# Presentation: 515116

## Chemical and Biological

**Chemical and Biological**
**Separations (CBS)**
**Program**

***Chemical, Biochemical, and Biotechnology Systems Cluster***

**Rosemarie D. Wesson**
**Program Director**
***rwesson@nsf.gov***
***703-292-7070***

## Scope

**Scope**

-  ***Novel Materials for Separations***
-  **Polymers, zeolites, nanostructures**
** ****Solid adsorbants, liquid extractants**
** ****Membranes for environmental, separations, and**
**   ****fuel-cell applications**
-  *** ******Separation Processes***
**  ****Extraction, ion exchange, distillation, crystallization,**
**    ****filtration, chromatography**
**  ****Field-induced effects**
-   ***Molecular Engineering of Chemical,***
***   ******Biochemical, and Materials Systems***
-   **Modeling of transport processes**
**  ****Functionalized materials for membranes and**
**    ****adsorbents**

##  NSF Investment Areas

***CBS participates in the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI)***
*** ***
***Thematic Areas Relevant to Separations***
** **
** ****Nanoporous-microporous materials**
** ****Molecular engineering of membranes and**
**  ****   ****sorbents**
** ****Molecular modeling of transport processes**

** ****NSF Investment Areas**

## Research Trends

-  ***Innovation in Chemical and Materials***
***  ******Processes***
** ****Environmental: removal of waste**
**   ****materials**
** ****Energy: fuel-cell membranes**
** ****Specialty chemicals: increased**
**   ****resolution **
-  ***Biochemical Separations***
-  **Electrophoretic separations of DNA**
** ****Charged membranes for separating**
**   ****proteins**

**Research Trends**

## Examples of Current Studies

***Examples of Current Studies***

*** ******Dendritic nanoscale ligands for application to***
***  ******  ******water purification***
*** ******A combinatorial approach for controlled***
***  ******  ******crystallization of polymorphs***
*** ******Electrophoretic separation of long DNA molecules***
***  ******  ******with high resolution at nanoscale dimensions***
*** ******Zeolite sorbents for sulfur removal through***
***  ******  ******formation of weak chemical bonds between***
***  ******  ******metal ions and sulfur***

## Microstructural Optimization of High Selectivity Molecular Sieve Membranes 

**CTS-0522518**
**Molecular sieves recognize molecules based on shape and size. **
** **
**A thin, oriented molecular sieve film is capable of separating **
**o-xylene from p-xylene.****  **

** ****Michael Tsapatsis**

## Fluids Race Through 

***In this illustration, water travels through carbon nanotubes at a high rate***

**Fluids Race Through **
**Nearly Frictionless Carbon Nanotubes**

**In living cells, fluids flow rapidly through miniscule, nearly frictionless, protein channels. **
**Carbon nanotubes only 7 nm in diameter can mimic nearly friction-free flow. Some fluid substances move through channels 10,000-100,000 times faster than models had predicted. **
**Bruce Hinds, CTS 0348544**

## CBET 0515425 - “Collaborative Research: Reverse-Selective Membrane Materials for the Purification of Hydrogen & Other Light”Freeman, The University of Texas at Austin

- Polymer Membrane Design for Hydrogen & Natural Gas Production
- Hydrogen’s Potential Use in Fuel Cells
- Purification of Natural Gas
- Obtaining Hydrogen
- Historically from Steam Reforming of Hydrocarbons (i.e Methane, Coal, etc.) and Leaving Carbon Dioxide at High Pressure
- Presently, Mostly Use Glassy, Stiff-chain Polymers that Are Far More Permeable to Small Molecules than to Large Molecules
- Goal of Polymer Membrane to Leave Hydrogen at High Pressure
- Same Membrane Exhibits Separation Properties for the Removal of Acid Gas Components, such as CO2, from Natural Gas as Part of Purification Process of Natural Gas to Bring it to Pipeline Quality

**Credit: Benny D. Freeman,**
**The University of Texas at Austin**** **

**Molecular Simulation of Separation of CO****2**** from Mixtures with H****2**** by Crosslinked Poly (Ethylene Elycol) Diacrylate Membrane .  H****2**** is Small White Molecule and CO****2**** is  Larger Molecule Left Hand Side of Membrane is High Pressure Feed Side and Right Hand Side is Low Pressure Permeate Side Desired H****2**** Product on High Pressure Feed Side of Membrane.**

## Opportunities in FY 2008

**Opportunities in FY 2008**

**	**
***  ******Environmental remediation and***
***   ******pollution prevention***
*******  ******Biological separations***
***  ******Membranes for the detection of ***
***   ******chemical constituents of explosives***
*******  ******Fuel-cell membranes***

## Distribution by Topic

***Distribution by Topic***

*** ******Distribution of Active Grants ***
***  ****** ******by Research Area***
**Membranes****	**** ****	****	****35%**
**Adsorbents****	**** ****	****	****25%**
**Field-induced effects****	****15%**
**Chromatography****	****   ****	****  5%**
**Distillation****	****   ****	****  ****	****  5%**
**Crystallization****	****   ****	****  ****	****  5%**
**Transport modeling****	****  ****	****  5%**
**Other****	****	****	****  ****	****	****  5%**

## FY07 Budget and Distribution

**FY07 Budget and Distribution**

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|  | # | $ | % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Unsolicited | 16 | $3,023,418  | 71% |
| Continuing | 5 | 444,845.00 | 10% |
| Shared | 1 | 25,000.00 | 1% |
| CAREER | 1 | 400,002.00 | 9% |
| NIRT/NER | 2 | 112,416.00 | 3% |
| Conferences/Workshops | 7 | 34,500.00 | 0.81% |
| Supplements | 9 | 117,308.00 | 2.75% |
| Misc |  | 106,414.41 | 2.50% |
| Total |  | $4.3 M | 100% |

##  CBS Website

**        ****www.nsf.gov/eng/cbet/activites/**
**	**
**     ****Then click on ‘CBET Home’ Link and**
**     ****select the CBS Program.**

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