Paul Akinyemi, a Nigerian researcher in the Green Electrochemical Research (GreenER) laboratory at Clarkson University, USA, is at the forefront of creating sustainable, renewable, and modular electrochemical systems.
His work is poised to relieve conventional desalination technologies and create solutions to the world’s existential water challenges. Akinyemi’s efforts address some of the most pressing challenges in desalination, focusing on three key features of redox-driven separation systems: electrodes, membranes, and redox electrolytes.
Innovating Desalination Technology
Akinyemi’s research is revolutionizing the efficiency and effectiveness of desalination processes. Traditional methods like reverse osmosis often struggle with high energy consumption, scaling, and other issues that reduce system performance and increase operational costs.
Akinyemi’s innovative approach to redox flow desalination(RFD) systems alleviates these problems through advanced electrochemical processes.
By developing advanced electrodes, Akinyemi has enhanced the electrochemical reactions that drive desalination, improving energy efficiency and reducing the environmental footprint.
His work on membranes ensures they remain highly selective and durable, even under challenging operational conditions. Moreover, the development of specialized electrolytes tailored for RFD systems further optimizes performance, leading to higher water recovery rates and reduced brine production.
Groundbreaking Discoveries
In a recent groundbreaking discovery, Akinyemi enhanced the capacity harnessed from amorphous manganese oxide electrodes used in capacitive deionization (CDI) using a buffer-integrated channel to engineer the electrode’s behavior during electron transfer.
This finding tripled the capacity previously harnessed and demonstrated an exceptional improvement to the future of pseudocapacitive electrodes in the field. It was published in the American Chemical Society Applied Materials and Interfaces journal in 2023.
Akinyemi also presented this discovery at two conferences in 2023: the New York State Center for Excellence in Healthy Water Solutions Annual Meeting on Advances in Water Science and Technology (Syracuse, March 2023), and the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) Research and Education Conference (Boston, June 2023).
Impact on Global Water Scarcity
The implications of Akinyemi’s research extend far beyond the laboratory. Desalination is becoming increasingly vital in regions facing severe water scarcity, such as parts of Africa. Nigeria, for example, is seeing a surge in desalination projects, including a significant plant under construction by the Lagos State Government.
Currently, 29% of children in Nigeria and over 100 million people in Africa lack access to clean drinking water. Akinyemi’s innovations are timely and critical. Integrating findings from his research into these projects can ensure more reliable and efficient desalination operations, providing a sustainable solution to water scarcity.
Collaborative Efforts and Future Goals
Funded by a grant from the US Department of Interior, with collaborations from the Department of Clearwater, Florida, and scientists from the University of Cincinnati, Akinyemi plays a crucial role on a team of researchers working on a project titled “Low Energy and High Water Recovery Desalination of Brackish Groundwater Using a Compact and Redox-Driven Electrochemical System”.
The goal of the project is to develop an electrochemical separation process driven by a redox couple, called redox flow desalination (RFD), for low energy (< 0.5 kWh/m3) and high water recovery (> 80%) desalination of brackish groundwater (BGW) at a practical productivity range (~ 45 L/m2/hr).
Leading the Way Forward
According to Akinyemi, his work aims to provide sustainable solutions for the critical water scarcity challenges faced by the United States and the world at large. His cutting-edge systems reduce energy consumption, lower the cost of desalination, and develop novel approaches to desalinate water in a way that reduces primary energy use.
The compact and modular nature of these systems achieves low-energy desalination at high water recovery, with minimized pretreatment costs.
“The integration of clean energy sources, decarbonization of existing processes, and the implementation of environmentally sustainable water measures are essential for propelling industrial and agricultural growth,” says Akinyemi. “One of the key components of a functional society is water, and what better way to relieve existing technologies while reducing energy consumption and creating an efficient and effective desalination process.”
Conclusion
Paul Akinyemi’s pioneering work in water-energy electrochemical systems is transforming the landscape of desalination technology. His leadership in developing advanced electrodes, membranes, and electrolytes is driving significant improvements in efficiency and sustainability.
As his work continues to influence global desalination projects, Akinyemi stands at the forefront of efforts to address water scarcity and ensure a more sustainable future.
