Liquid Asset
Spring 2013 · Comment ·
Discovering ways to better judge water quality is an important mission for scientists across the globe. Chemist Purnendu “Sandy” Dasgupta believes he may have discovered a device to do just that. The Jenkins Garrett Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and his research group invented a charge detector for ion chromatography, a device that can improve water quality testing and manufacturing methods. The components that make up organic and inorganic compounds in water carry differing levels of charged ions. Dr. Dasgupta’s patented method uses a membrane-based separation or desalting technology that detects ions in proportion to their charge and concentration. “Water analysis is only one of the many areas where the detector will have a great impact,” he says.
