Materials Chemistry for Environmental Applications

One aspect of sustainable chemistry is to enable technologies that can be used to minimize environmental and climate-related problems, and in this course you will study how Materials Chemistry can be used for this purpose.

• Course structure

  Below you will find a more detailed break down of the course content.

  1. Pollution remediation and related circularity concepts (process efficiency, recyclability, recovery of valuable chemicals, end-of-use)
  2. Introduction to membrane-based processes, associated materials and characterisation.
  3. Introduction to adsorption-driven processes, associated materials and characterisation.
  4. Porous materials used in water treatment processes.
  5. Biobased materials for water treatment.
  6. Biobased hybrid materials for water purification
  7. Photocatalytic processes and materials for water purification
  8. Nanoporous materials (adsorbents) for air treatment and gas separation
  9. Membrane materials for air treatment and gas separation
  10. Processes for water purification, air treatment and gas separation, energy efficiency and cost.
  11. CO2 capture and storage (CCS)
  12. CO2 as a base chemical, CO2 capture and utilization (CCU)

  Laboratory exercises
  Group activity with focus on:

  • Processing and characterization of materials for environmental applications
  • Performing life cycle analyses (LCA) and critically evaluating the sustainability of the developed materials.

  You will prepare a poster and present to the department.

  Seminars
  Seminars will involve group work and cover:

  • Performing literature review about a given class of material for environmental remediation and prepare a report  
  • Suggesting possible new material concepts to mitigate climate change and environmental pollution
  • Discussing the pros and cons of the presented material with respect to sustainability aspects 

  You will give presentation in class, and act as an opponent for other groups.
   

  Modules

  • Part 1. Theory 4 ECTS
  • Part 2. Laboratory exercises 2.5 ECTS
  • Part 3. Seminar 1 ECTS

  Teaching format

  The education consists of lectures, group work, laboratory exercises, and seminar preparation and presentation.

  All three parts should be completed to get the credits.
  Total: 7.5 ECTS

  
   

  Assessment

  • Part 1, Theory 4 ECTS (assessed by graded written examination)  
  • Part 2, Laboratory exercises 2.5 ECTS (assessed as Pass or Fail)
  • Part 3 Seminar 1 ECTS (assessed as Pass or Fail)

  Examiner

  Aji P Mathew

  Phone:      +46-8-161256 (office)
  E-mail:       aji.mathew@mmk.su.se

  or 

  Niklas Hedin
  Phone:      +46-8-162417 (office)
  E-mail:       niklas.hedin@mmk.su.se

• Schedule
  The schedule will be available no later than one month before the start of the course. We do not recommend print-outs as changes can occur. At the start of the course, your department will advise where you can find your schedule during the course.

  • Schedule KZ8021 SP 2022 Full-time

• Course literature

  Note that the course literature can be changed up to two months before the start of the course.

   Lecture handouts, reading materials, instructions for laboratory exercises (electronic format).

  More literature may be added at a later date.

• Course reports
  • SPRING 2022

  Course_report_KZ8021_SP22.pdf

• Meet us

  Meet our teachers

  Professor Aji Mathew has strong research activity on water treatment with special emphases on nanocellulose based charged membranes for adsorption. Processing of biobased nanoparticles and hybrids as well as in depth characterisation of surface chemistry, pore structure and adsorption processes.

  Professor Niklas Hedin has current research focus on adsorbents and catalysts for separation or reduction of carbon dioxide, and on carbon materials derived from hydrothermal carbonization. A multipronged approach is applied, that includes among other tools molecular spectroscopy.

  He regularly teaches in both lower and upper division courses.  

• Contact

  Aji P Mathew

  Phone:      +46-8-161256 (office)
  E-mail:       aji.mathew@mmk.su.se

  or 

  Niklas Hedin
  Phone:      +46-8-162417 (office)
  E-mail:       niklas.hedin@mmk.su.se

  
  Chemistry Section & Student Affairs Office:
  Office:        Chemical Practice Laboratory M345
  E-mail:       chemistry@su.se
  http://www.kemi.su.se/english