The production of Chlor-Alkli by using electrolysis of aqueous solutions of sodium chloride (or brine) is one of the largest industrial scale electro-synthesis worldwide. Plants with more than 1000 individual reactors, in which 0.2 mm thin membranes separate chlorine and hydrogen, are common. This process is quite sensitive and any wrong operating conditions can cause irreversible damages. The most common accident associated with this industry are fire, explosion and toxic gas releases that can cause fatalities and long term health impact on the exposed population.

In this project, we will develop solid-state hydrogen storage materials for the potential applications of fuel cell electric vehicles. Based on the most cutting-edge achievements in related fields, two categories of two-dimensional layered nanomaterials are proposed. Their hydrogen storage capabilities will be elaborated by in-depth characterization of material structure and hydrogen storage properties.

Anesthesia is delivered to patients in vapour form, supplied via Mechanical ventilation in closed loop anesthesia circuit. This necessitates the removal of the carbon dioxide (CO2) produced during respiration. Currently, anesthesia circuits use granulate-based CO2 absorbents that react with CO2 to remove it from the gas stream. However, anesthetic vapours also react with the chemical absorber producing toxic bi-products that have been connected to negative patient outcomes. DMF Medical Inc. has developed an early stage prototype device that provides an alternative method for CO2 removal.

Heavy oil and bitumen in-situ extraction aided by solvent addition is a potential EOR technology that provides an alternative to the current thermal processes. However, its mechanism is not well understood yet. The aim of this study is to improve the understanding of solvent based processes by history matching experimental data using a reservoir simulator developed by Shell. At the end of this project, it is expected to find the variables which govern the behavior of the system and also find a suitable approach to history match the data in a short computing time.

Currently, all types of vehicles utilize a 12 volt lead-acid battery for start-stop, controls, comfort features, redundancy, and safety features. We aim to replace it by introducing a new rechargeable hybrid aqueous battery, which is lead-free and possesses more than twofold higher energy storage capacity. There are requirements to further improve the rate capability and to reduce water-loss of this battery. In this proposed research, we will use nanotechnology to re-design the cathode materials and electrode structures to improve the rate capability.

Gene therapy is one of the most attractive new therapeutic strategies in the treatment of multiple diseases. However, to apply gene therapy in clinic, an efficient and safe delivery system must be developed to transport these therapeutic reagents to target organs. The existing gene carriers suffer from either high cytotoxicity or immunogenicity problems, which will cause severe side effects when used in human. The new peptide based delivery system we developed demonstrated better performance and lower toxicity than the commercialized product on market.

The proposed research project is around conducting feasibility studies on the purification and conditioning of industrial hemicellulosic C5 sugars from a number of potentially commercial wheat straw liquor fractions. The research will propose experiments where data for the ultimate evaluation of enzymatic hydrolysis vs. a selected comparative list of acid hydrolysis can be included. The purpose is in acquiring a detailed analysis of the potential monomeric sugars.

Society uses thousands of chemicals and the potential risks to humans and the environment for the vast majority of these chemicals are largely unknown. It is not feasible to measure all of the chemicals and there are substantial data gaps; therefore, models are required to screen and evaluate chemicals for potential exposures and risks to humans and the environment and to address data gaps. ARC Arnot Research & Consulting develops models for screening-level exposure and risk assessment. There is a need to test these models.