Charles-François de Lannoy

Charles-François de Lannoy is a post-doctoral researcher at Stanford University in the Department of Energy Resources Engineering in the School of Earth Sciences. An environmental engineer, materials scientist, and experimental physicist, Charles researches, develops, and tests novel materials for a variety of environmental applications. Currently in Prof. Jennifer Wilcoxs research group, Charles is focusing on separating and capturing two different gases carbon dioxide (CO2) and volatilized mercury (Hg) using two classes of materials metallic thin film membranes and nanostructures organic sorbents.

Charles received his PhD from Duke University in 2014, in Civil and Environmental Engineering, with a Certificate in Nanoscience, under Prof. Mark R. Wiesner. During his PhD, Charles pioneered the development of a suite of highly electrically conductive polymer-nanocomposite thin film membrane materials composed of covalently bonded functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and polymer chains. He was able to tailor the chemical, mechanical, and structural properties of these conductive membranes for desired applications in water filtration including microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), and reverse osmosis (RO). Challenging these membranes in bacterially contaminated waters, he demonstrated that electrically charged conductive membranes prevent long-term biofouling. He has won several awards at conferences for his research, including the top research prize at the North American Membrane Society. During his PhD, he was awarded a Duke Nanoscience Fellowship and a Center for the Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (CEINT) Scholarship.

In addition to his own research, Charles has mentored eight high school, undergraduate and graduate researchers in the lab, teaching them valuable experimental techniques as well as encouraging them to develop their creativity through scientific investigation. In North Carolina, Charles was an active community scientist, leading discussions and educational outings on the applications and implications of nanoparticles in the environment, and the necessity of good stewardship and responsible environmental action. This outreach included helping to organize NanoDays, an annual educational outreach program, at the Marbles Childrens Museum in Raleigh, NC. Charles is also an active member of Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL), a national lobbying group for a carbon tax, that lobbies congress, writes editorials, and informs people about the positive effects, both environmental and economic, of a carbon tax.