No matter the source, almost all dirty water can be treated to make it safe to drink. Reverse osmosis (RO)–while one of the most effective and widely used water treatment methods–still faces persistent challenges with its semi-permeable membrane designed to capture contaminants. As fresh water becomes scarcer, it is more important than ever for researchers like GW Engineering alumnus Samarpan Deb Majumder, M.S. ‘25, to address these obstacles.
Working in Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Xitong Liu’s lab, Majumder tackled this issue head-on in his master’s thesis by developing next-generation RO membranes using a rinse-free molecular layer-by-layer fabrication method. In recognition of his contributions, the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors Foundation (AEESP) selected him as a recipient of its Master’s Thesis Award, given annually to the top two most outstanding M.S. theses that advance environmental science and engineering.
“Receiving the AEESP Master’s Thesis Award is very meaningful to me, both personally and professionally. The award is highly competitive, so I am truly grateful to the AEESP community for recognizing and honoring my thesis work,” said Majumder.
The significance of his work becomes clear when considering the limitations of current RO membrane frameworks. Conventional RO membranes are created through interfacial polymerization, often resulting in rough membrane surfaces that make them more prone to mineral buildup, accumulation of suspended solids and microorganisms, performance decline, and frequent chemical cleaning.
Majumder’s goal was to produce membranes with smoother surfaces, better structural control, and stronger resistance to unwanted buildup while also reducing fabrication time and solvent use. In his thesis, he demonstrates that rinse-free mLbL membranes can form ultrathin, ultrasmooth, and highly controlled polyamide layers that filter out salts and difficult impurities, such as boron, more effectively than those currently on the market.
Boron is particularly difficult to remove because, at near-neutral pH, it mainly exists as boric acid, which can easily pass through many commercial RO membranes. Majumder’s membrane achieves high rejection at neutral pH because its dense, highly cross-linked structure limits boric acid transport, without requiring chemicals or energy to adjust the pH.
These advances, Majumder notes, could have far-reaching implications for the future of water treatment. “The broader impact is that this work could help make desalination, water reuse, and high-purity water production more reliable, lower-maintenance, and more sustainable,” he stated.
Building on this foundation, Majumder’s research now serves as the scientific backbone of the GW-based startup LayerPure Technologies, which includes Majumder, fellow GW environmental engineering doctoral candidate Zhaoyang Wang, Professor Liu, and project leader Chris Stafford at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
While the AEESP award honors the initial research behind this venture, LayerPure has also earned accolades as the venture moves into prototype development and experimental testing. LayerPure won the NextEra Innovation in Sustainability Prize at GW’s 2025 New Venture Competition and is currently a semifinalist in XPRIZE’s Water Scarcity Competition. The team has also submitted a grant proposal to the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Technology Transfer program to support manufacturing scale-up and pilot validation.
“Through LayerPure, we are now working to translate the rinse-free mLbL membrane platform toward real-world applications in desalination, water reuse, and high-purity water production. The AEESP recognition motivates me to continue advancing the technology to move it closer to commercial development,” Majumder concluded.