Combined theory and experimental study of controlled metal (electro)dissolution for water disinfection

Metal dissolution is often used to kill bacteria in water. Upon dissolving the metal forms ions which can effectively kill E. coli. There is a significant need to understand the dissolution mechanism and design/control the process. The overall dissolution rates depend primarily on factors such as the overpotential, electrode surface area, temperature, and pH. The goal of this work is to gain molecular-level insights into the dissolution mechanism in various chemical environments (Prof. Chatterjee). Experimental study includes measurement of dissolution rates and applications such as water disinfection via bacterial lysis (Prof. Bandyopadhyaya).