Biochemical and biomolecular engineering applies principles of biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics to solve problems related to biological systems and processes at the molecular level. In collaboration with immunologists and bioengineers on and off campus, researchers in the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering are developing new cell and gene therapies for various treatments in the body.

Catalysis and reaction engineering (CRE) research at Purdue investigates the catalytic materials, devices and reactors, and chemical reaction pathways and mechanisms that will help our society transition to a renewable energy future. Our research projects are developing new approaches and technologies to decarbonize the production of energy and chemicals, while protecting our environment. The Purdue Catalysis Center (PCC) offers unique opportunities for students to be trained in all aspects of CRE research at the state-of-the-art in experimentation and computational modeling.

On December 2nd, 2022, the Purdue University Board of Trustees approved the Dr. Norman and Dr. Jane Li Chemical Engineering Separations Research Area due to a leadership-level gift from the Li Family Charitable Foundation. This gift will support the education and research of Purdue University chemical engineering students and faculty members, specifically in the area of separations. Purdue researchers are developing systematic approaches to generate energy efficient separation schemes for several applications.

The Dr. Doraiswami and Mrs. Geetha Ramkrishna Mathematical Modeling Research Area was established in 2022 with the intent to ensure mathematics and mathematical modeling remain a critical component to Purdue chemical engineering research. Purdue Researchers use mathematical representations in every area of chemical engineering to make predictions and prove insight of real-world scenarios.

Fluid Mechanics affects everything from hydraulic pumps, to microorganisms, and jet engines. Interfacial phenomena are behaviors that occur at the interface or boundary surface between a suspended particle and the continuous phase material in which it is suspended. Purdue brings together a world-class group of researchers to model these behaviors in computers, and then apply them to real- world situations.

The Davidson School of Chemical Engineering’s research in soft materials and polymer science and engineering addresses a critical gap that currently exists in emerging materials-based and polymers-based industrial and academic sites.

Nanostructured materials are at the forefront of solar energy production, next-generation batteries, and decarbonized chemical manufacturing. Researchers in the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering use state-of-the-art computational and experimental tools to design, synthesize, and test nanostructured materials that drive technological innovation to meet societal needs.

Process engineering is indispensable for optimizing the transformation of raw materials into products in chemical manufacturing, environmental and biological systems. Product systems engineering is at the core of the new product development processes that are needed to successfully develop and deploy products into different market segments. Purdue University is using smart manufacturing to model and the create high fidelity digital twins of real-world manufacturing processes.

By considering the behavior of many systems across molecular and macroscopic lengths and time scales, research in thermodynamics, molecular and nanoscale modeling has wide-ranging applications in many important areas of interest. With its focus on computational approaches, this research plays a crucial role in understanding novel chemical reactions, materials development, design, complex fluids and more.