About KIM Research Lab
About KIM Research Lab
Advancing Water Sustainability through Innovation.
The demand for clean water is increasing worldwide, but many sources are contaminated with both legacy and emerging pollutants. Conventional treatment methods are often insufficient to address these challenges.
We develop sustainable nanomaterials and membrane-based processes that are more effective than traditional techniques. These technologies hold great promise for ensuring safe and reliable water supplies.
Our ultimate goal is to design innovative treatment strategies and bridge the gap between research and industry, advancing real-world solutions for global water sustainability.
We are developing innovative ways to embed engineered nanomaterials into 3D structures such as biopolymer beads, sponges, and nanofibers. These composites combine the high reactivity of nanomaterials with the strength and stability of larger supports, making them safer and easier to use in real water and wastewater treatment.
Our goal is to create cost-effective, scalable technologies that remove a wide range of contaminants while preventing nanoparticle release. By focusing on simple fabrication methods and real-world testing, we aim to bridge the gap between advanced nanotechnology and practical, sustainable water treatment solutions.
Our lab develops advanced membrane systems that go beyond traditional pressure-driven filtration. Conventional membranes often face challenges such as high energy costs, fouling, and trade-offs between selectivity and permeability. To address these issues, we are exploring innovative configurations such as forward osmosis (FO), membrane distillation (MD), and other emerging processes.
By designing sustainable, high-performance membranes, we aim to expand water treatment options that are efficient, cost-effective, and practical for real-world applications, especially in energy-limited settings.
We are designing hybrid systems that combine reactive nanomaterials with membranes to improve contaminant removal and extend system performance. By strategically integrating sorbents and other functional materials, these systems not only remove contaminants more effectively but also reduce fouling and increase membrane lifetime.
This approach opens opportunities for resource recovery from industrial and municipal wastewater, such as lithium, cobalt, nitrogen, and phosphorus, while also producing high-quality water for reuse. We are further extending this work to address emerging challenges like microplastics, for which effective treatment solutions remain limited.