The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded $300,008 to two UH Cullen College of Engineering professors for their research into the development of coatings designed to play a role in water purification.
The award began in summer 2019 and will last three years for the project titled “Rates and Mechanisms of Biofouling and Mineral Scaling on Zwitterionic Amphiphilic Copolymer Surfaces.” The researchers, both associate professors of civil and environmental engineering, believe the project may take longer.
“What we’re trying to do is prevent any buildup of contaminants by coating a membrane with a special polymer,” explained Yandi Hu , who is the principal investigator for the research project at UH. “Our goal is to end up with pure water by rejecting all unwanted matter, like toxic metals, ions and biohazards.”