The Baldaguez Medina Research Group is located in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. Our research combines electrochemical engineering, separation science, and advanced materials to develop sustainable solutions for water treatment, environmental monitoring, and resource recovery. By integrating materials design, transport phenomena, and electrochemical processes, we address critical water and sustainability challenges in Puerto Rico and beyond.
Our research is organized around two interconnected focus areas:
Water Treatment and Electrochemical Separations
We investigate advanced separation technologies for water purification, desalination, and contaminant removal. Our work explores capacitive deionization, electrosorption, reactive separations, adsorption processes, and redox-active materials to improve the efficiency, selectivity, and sustainability of water treatment systems.
Resource Recovery and Environmental Monitoring
We develop functional materials and electrochemical platforms for the detection and recovery of environmentally and economically important species. Current research includes heavy metal sensing, rare earth element recovery, biomass-derived adsorbents, and carbon-based materials for selective separations and environmental applications.