Polymer Membrane Research at UVA
The Geise research group seeks to develop structure/property/processing relationships to guide polymeric materials design for membrane-based liquid separation and energy applications by understanding the influence of nano- and molecular-scale interactions and phenomena on mass transfer and system-level performance.
We are based in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Virginia.
Geise Group Research:
Water-Energy Nexus
Our research focuses on experimental studies aimed at solving fundamental and practical problems related to water and ion transport through polymers that could be used as membranes in a variety of water and energy applications. Providing sustainable and economic supplies of purified water and clean energy solutions is a critical global challenge for the future, and polymer membranes will play a key role in these efforts.
We seek to rationally tailor and design polymers at the molecular level and process those polymers to engineer advanced membrane materials that will expand access to clean water and enhance the use of renewable energy sources.
Water Purification for a Thirsty World
Within the next 10 years, the United Nations predicts that nearly two-thirds of the world’s population may find themselves living in a water stressed area.
Today, the vast majority of desalination processes are performed using polymer-based membranes. Improved membranes are needed to meet the challenges of economically and sustainably purifying increasingly saline and contaminated water sources around the globe.
Clean and Renewable Energy
to Light our Future
Energy demand around the globe is projected to increase by more than 50% over the next 35 years, and sustainable, low-carbon footprint energy resources are needed to meet this increasing energy demand.
Technologies such as large-scale flow batteries, reverse electrodialysis, and capacitive mixing rely on polymer membranes to regulate ion transport. Improved membrane selectivity will enable advances in renewable energy storage and generation technologies.
Publications
Join the Geise Research Group
Prospective graduate students interested in joining the group should indicate their interest when applying for admission to the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Virginia.
Undergraduate students interested in research opportunities should express interest by contacting Prof. Geise directly. Please be prepared to provide copies of your most recent resume and unofficial transcript.
Latest News from the Geise Group
February 2025
Graduate student Sean Bannon won the 2025 North American Membrane Society (NAMS) Student Fellowship award! The award recognizes excellence in graduate research in membrane science and engineering. Sean will present his research and accept the award at the NAMS 2025 meeting in Nashville.
January 2025
Prof. Geise published research resulting from collaborations with researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Texas at Austin, and Jeonbuk National University in Korea. The Effects of Morphology and Hydration on Anion Transport in Self-Assembled Nanoporous Membranes is published in ACS Nano. Engineering Lithium–Magnesium Selectivity in Hydrated Polymer Membranes through Polymer Backbone Rigidity is published in ACS Macro Letters. Finally, Advanced Layered Nanocomposites with Controllable Aligned Channels for Efficient Solar-Driven Desalination is published in Chemical Engineering Journal.
December 2024
Graduate student Inara Oliveira do Carmo Nascimento (left) teamed up with the Epling laboratory to create a ginger and lime cake that won the UVA Chemical Engineering Grad Board annual student bake-off competition!
December 2024
Graduate students Caroline Morin and Charlie Leroux pitched Double Hoo undergraduate research projects. Their projects, Evaluating an Electrolyzer for Selective and Resilient Lithium Hydroxide Production and Developing Selective Membranes for Non-Aqueous Electrochemical Flow Cells, respectively, were selected for Summer 2025 support.
November 2024
Prof. Geise spent a few weeks as a visiting researcher with Prof. Rueben Pfukwa in the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science at Stellenbosch University. Geise and Pfukwa are researching the use of N-ethylmaleimide based polymers for water purification applications as part of a project supported in part by grants from the UVA Center for Global Inquiry and Innovation and the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
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