On 6th December 2024, Yan Tung Lo (D1), Urban Environmental Engineering Course, Department of Urban Engineering, received Best Oral Presentation Award at The 14th International Symposium on Southeast Asian Water Environment (SEAWE-14).
Best Oral Presentation Award
This award is given to students who demonstrated the most outstanding and promising performance at the 14th International Symposium on Southeast Asian Water Environment.
About awarded research
Title: Tannic Acid Functionalized Graphitic Carbon Nitride-based Thin-film Nanocomposite Membrane for Potable Water Reuse
Water scarcity remains a critical global sustainability issue, affecting both developed and developing countries. Wastewater reclamation through membrane filtration, in particular, Reverse Osmosis (RO), has emerged as a promising solution to generate clean drinking water. However, its limited efficiency in removing small, neutral emerging contaminants has restricted its broader application for potable water reuse. This research focuses on the development of a novel thin-film nanocomposite membrane incorporating tannic acid functionalized graphitic carbon nitride (gCN) nanosheets. The fabricated membrane demonstrated water permeance three times higher than that of conventional RO membranes, and achieved superior rejection rates for five water-soluble dyes, which were used as surrogates for organic pollutants. The enhanced performance resulted from reduced interlayer spacings between gCN nanosheets, increased membrane surface charge density, and stronger interactions with solutes of lower polarity. These findings offer critical insights into innovative strategies for designing high-performance membranes tailored for water purification applications.
Your impression & future plan
I am honored to receive the award at the SEAWE-14th conference. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisors, Professor Satoshi Takizawa, and Associate Professor Takashi Hashimoto, for their valuable guidance and support throughout this research. Looking ahead, I remain committed to contributing to the society by dedicating my efforts to advancing research in membrane technology.
SEAWE-14 Award Winners (PDF)
