Water and energy systems are inextricably linked: water is needed to generate and transmit energy, and energy is consumed to collect, purify, move, store, and dispose of water. Both resources are limiting the other—and both may be running short. Our main research projects in water energy nexus include advanced water treatment, sustainable brackish water desalination and low cost drinking water purification for rural residents, innovative solutions for solar energy capture and storage, as well as integration of renewable energy with water treatment and desalination.

Energy is essential for economic and social development but also poses an environmental challenge. In comparison to fossil fuels, biofuels have the advantages of being renewable, nontoxic, and biodegradable and have a much lower risk of contaminating the environment. Generally, the raw materials that are exploited commercially to produce biofuel consist of edible fatty oils derived from rapeseed, soybean, palm, sunflower, and other plants. However, biofuel from edible oils is controversial due to the increase in global food prices, depletion of ecological resources, and intensive agricultural practices in crop cultivation. The second generation biomass production and utilization minimizes these concerns because second generation biofuels are derived from non-food feedstock, such as algae.

Much like the energy crisis, a shortage of drinking water is another major global issue. Freshwater is becoming a scarce commodity, especially in arid and semi-arid regions, requiring treatment of impaired waters in order to satisfy ever-increasing demands. In desalination process, waste concentrate generated from the process requires disposal. On-going research in  concentrate utilization includes its use for second generation biofuel production. This waste-to-fuel process is one of the many benefits of sustainable approach to water-energy nexus.

Dr. Catherine E. Brewer Associate Professor Office: JH 252 Phone: (575) 646-8637 email: cbrewer@nmsu.edu Educational Background: Ph.D., Iowa State University, Chemical Engineering and Biorenewable Resources & Technology (2012) B.S., Chemistry, Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana (2007)

Dr. Hongmei Luo Associate Dean of Research in the College of Engineering and Luke Barry Shires Professor of Chemical Engineering Office: JH 254 Phone: (575) 646-4204 email: hluo@nmsu.edu Educational Background: Ph. D.,  Chemical Engineering, Tulane University (2006) B.S., Chemistry, Fuyang Normal University, China (1992)

Student Activities:

Posters:

• Clarita Regalado, Julia Fernald, Jessica Houston, Nancy Flores, Hongmei Luo, Fe-doped Ni3S2 nanowires on nickel foam as bifunctional water-splitting catalysts with low overpotentials, USDA PI meeting, Costa Mesa, CA, Feb. 27 – March 2, 2019.
• Julia Fernald, Clarita Regalado, Hongmei Luo, Fe-doped Ni3S2 nanowires on nickel foam as overall water splitting catalysts, Southwest-Rocky Mountain Regional Meeting, El Paso, Nov. 11-15, 2019.
• Stephanie Richins, Lara Teich, Swagotom Sarker, Hongmei Luo, Oxidation of arsenite by a graphitized polyacrylonitrile incorporated carbon nitride photocatalyst, APS Four Corner Meeting, Las Cruces, October 20-21, 2016.
• Stephanie Richins, Lara Teich, Swagotom Sarker, Hongmei Luo, Oxidation of arsenite by carbon nitride photocatalyst, NM WRRI’s 61st Annual New Mexico Water Conference, Silver City, October 6-7, 2016.
• Stephanie Richins, Swagotom Sarker, Hongmei Luo, Holey graphene for energy storage, AMP conference, NMSU, Sep. 30, 2016.
• Swagotom Sarker, Stephanie Richins, Litao Yan, Gen Chen, Hongmei Luo, Holey graphene for energy storage, NM EPSCoR All Hands Meeting, Albuquerque, May 4, 2016.
• Swagotom Sarker, Stephanie Richins, Litao Yan, Gen Chen, Hongmei Luo, Holey graphene for energy storage: implications of chemical treatment of graphene oxide to introduce defects, MRS Spring Meeting, Phoenix, March 27-April 1, 2016.
• Joshua Catanach, Gen Chen, Hongmei Luo, Solvothermal route based in situ carbonization to metal-oxide/carbon composite as anode material for lithium-ion battery, 2015 AIChE Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, Nov. 8-13, 2015.
• Gen Chen, Litao Yan, Meng Zhou, Joshua Catanach, Hongmei Luo, Solvothermal route based in situ carbonization to metal-oxide/carbon composite as anode material for lithium-ion battery, 228 ECS meeting, Phoenix, Oct. 11-15, 2015.
• Gen Chen, Litao Yan, Meng Zhou, Joshua Catanach, Hongmei Luo, Solvothermal route based in situ carbonization to metal-oxide/carbon composite as anode material for lithium-ion battery, URC Fair, NMSU, Oct. 2, 2015.
• Rodrigo Rodriguez, Gen Chen, Hongmei Luo, Effects of conductive coating on Fe2O3 nanoparticles for Li-ion battery applications, AMP and University Research Council Fair, NMSU, Oct. 3, 2014.
• Joshua Catanach, Meng Zhou, Gen Chen, Hongmei Luo, Shuguang Deng, Carbon-based supercapacitors derived from the activation of algae, AMP, NMSU, Oct. 5, 2013.
• Gen Chen, Steven Liaw, Hongmei Luo, Microwave assisted synthesis of hybrid CoxNi1-x(OH)2 nanosheets: tuning the composition for high performance supercapacitor, AMP and University Research Council Fair, NMSU, Oct. 5, 2013.
• Gen Chen, Litao Yan, Meng Zhou, Joshua Catanach, Hongmei Luo, Solvothermal route based in situ carbonization to metal-oxide/carbon composite as anode material for lithium-ion battery, Rio Grande Symposium on Advanced Materials, Albuquerque, Oct. 8, 2013.
• Rodrigo Rodriguez, Gen Chen, Hongmei Luo, Conductive coating on Fe2O3 nanoparticle for Li-ion batteries application, AMP, NMSU, Oct. 5, 2013.

