About

Jennifer Dunn is a Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Northwestern University and also holds a courtesy appointment in Mechanical Engineering. She serves as the Director of the Center for Engineering Sustainability and Resilience. Her research focuses on emerging technologies and their energy and environmental impacts, particularly their influence on greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions, water consumption, and energy consumption. Her areas of interest include mineral supply chains, nutrient recovery from water, biofuels and bioproducts, hydrogen, and plastics. Dunn employs techno-economic, life cycle, and material flow analyses as primary tools in her research. She is actively involved in professional service, including her role as an Associate Editor for Environmental Science and Technology and her participation in the National Academies Committee on Developing a Research Agenda for Utilization of Gaseous Carbon Waste Streams.

Research topics

• Environmental science
• Artificial Intelligence
• Political Science
• Engineering
• Economics
• Organic chemistry
• Waste management
• Chemistry
• Ecology
• Computer Science
• Law
• Pulp and paper industry
• Biology
• Cartography
• Natural resource economics
• Geography
• Environmental resource management
• Environmental ethics
• Composite material
• Environmental engineering
• Materials science
• Remote sensing
• Environmental chemistry
• Inorganic chemistry

Selected publications

• Dilute alloy electrocatalysts enable asymmetric C–C coupling for ethylene production from a CO2 post-capture liquid

  Nature Synthesis · 2026-03-10 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Scalable Upcycling of Spent Lithium‐Ion Battery Anodic Graphite to Electronic‐Grade Graphene

  Advanced Science · 2026-01-07 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  ABSTRACT Recycling processes for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) are imperative to support the sustainable growth of global energy storage systems. This study introduces a scalable method for the upcycling of spent graphite anodes from LIBs to produce electronic‐grade graphene nanoplatelets. In addition to comprehensive materials characterization, the electronic quality of the upcycled graphene is demonstrated by formulating it into a screen printing ink that achieves high‐resolution patterning and thin‐film electrical conductivity exceeding 10 4 S m −1 . This screen printing ink is also used to print planar micro‐supercapacitors with exceptional areal capacitance (1.78 mF cm −2 ), areal energy density (0.247 µWh cm −2 ), and cycling stability (> 10 000 cycles). Life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno‐economic analysis (TEA) highlight the environmental benefits and cost reductions attainable through upcycling of graphite from LIBs. By capturing economic value from spent LIBs, this work fosters a sustainable battery supply chain and provides an abundant and geographically distributed raw material for electronic‐grade graphene.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Accounting for Land Clearing Greatly Increases Minerals' Life-cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions

  ChemRxiv · 2026-03-25

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Life cycle assessments of the minerals used in decarbonization do not consider the greenhouse gas emissions that arise from land use change as mining sites increase to accommodate growing minerals demand. This omission could lead to underestimation of lithium-ion battery and electric vehicle life-cycle GHG emissions. We developed a consequential LCA-inspired model to account for land use change greenhouse gas emissions that predicts per ton mineral life-cycle GHG emissions can increase up to four-fold. Per kWh battery emissions increase by 20-29% for nickel manganese cobalt cathode chemistries. Increases for batteries with LFP cathodes range from 9-16%. This analysis demonstrates how these emissions, previously unaddressed in existing models, could increase the contributions to climate change from mining minerals used in decarbonization technologies.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Future water constraints on United States lithium mining under climate change

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026-04-27

  datasetOpen accessSenior author

  This repository contains the supporting information and underlying data used in the publication: "Future water constraints on United States lithium mining under climate change" by Trost et al. (2026) The Supplementary Information Excel file contains information and data on mine sites, water use of mines and from literature, and annual production data and estimates. This repository includes python code and data used to conduct the analysis. In order to run the code and source data properly, file directories will need to be updated to the directories where the data and code has been downloaded to. Population_Projections includes code and data to support Figure 8. Temp_Precip_Changes includes code and data to support Figures 4 and 5. Uncertainty Analysis includes code and data to support Figures 6 and 7. Supplemental Data 1 includes location data to support Figure 2 and direct water use estimates of lithium mining from literature to support Figure 1. Water supply data are from Caldwell et al. (2019) and the Water Supply Stress Index Model (WaSSI). Please contact the authors for full access to their data. Water demand data for non-mining sectors are from Warziniack et al. (2022). Please contact the authors for full access to their data.

  PublisherDOI

• Fully biodegradable printed electronic sensors based on biomass-derived graphene inks and agripapers

  npj Advanced Manufacturing · 2026-01-28 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access

  While printed electronic sensors present significant opportunities for the Internet of Things (IoT), industrial-scale production of these devices also raises numerous environmental concerns, including electronic waste generation and critical mineral depletion. Here, we circumvent these issues by demonstrating high-performance biodegradable printed electronic sensors based exclusively on agripaper substrates and graphene inks sourced from biomass. The agripaper substrate is produced from miscanthus and hemp, which are hardy, drought-tolerant agricultural crops. Meanwhile, the sensing layer is composed of cellulose nanocrystals derived from miscanthus, and graphene nanoplatelets derived from hardwood biochar. These plant-based printing materials are renewable, biodegradable, and readily processable at scale. The resulting printed electronic sensors exhibit superlative humidity sensitivity, showing a relative resistance change of 2.6 over a humidity range of 35–85% RH with response and recovery times of ~1 second and ~4 seconds, respectively. These sensors also perform well under humidity cycling and possess minimal confounding temperature dependence, outperforming traditional devices based on plastic substrates and metallic inks. By utilizing biomass for all raw materials, this additive manufacturing methodology is sustainable, minimizes supply chain risks, and provides an enabling step towards a circular bioeconomy.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Future water constraints on United States lithium mining under climate change

