christopher-durning

Christopher James Durning

Professor of Chemical Engineering

Professor Christopher Durning’s research aims to exploit "soft" material systems, including polymers, colloids, and amphiphiles, in applications of societal importance.

Three underlying intellectual themes serve the purpose of working to understand and control these systems (i) transport and diffusion, (ii) surface and interfacial behavior, and (iii) association and self-assembly.

Typical examples of Durning’s research are recent projects on the development of novel membranes for separations and purification. The work has potential impacts in energy (e.g. natural gas purification) and sustainability (e.g. water purification). One collaborative effort focuses on the use of novel “grafted” polymer/nano-particle composites for gas separation membranes for natural gas treatment, among other applications. Another focuses on surface modification by self-assembly of membranes for filtration technologies (nano-filtration, reverse osmosis) for water purification, especially desalination. The key aspects of the first project mentioned were featured in the 2015 Columbia Engineering special issue, “ENGINEERING NANOSCIENCE.”

Professor Durning received his BS in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University in 1978, and earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University in 1983. He joined the faculty at Columbia in 1983, where he has served for more than 35 years and remains active in both teaching and research.

Research Areas

  • Materials
  • Modeling & Simulation
  • "Soft" Material Systems Incorporating Polymers, Colloids, and Amphiphiles
  • Polymer and Colloidal Glasses
  • Active Media
  • Transport Phenomena
  • Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
  • Membrane Science
  • Separations Technologies

Additional information

  • Professional Experience
    • Professor, Columbia University, 07/98 - Present
    • Vice-Chairman, Columbia University, 07/03 - 07/05
    • Acting Chairman, Columbia University, 01/03 - 07/03
    • Associate Professor, Columbia University, 07/88 - 07/98
    • Assistant Professor, Columbia University, 07/83 - 07/88
    • Lecturer, Columbia University, 01/83 - 07/83
  • Professional Affiliations
    • American Institute of Chemical Engineers