Abstract:
Understanding and advancing the carbon-energy-water nexus is critical for a sustainable energy future and solving many related environmental issues we face today. Due to the rapid decrease in the cost of renewable energy, it is now practical to design new electrified carbon conversion systems that use renewable electrons to drive the molecular transformation of CO2 and other waste feedstock (wastewater, food waste, biomass) into high-value fuels and chemicals while also recovering important resources such as water, nutrients, and energy. These new green technologies can help displace fossil fuels in various sectors and redirect resource flows within a new circular carbon economy. This presentation will discuss opportunities to leverage cutting-edge electrochemical and biohybrid technologies in environmental and chemical applications, including water and CO2 electrolysis, sustainable chemical manufacturing, bioproduct and biofuel synthesis, and food waste valorization. Lab-scale experiments have demonstrated competitive production rates, titer, and energy efficiencies. Efforts towards improving reactor scalability, expanding the portfolio of products, and integrating new types of waste streams are ongoing.

Biography:
Joshua Jack is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. His research focuses on developing electrified approaches to molecular synthesis and resource recovery. Specifically, his lab focuses on using renewable electricity to convert abundant small molecules and waste feedstocks into valuable chemicals and materials that can address emerging challenges in energy storage, environmental remediation, and circular manufacturing. Joshua previously served as a postdoctoral research scholar in the Andlinger Center for Energy and Environment at Princeton University and holds a doctoral degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder. During his graduate studies, Joshua obtained extensive interdisciplinary research experience at both the DOE- National Renewable Energy Laboratory and NASA Langley Research Center. Please see Prof. Jack’s departmental profile for more details.