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026-04-27

  datasetOpen accessSenior author

  This repository contains the supporting information and underlying data used in the publication: "Future water constraints on United States lithium mining under climate change" by Trost et al. (2026) The Supplementary Information Excel file contains information and data on mine sites, water use of mines and from literature, and annual production data and estimates. This repository includes python code and data used to conduct the analysis. In order to run the code and source data properly, file directories will need to be updated to the directories where the data and code has been downloaded to. Population_Projections includes code and data to support Figure 8. Temp_Precip_Changes includes code and data to support Figures 4 and 5. Uncertainty Analysis includes code and data to support Figures 6 and 7. Supplemental Data 1 includes location data to support Figure 2 and direct water use estimates of lithium mining from literature to support Figure 1. Water supply data are from Caldwell et al. (2019) and the Water Supply Stress Index Model (WaSSI). Please contact the authors for full access to their data. Water demand data for non-mining sectors are from Warziniack et al. (2022). Please contact the authors for full access to their data.

  PublisherDOI

• Holistic, literature-informed critical mineral life cycle assessment guidelines: an essential foundation for the energy transition

  ChemRxiv · 2025-07-18

  article

  In this paper, we demonstrate that life cycle assessment (LCA) is a valuable tool for evaluating the trade-offs between critical mineral acquisition and its resulting environmental impacts, but the applications of LCA to critical mineral mining are inconsistent and limited. These inconsistencies inhibit effective comparison of mines’ effects and decision-making in support of environmentally responsible mineral supply chains. To illustrate these limitations, we analyzed how 74 peer-reviewed and gray literature critical mineral mining LCAs applied the four phases of LCA. To further assess how these LCAs account for environmental impacts, we created a dataset of critical mining impacts reported in the EJ Atlas. Based on this thorough assessment, we propose a series of guidelines for each LCA phase for application to critical mineral mining. These recommendations provide an opportunity to standardize critical mineral mining LCAs and enable better comparison to inform decision-making and mining policy development.

  PublisherDOI

• Life cycle inventory data for critical mineral mining: recommendations and new U.S. data compendium

  Environmental Science Advances · 2025-12-22

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Summary of emissions and their life-cycle impacts of 19 critical mineral mines in the U.S.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Benchmarking greenhouse gas emissions from US wastewater treatment for targeted reduction

  Nature Water · 2025-10-08 · 15 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Here, to assess the national climate impact of wastewater treatment and inform decarbonization, we assembled a comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory of 15,863 facilities in the contiguous USA. Considering location and treatment configurations, we modelled on-site CH4, N2O and CO2 production and emissions associated with energy, chemical inputs and solids disposal. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we estimated median national emissions at 47 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year, with on-site process CH4 and N2O emissions exceeding current government estimates by 41%. Treatment configurations with anaerobic digesters are responsible for 16 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year of fugitive methane, outweighing benefits achieved through on-site electricity generation. Systems designed for nutrient removal have the highest greenhouse gas emissions intensity, attributable to energy requirements and N2O production, demonstrating current trade-offs between meeting water quality and climate objectives. We analysed key sensitivities and included a geospatial analysis to highlight the scale and distribution of opportunities for reducing life cycle greenhouse gas emissions. Benchmarking greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater treatment plants is an essential step in developing mitigation strategies. This is now achieved for the USA by modelling over 15,000 facilities using Monte Carlo simulations to obtain a national baseline.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Environmental impacts of future cotton production in the United States

  ChemRxiv · 2025-09-04

  preprintOpen accessSenior author

  The environmental impacts of cotton production in the United States will change with evolving technology and a changing climate. We therefore predict these environmental impacts, including water and energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, under different future scenarios through 2049. Our predictions, driven by machine learning models and climate projections under different Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, highlight several key trends. The total water use for cotton production is dominated by irrigation water and is expected to increase slightly by 2049 because of climate change. The current pattern of lower irrigation needs in the East and higher needs in the West will continue. Nitrous oxide emissions from nitrogen fertilizer application are significantly influenced by wet and dry climate conditions. These emissions constitute a major source of greenhouse gas emissions for cotton lint production, representing approximately 28% of total emissions under current practices. Regarding energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, the declining trend in electricity and diesel usage since 2000 highlights the benefits of technological advancements in agricultural machinery and irrigation systems. The scenarios proposed in this study replace diesel with electricity to power farm equipment, not only meet cost constraints but also provide environmental benefits by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 24% to 32% by 2050. This research provides valuable insights into the future environmental impacts of cotton lint production, examining the integrated effects of climate change, fertilizer management, and electrified agricultural machinery. These findings serve as an important reference for agricultural stakeholders and policymakers.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Michael Wang

  25 shared

• Jeongwoo Han

  University of Waterloo

  23 shared

• Mehul V. Raval

  Northwestern University

  21 shared

• Gwyneth A. Sullivan

  Northwestern University

  21 shared

• Hao Cai

  Argonne National Laboratory

  17 shared

• Hayley J Petit

  Rush University Medical Center

  16 shared

• Audra J. Reiter

  Northwestern University

  16 shared

• Jennifer Westrick

  Rush University Medical Center

  16 shared

Labs

• Dunn LabPI

Awards & honors

• Associate Editor, Environmental Science and Technology (2025…