“My research focuses on PFAS remediation and detection. PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a large group of synthetic chemicals that have emerged as a significant environmental and public health challenge in U.S. water system. Because they contain extremely strong chemical bonds and are very difficult to remove or degrade in the environment, they are often known as ‘forever chemicals.’

PFAS are a major public health concern. With long-term exposure through contaminated water, they can accumulate in the human body over time, and that buildup has been associated with serious health risks, including certain cancers and neurological problems. That challenge is what drives my research to develop new detection and remediation platforms that can improve water safety and help scale up practical technologies to address this issue across the country and potentially around the world.

When I applied for Ph.D. programs, I looked at many universities, but I was especially drawn to Professor Ling Zang’s strong reputation in sensing technologies and in developing innovations that can move from laboratory research into real industrial applications. I was also attracted to the University of Utah’s strong culture of entrepreneurship and startups, because I am very interested in turning research into technologies that can make a real impact.

So far, I have completed and filed three patent applications, all of which have already been licensed to industry for further development into practical device applications. One patent involves the use of porous graphitic carbons for PFAS remediation, aiming to reduce the use of organic solvents while creating a more reusable, efficient, and cost-effective process for PFAS removal. Another, outside the PFAS area, focuses on marijuana detection through breath-based fluorescent sensing, with the potential to estimate how much time has passed since use and to support monitoring of possible impairment during work or driving for public safety. The third centers on lithium extraction using porous graphitic carbons, with the goal of directly recovering lithium from brines. As a critical mineral for battery technologies, lithium is essential to the energy industry, and developing more cost-effective and environmentally sustainable extraction methods remains an important challenge.

My long-term goal is to advance scalable technologies of my research from lab-based technologies to real-world applications and to see how the work can make a meaningful difference in environmental and resource-related challenges.”

—Jiangfan Shi, doctoral candidate in materials science and engineering