#47 - Prof. Mihail Barboiu

Professor Mihail Barboiu belongs to the pioneers of biomimetic membranes. Via supramolecular chemistry, he designs artificial channels, embedded in membranes, through which water or ions can selectively permeate. In this episode, we dive into Prof. Mihail’s journey: his inspiration, the working mechanisms of artificial channels, the upscaling of these membranes, and the impact they can have on society as they can reach 2 LMHbar output. These membranes seem way ahead of the game implying they can cut CAPEX and OPEX of seawater desalination by half! We also touch on other applications such as the selective removal of lithium from sea water and the potential of artificial water channels in medical applications. This episode contains many insights, all the way from nano to macro!