Loyola University Chicago

Engineering

Faculty

Chad Johnston, PhD

Title/s:  Assistant Professor‌

Office #:  305 Cuneo Hall

Phone: 773.508.8245

Email: cjohnston3@luc.edu

About

Dr. Johnston is an assistant professor of environmental engineering who specializes in the aquatic and surface geochemistry of environmental pollutants. He holds a PhD from the University of Connecticut, where he served for two years as an assistant professor in residence before joining Loyola Chicago in 2015.  His research focuses primarily on molecular-scale aspects of contaminant fate in natural and engineered systems.  Outcomes of this work have applications in contaminant transport modeling, water treatment, and environmental remediation. 

Research Interests

Combining spectroscopic and computational techniques, Dr. Johnston's research group seeks to identify key molecular-level (microscopic) predictors of field-scale (macroscopic) contaminant behavior. Areas of particular interest include:

  • Molecular simulations of organic-oxide surface interactions
  • Speciation of inorganic contaminants in aquatic systems
  • Geochemistry of environmental nanoparticles
  • Novel materials for water treatment and remediation

Selected Publications

1. Lonsbury, A.W., Yamani, J.S., Johnston., C.P., Larese-Cassanova, P. and Zimmerman, J.B., 2016. The role of counter ions in nano-hematite synthesis: Implications for surface area and selenium adsorption capacityJournal of Hazardous Materials. 310, 117-124.

2. Johnston, C. P., and Chrysochoou, C., 2015.Mechanisms of Chromate, Selenate, and Sulfate Absorption on AI-Substituted Ferrihydrite: Implications for Ferrihydrite Surface Structure and Reactivity.Environmental Science & Technology. 50(7), 3589-3596.

3. Chrysochoou., M and Johnston, C.P., 2015. Polysulfide speciation and reactivity in chromate-contaminated soil.Journal of Hazardous Materials, 281, 87-94.

4. Johnston, C.P., and Dhrysochoou, M., 2014.Mechanisms of chromate absorption on hematite.Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 138, 146-157.

5. Johnston, C.P., and Chrysochoou, M., 2012.Investigation of chromate coordination on ferrihydrite by in situ ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and theoretical frequency calculationsEnvironmental Science & Technology, 46(11), 5851-5858.