resistance change. The talk will introduce the performance of the sensor for detection of various water contaminants and focus on the molecular engineering aspects of the sensor device through both theoretical and experimental approaches. The talk will end with a brief introduction on the translation of the platform technology from concept to prototype product through partnership with industries.

Nanocellulose is an interesting material with unique properties and chemistry. We have worked to exploit these characteristics to develop new functional thin films and aerogels. We have developed a new method for the preparation of well-dispersed cellulose nanofibrils and nanocrystals. Advantageously, the method does not require the use of harsh acids and excludes the use of catalytic oxidants such as 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidine-N-oxy (TEMPO) . Furthermore, the nanofibrils and nanocrystals produced by the method are easily re-dispersible and give stable aqueous dispersions. Transparent, robust nanocellulose thin films were prepared with outstanding anti-fogging properties. Most recently, nanocellulose was used to prepare aerogel/foam materials using a new fabrication method. The aerogels are mechanically stable and robust. Our new aerogel fabrication process obviates the need to use freeze-drying or low pressure solvent removal. We will present data on new nanocellulose aerogels with densities ranging from 5-100 mg/cm³.

Thermoelectric thin film devices were prepared from the alternating nanolayers of Si and Si+Ge to form the Si/Si+Ge thin films structures using DC/RF magnetron sputtering system. Fabricated thermoelectric devices were treated at different temperatures for an hour for each case to form quantum (nano) structures in the alternating nanolayers of Si and Si+Ge to increase both the Seebeck coefficients and the electrical conductivity and decrease the thermal conductivity. The prepared Si/Si+Ge thin film thermoelectric devices were characterized using the Seebeck coefficient measurement; the four probe van der Pauw resistivity measurement and the laser thermal conductivity systems for in-plane geometries. The surface morphology of the fabricated thermoelectric films is characterized using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM+EDS). Thermal treatment showed positive effects on the thermoelectric properties of Si/Si+Gethin films on the selected temperatures. The findings will be presented during the meeting.

Acknowledgement

Research was sponsored by NSF with grant numbers NSF-HBCU-RISE-1546965, DOD with grant numbers W911 NF-08-1-0425, and W911NF-12-1-0063, U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE-NNSA) with grant numbers DE-NA0001896 and DE-NA0002687.

Thermoelectric devices were prepared from Bi₂Te₃/Sb₂Te₃ thin films using DC/RF magnetron sputtering system. Fabricated devices were annealed at different temperatures to form nanostructures in the multilayer thin films to increase both the Seebeck coefficients and electrical conductivity and decrease thermal conductivity. The thermoelectric devices were characterized using Seebeck coefficient measurement system; four probe van der Pauw measurement resistivity system and the laser thermal conductivity system. The surface morphology of the fabricated thermoelectric films is characterized using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM/EDS).

Acknowledgement

Research was sponsored by NSF with grant numbers NSF-HBCU-RISE-1546965, DOD with grant numbers W911 NF-08-1-0425, and W911NF-12-1-0063, U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE-NNSA) with grant numbers DE-NA0001896 and DE-NA0002687.