Project Info
Experimental and computational investigation of degradation of perfluoroalkyl substances
Shubham Vyas | svyas@mines.edu
Perfluoroalkyl substances are man-made material and have found numerous applications. However, nature does not know how to degrade these chemicals. Recent health advisory levels issued by EPA has alarmed the research community to come up with effective ways to degrade these chemicals. This project will support our previous efforts (https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1710079&HistoricalAwards=false) in understanding the chemistry of perfluorochemicals in order to devise novel technologies to degrade these compounds.
More Information
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1710079&HistoricalAwards=false
https://www.epa.gov/pfas/basic-information-pfas
Grand Engineering Challenge: Provide access to clean water
Student Preparation
Qualifications
A junior level or above,
Should have taken Org Chem, and PChem class; or, should be taking these classes concurrently.
Time Commitment
40 hours/month
Skills/Techniques Gained
Exposure to chemistry laboratory techniques, chemical synthesis and chemical computations using the mines high performance supercomputer.
Mentoring Plan
Weekly individual meetings with the PI, and more day-to-day interaction with the graduate student involved in the project. In addition, the student will be making group meeting presentations about two times a semester.