Research Interests:

• Separation and purification
• Crystallization
• Crystal nucleation and growth and the role these phenomena have in determining crystal morphology, purity, and size distributions
• Application of crystallization technology to the recovery and purification of high-value-added chemicals, including biologically produced materials

Processes involving separation and/or purification are of great practical importance and are at the core of the discipline of chemical engineering. Dr. Rousseau has focused his research on these processes and related phenomena. A large body of his work has been on crystallization, which is one of the most important means by which separation or purification is conducted. He has led studies of crystal nucleation and growth and the role these phenomena have in determining crystal morphology, purity, and size distributions. Dr. Rousseau is particularly interested in the application of crystallization technology to the recovery and purification of high-value-added chemicals, including biologically produced materials.

The use of crystallization in separation and purification processes is an important and valued methodology in numerous industries, including those manufacturing commodity and specialty chemicals, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, and a variety of biologically synthesized products. Crystallizers may be operated in either a batch or continuous mode, and the crystalline product usually must have characteristics that are intrinsic to a specific application and/or that facilitate fluid-solid separation.

Recent research topics in the Rousseau group include:

• Crystallization Science and Technology
  • Monitoring Particulates in Complex Mixtures
  • Use of Crystallization to Enhance the Yield of a Intermediate in a Reaction Network
  • Separation of Chirally Pure Enantiomers
• Nucleation and Growth Kinetics
• Separation and Purification of Near-Isomorphic Amino Acids
• Morphology, Hydrates, and Solvates
• Crystallization of Proteins