Oral Presentations:

• Rodrigo Rodriguez, Hongmei Luo, Iron oxide nanorods for lithium-ion batteries, 20th annual Undergraduate and Creative Arts Symposium (URCAS), Las Cruces, April 23, 2015.
• Gen Chen, Litao Yan, Rodrigo Rodriguez, Hongmei Luo, A facile hydrothermal route to Fe2O3 with conductive additives as composite anode for lithium-ion batteries, AIChE, Atlanta, Nov. 16-21, 2014.
• Marco Dunwell, Gen Chen, Hongmei Luo, Microwave-assisted synthesis of cobalt hydroxide and cobalt oxide nanoparticles for use in lithium-ion batteries, AMP, NMSU, March 27, 2013.
• Yun Xu, Ling Fei, Marco Dunwell, Gen Chen, Hongmei Luo, Chemical solution approach to nanostructured materials for Li-ion batteries, AIChE Rocky Mountain Regional Conference, NMSU, April 6, 2013.
• Yun Xu, Hongmei Luo, V2O5 network structure as cathode for lithium-ion batteries, 222nd Electrochemistry Society Meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, Oct. 7-12, 2012.
• Yun Xu, Hongmei Luo, V2O5 network structure as cathode for lithium-ion batteries, 2012 AIChE Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, Oct. 28-Nov. 2, 2012.
• Yun Xu, Ran Yi, Bin Yuan, Marco Dunwell, Qianglu Lin, Ling Fei, Shuguang Deng, Paul Andersen, Donghai Wang, Hongmei Luo, High capacity MoO2/graphite oxide composite anode for lithium-ion batteries, MRS spring meeting, San Francisco, Apr. 9-13, 2012.

Publications:

• S. Sarker, P. Chaturvedi, L. Yan, T. Nakotte, X. Chen, S. Richins, S. Das, J. Peters, M. Zhou, S. N. Smirnov, H. M. Luo, "Synergistic effect of iron diselenide decorated multi-walled carbon nanotubes for enhanced heterogeneous electron transfer and electrochemical hydrogen evolution," Electrochimica Acta, 270, 138-146 (2018).
• Payne, J.L, Bhakta, N., Lyons, S.N., Mohamed, R., Carroll, K.C., Brewer, C.E. (2018), "Potential of pyrolysis of spacecraft solid waste for water recovery and plant-growth media production," Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, 135, 184-188, DOI: 10.1016/j.jaap.2018.09.004.
• L. T. Yan, G. Chen, S. Sarker, S. Richins, H. Q. Wang, W. Xu, X. Rui, H. M. Luo, "Ultrafine Nb2O5 Nanocrystal Coating on Reduced Graphene Oxide as Anode Material for High Performance Sodium Ion Battery," ACS. Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 8, 22213-22219 (2016).
• G. Chen, M. Zhou, J. Catanach, T. Liaw, L. Fei, S. Deng, H. M. Luo, "Solvothermal Route based in situ Carbonization to Fe3O4@C as Anode Material for Lithium Ion Battery," Nano Energy, 8, 126-132 (2014).
• G. Chen, R. Rodriguez, L. Fei, Y. Xu, S. Deng, S. Smirnov, H. M. Luo, "A Facile Hydrothermal Route to Fe2O3 with Conductive Additives as Composite Anode for Lithium Ion Batteries," J. Power Sources, 259, 227-232 (2014).
• G. Chen, S. S. Liaw, B. Li, Y. Xu, M. Dunwell, S. Deng, H. Fan, H. M. Luo, "Microwave-assisted Synthesis of Hybrid CoxNi1-x(OH)2 Nanosheet: Tuning the Size and Composition for High Supercapacitor Performance," J. Power Sources, 251, 338-343 (2014).
• Y. Xu, M. Dunwell, L. Fei, E. Fu, Q. Lin, B. Patterson, B. Yuan, S. Deng, P. Andersen, H. M. Luo, "Two-dimensional V2O5 Sheet Network as Electrode for Lithium-ion Batteries," ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 6, 20408-20413 (2014).
• Y. Xu, G. Chen, E. Fu, M. Zhou, M. Dunwell, L. Fei, S. Deng, P. Andersen, Y. Wang, Q. X. Jia, H. M. Luo, "Nickel Substituted LiMn2O4 Cathode with Durable High-rate Capability for Li-ion Batteries," RSC Adv. 3, 18441-18445 (2013).
• Y. Li, Matthias A. Trujillo, E. Fu, B. Patterson, L. Fei, Y. Xu, S. Deng, S. Smirnov, H. M. Luo, "Bismuth Oxide: a New Lithium-ion Battery Anode," J. Mater. Chem. A, 1, 12123-12127 (2013).
• Y. Xu, L. Fei, E. Fu, B. Yuan, J. Hill, Y. Chen, S. Deng, P. Andersen, Y. Wang, H. M. Luo, "A General Polymer-assisted Solution Approach to Grow Transition Metal Oxide Nanostructures Directly on Nickel Foam as Anodes for Li-ion Batteries," J. Power Sources, 242, 604-609 (2013).
• Y. Xu, R. Yi, B. Yuan, X. Wu, M. Dunwell, Q. Lin, L. Fei, S. Deng, P. Andersen, D. Wang, H. M. Luo, "High Capacity MoO2/Graphite Oxide Composite Anode for Lithium-ion Batteries," J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 3, 309-314 (2012).