MSE Seminar

Professor Aaron Moment 

Recovery of energy relevant critical materials from unconventional resources: macroalgae, peptides, light, and beyond

Abstract: As the energy landscape shifts to more renewables with higher energy demand, the need for energy relevant minerals and materials is increasing worldwide. Novel ways of approaching the problem of the materials and energy nexus are called for, including recovery, re-use and recycling, as well as novel materials development. The rare earth elements are of particular interest as they are difficult to separate from each other, are used across a range of electrical and mechanical applications, and a world-wide supply chain complication persists connected to limitations on refining capacity and ore
deposit locations. Traditional refining and separation techniques for rare earth elements have environmental concerns related to high temperature pyro and electro chemical methods, harsh reagents, and many steps. To address this situation, we have developed novel technology for the separation and hyper concentration of rare-earth elements from macroalgae under mild conditions, leveraging the rich polysaccharide network of this biomass, specifically for the Sargassum seaweed which is prevalent in the Atlantic. Along the way, we have interrogated the behavior of both live and dead Sargassum when
exposed to rare earth elements, have established toxicity limits, and have detailed the how this plant responds to rare earth element exposure while being cultured. This is the first known instance of this type of investigation as related to a prevalent seaweed species. In parallel to this effort, we have developed tailored synthetic sorbents from three distinct immobilized peptides based on lanmodulin protein, that have demonstrated effective catch and release of the rare earth elements, selectively based on pH. Other related topics will be discussed including: light-modulated ligands for rare earth element separation in solvent extractions without the use of acid and base, 20 kHz power ultrasound for battery performance enhancement and dendrite control, bipolar membrane electrodialysis for the production of acid and base from salt, nanofiltration membranes for water treatment and element recovery, and molten salt electrochemical reduction of carbonates to produce amorphous and nanostructured carbons.
Bio: Aaron Moment received his PhD in Chemical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he designed and synthesized liquid crystalline thermoplastic block copolymers for use in displays and sensors. Following his doctoral work, he joined the pharmaceutical industry, Merck Co., where he worked for over 16 years developing technologies for the synthesis and manufacture of complex organic molecules for medical treatments, including commercialization of Januvia, well-known for the treatment of diabetes. During this time, he led technology development teams in the areas of process
modeling, industrial crystallization, power ultra sonics, and laboratory automation, and was a key member of teams that won the Presidential Green Chemistry Award in 2006 and 2010 for both chemo and biocatalytic synthetic route development that eliminates waste. In 2018, he joined Columbia University where he developed a Biopharmaceutical Concentration in Chemical Engineering, and in 2023, he moved to the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at UCLA. His research group currently focuses on recovery of energy relevant critical minerals and materials from unconventional resources, using molecular design principles. Prof. Moment received the 2021 NY-ACS award for teaching at a graduate institution, is on the executive committee of the Southern California ACS, chairs the UCLA MSE External Advisory Board, and he is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.