Bayu Ahmad is a doctoral candidate in chemistry and chemical biology from outside Jakarta, Indonesia. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Middlebury College and now studies the use of organic chemistry for sustainable applications under the guidance of Phillip Milner at Cornell.
What is your area of research and why is it important?
In the Milner group, I have been fortunate to explore various research projects that leverage organic chemistry for sustainable applications. For example, I have been developing energy-efficient chemical separation using emerging tools, such as light- or electricity-driven reactions. These include my work on (sun)light-driven carbon dioxide capture from emission streams and electricity-driven separation of commodity chemical feedstock. I have also developed a recyclable and enhanced material that could help reduce waste from the most common reaction in the pharmaceutical industry. Moving forward, I am looking to merge synthetic chemistry and synthetic biology to build the next-generation platform for sustainable chemical production.
What are the larger implications of this research?
Since chemical separation/purification takes up about 15% of global energy consumption, it represents a significant opportunity for reducing energy use, costs, and greenhouse gas emissions. Though, many industries still depend on outdated technologies that exploit only differences in physical properties, such as size, which makes them energy-intensive. Instead, leveraging differences in chemical reactivity offers a promising avenue for developing more selective – and thus more efficient – processes. Moreover, by designing these processes based on stimuli, such as light or electricity, that can directly or easily harness renewable energy sources, we could further improve their efficiency and thus make a greater impact in combating climate change.
Read the full interview on the Cornell University Graduate School website.
