2024 Chemical Separations Gordon Research Conference and Seminar: Fundamentals, Applications, and Data Science for Integrating Separations and Chemical Reactions

The availability of energy-efficient and sustainable processes for chemical separations plays a crucial role in the large-scale production of fuels, chemicals, and pharmaceutical products. To address the complex scientific and technological challenges of chemical separations, it is essential to bring together diverse research communities and leaders in the field to discuss emerging concepts and approaches. The Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Chemical Separations, scheduled for January 21-26, 2024, in Galveston, TX, will be an excellent opportunity for cross-disciplinary scientific discussions related to emerging concepts and methods in chemical separations. By fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange, these discussions can lead to the development of highly efficient and selective separation technologies. Such advancements have the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower the carbon footprint associated with chemicals and fuels manufacturing, and decrease the costs of desirable products. The collective efforts of researchers and industry professionals in this area can contribute to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future. The support provided by the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems will offset the attendance costs for graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career scientists, promoting the participation of a diverse group of attendees. The 2024 Chemical Separations GRC directly addresses the recommendations of the National Academies report, "A Research Agenda for Transforming Separation Science," emphasizing substantive interactions between the chemistry and chemical engineering separations research communities and integrating relevant concepts in research and education. The GRC format fulfills this objective by encouraging the sharing of cutting-edge, unpublished data, hosting highly-attended poster sessions, and fostering a collegial, interactive environment. Investigators from academia, national laboratories, and industry will be represented at this meeting. This GRC stands out among existing separations-focused conferences as it expands chemical separations discussions beyond analytical techniques, encompassing separation materials design, process scale-up, and operational considerations. This year also focuses on the challenges and opportunities of integrating chemical reactions and separations for energy economy across small- and large-scale processes. By facilitating knowledge exchange, the GRC on Chemical Separations contributes to the advancement and transformation of separation science. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.