Dr. Dibakar (DB) Bhattacharyya, UK Alumni Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Kentucky, received the Alan S. Michaels Award for his work in the development of stimuli responsive functionalized membranes and the application of membrane technology to solve critical environmental and societal challenges, including the development of high-performance masks and air filtration systems for protection against Covid-19 infection. DB has also been a mentor to literally hundreds of undergraduate students and dozens of PhD students.
In addition, Dr. Bhattacharyya’s work has had a direct impact on the commercialization of membrane technologies. He worked with Nanostone Water (now Solecta) on the synthesis of positively-charged nanofiltration membranes that have used to treat wastewater generated from flue gas desulfurization operations. His patents on functionalized membranes have been employed at a Superfund remediation site as part of a process to degrade critical organics like trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene in groundwater samples. More recently, DB’s research on COVID-19 has resulted in patent applications: “Antiviral mask and antiviral filter made from a breathable microporous polymeric membrane”, and “Hollow fiber membrane for enclosed space air remediation.”
The breadth of DB’s contributions to membrane science is truly impressive. He has developed novel graphene-based nanofiltration membranes. He has provided fundamental insights into transport mechanisms during pervaporation through zeolite membranes. He has examined the use of porous membranes for the synthesis of bimetallic metal catalysts. He has performed wide-ranging studies of functionalized membranes for the removal of heavy metals from wastewater streams.
DB has also been an active contributor to the membrane community, having organized 3 separate NAMS meetings in 1992, 2001, and 2018 (all in Lexington, KY) while serving as a member of the Board of Directors for many years and as President of NAMS (from 2015-2016). The Alan S. Michaels Award recognizes DB’s outstanding innovations and lifetime contributions to membrane science and technology and to the broader membrane community.