Department Seminar Series - Dr. Jessica Ray
University of Washington, Civil & Environmental Engineering
Monday, October 19, 2020 · 12 - 1 PM
Jessica Ray, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
she/her/hers
email: jessray@uw.edu
Title
Enhanced Defluorination of Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid (PFOS) using Novel, Catalytic V2C Nanozymes
Abstract
Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), such as perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), are persistent, acutely toxic synthetic organic chemicals that are widespread in environmental waters. The high thermal stability of their characteristic C–F bonds lends itself to applications in industrial processes and consumer products such as flame retardants, non-stick coatings and other industrial and consumer products. Exposure to PFOS and other PFAAs have been linked to negative toxicological and epidemiological health effects in humans and mammals resulting in an Environmental Protection Agency health advisory level of 70 parts per trillion in drinking water. Common chemical disinfectants (e.g., hydrogen peroxide, H2O2) used in advanced oxidation processes to degrade organic contaminants during drinking water treatment are incapable of degrading PFAAs due to inefficient energy transfer at the C–F PFAA bonds. To enhance oxidation of PFAAs in water, we employ vanadium carbide (V2C) MXene nanosheets: a new family of 2-dimensional, conductive nanomaterials that have been used in energy storage applications (e.g., Li-ion batteries, electrochemical conversion). The rapid electron transfer properties of V2C MXenes may facilitate attack of nearby PFAAs in water. Vanadium oxides have been examined for supercapacitor applications due to the range of oxidation states available (i.e.,+2 to +5). In nature, vanadium(V) haloperoxidase enzymes within seaweed react with H2O2 to initiate a two-electron dehalogenation reaction. This study seeks to exploit the vanadium(V) reactivity and leverage the V2C MXene nanosheet high surface area and energy transfer to degrade PFOS, a representative PFAA, in the presence of H2O2 in water. Data will be presented which characterizes V2C MXene nanosheet properties and PFOS transformation during this novel treatment process.
Biography
Professor Jessica Ray (she/her) is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington. Ray received her B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis in 2009. Upon graduation, Ray remained at Washington University in St. Louis to obtain a M.S. degree (2010, funded by the NSF GK-12 Graduate Research Fellowship) and a Ph.D. in Energy, Environmental Engineering & Chemical Engineering (2015, funded by the EPA Students to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowship). During her Ph.D., Ray employed surface chemistry techniques to investigate interfacial reactions of nanomaterials in water. Ray then moved to California as a Miller Institute Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. As a postdoc, Ray developed low-cost polymer-clay composites to treat urban stormwater. At the University of Washington, Ray is continuing to develop and characterize new composite materials for selective contaminant removal in water, for enhanced degradation of persistent contaminants, and for recovery of valuable species in waste streams. In recognition of her novel, interdisciplinary research addressing urban water supply and sustainability, Chemical & Engineering News named Ray one of the “Talented 12” honorees for 2020.Professor Jessica Ray (she/her) is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington. Ray received her B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis in 2009. Upon graduation, Ray remained at Washington University in St. Louis to obtain a M.S. degree (2010, funded by the NSF GK-12 Graduate Research Fellowship) and a Ph.D. in Energy, Environmental Engineering & Chemical Engineering (2015, funded by the EPA Students to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowship). During her Ph.D., Ray employed surface chemistry techniques to investigate interfacial reactions of nanomaterials in water. Ray then moved to California as a Miller Institute Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. As a postdoc, Ray developed low-cost polymer-clay composites to treat urban stormwater. At the University of Washington, Ray is continuing to develop and characterize new composite materials for selective contaminant removal in water, for enhanced degradation of persistent contaminants, and for recovery of valuable species in waste streams. In recognition of her novel, interdisciplinary research addressing urban water supply and sustainability, Chemical & Engineering News named Ray one of the “Talented 12” honorees for 2020.
Meeting Details
Meeting Number: 120 758 5219
Password: 2W2JusM7JyP
