SynHiSel
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bath
Department Name: Chemical Engineering
Abstract
Chemical separations are critical to almost every aspect of our daily lives, from the energy we use to the medications we take, but consume 10-15% of the total energy used in the world. It has been estimated that highly selective membranes could make these separations 10-times more energy efficient and save 100 million tonnes/year of carbon dioxide emissions and £3.5 billion in energy costs annually (US DoE). More selective separation processes are essential to "maximise the advantages for UK industry from the global shift to clean growth", and will assist the move towards "low carbon technologies and the efficient use of resources" (HM Govt Clean Growth Strategy, 2017). In the healthcare sector there is growing concern over the cost of the latest pharmaceuticals, which are often biologicals, with an unmet need for highly selective separation of product-related impurities such as active from inactive viruses (HM Govt Industrial Strategy 2017). In the water sector, the challenges lie in the removal of ions and small molecules at very low concentrations, so-called micropollutants (Cave Review, 2008). Those developing sustainable approaches to chemicals manufacture require novel separation approaches to remove small amounts of potent inhibitors during feedstock preparation. Manufacturers of high-value products would benefit from higher recovery offered by more selective membranes.
In all these instances, higher selectivity separation processes will provide a step-change in productivity, a critical need for the UK economy, as highlighted in the UK Government's Industrial Strategy and by our industrial partners.
SynHiSel's vision is to create the high selectivity membranes needed to enable the adoption of a novel generation of emerging high-value/high-efficiency processes.
Our ambition is to change the way the global community perceives performance, with a primary focus on improved selectivity and its process benefits - while maintaining gains already made in permeance and longevity.
In all these instances, higher selectivity separation processes will provide a step-change in productivity, a critical need for the UK economy, as highlighted in the UK Government's Industrial Strategy and by our industrial partners.
SynHiSel's vision is to create the high selectivity membranes needed to enable the adoption of a novel generation of emerging high-value/high-efficiency processes.
Our ambition is to change the way the global community perceives performance, with a primary focus on improved selectivity and its process benefits - while maintaining gains already made in permeance and longevity.
Organisations
- University of Bath (Lead Research Organisation)
- University of Melbourne (Collaboration)
- ExxonMobil (United States) (Project Partner)
- Laser Micromachining Limited (Project Partner)
- BP (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Nanotherics Ltd (Project Partner)
- Cytiva Europe (Project Partner)
- Graphene Water Technologies (Project Partner)
- Evonik (Germany) (Project Partner)
- Exactmer Limited (Project Partner)
- Naturbeads Ltd (Project Partner)
- RFC Power (Project Partner)
- Pall Corporation (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- DuPont (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
Publications
Zuo P
(2023)
Near-frictionless ion transport within triazine framework membranes.
in Nature
Zoumpouli G
(2024)
Reimagining the shape of porous tubular ceramics using 3D printing
in Applied Materials Today
Yu M
(2023)
CO2 separation using thin film composite membranes of acid-hydrolyzed PIM-1
in Journal of Membrane Science
Yu M
(2023)
Methanol Vapor Retards Aging of PIM-1 Thin Film Composite Membranes in Storage.
in ACS macro letters
Ye C
(2022)
Long-Life Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Batteries Enabled by Amidoxime-Functionalized Ion-Selective Polymer Membranes
in Angewandte Chemie
Ye C
(2022)
Development of efficient aqueous organic redox flow batteries using ion-sieving sulfonated polymer membranes.
in Nature communications
Ye C
(2022)
Long-Life Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Batteries Enabled by Amidoxime-Functionalized Ion-Selective Polymer Membranes.
in Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)
Wang A
(2022)
Solution-Processable Redox-Active Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity for Electrochemical Energy Storage.
in Journal of the American Chemical Society
Wang A
(2023)
Ion-Selective Microporous Polymer Membranes with Hydrogen-Bond and Salt-Bridge Networks for Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Batteries.
in Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
Description | BEIS CCUS ECPF Steering Group meeting. |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Description | contribution to People and skills in UK science, technology, engineering and mathematics, Science and Technology Committee (Lords), 24/10/22. |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
URL | https://committees.parliament.uk/work/6838/people-and-skills-in-uk-science-technology-engineering-an... |
Description | 3D-printed membranes for effective removal of antibiotics prepared using biodegradable fillers |
Amount | £138,734 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NIF\R1\221820 |
Organisation | The Royal Society |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2023 |
End | 03/2025 |
Description | Design, Program, Evolve: Engineering efficient electrochemical devices for a net-zero world |
Amount | £1,987,344 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/W03395X/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 11/2022 |
End | 10/2026 |
Description | Sustainable manufacturing of membranes for water treatment and purification |
Amount | £12,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | The Royal Society |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2022 |
End | 01/2024 |
Description | Collaboration with University of Melbourne, Australia |
Organisation | University of Melbourne |
Country | Australia |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Supervision of doctoral student in The University of Manchester, UK |
Collaborator Contribution | Supervision of doctoral student in the University of Melbourne, Australia |
Impact | Publication: M. Yu, A.B. Foster, C.A. Scholes, S.E. Kentish and P.M. Budd, Methanol Vapor Retards Aging of PIM-1 Thin Film Composite Membranes in Storage, ACS Macro Lett., 2023, 12, 113-117. |
Start Year | 2021 |