Magda Barecka
Assistant Professor,
Chemical Engineering
Assistant Professor,
Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Research Focus
Electrochemical methods for transformation of CO2 into the next generation of chemical building blocks.
Education
- PhD, Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, Germany, 2017
- MSc, Chemical and Process Engineering, Lodz University of Technology, Poland, 2013
- BSc, Environmental Engineering, Lodz University of Technology, Poland, 2012
Professional Affiliations
- American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
- AIChE Singapore Local Chapter
Research Overview
Electrochemical methods for transformation of CO2 into the next generation of chemical building blocks.
Barecka Lab
At Barecka Lab, we do transformative research that enables the transition towards a carbon neutral economy, where the basic human needs for healthcare and hygiene products, materials and clothing are satisfied through a selective and efficient transformation of carbon dioxide from the air into the next generation of chemical building blocks.
To achieve this goal, we develop in-depth understanding of CO2 electrolysis, by a diverse combination of electrochemical techniques, analytical chemistry, surface characterization with developed in-house modelling tools to reveal the origins of carbon transformation and design more controlled pathways for the broad use of this technology in the industry.
We boldly aim to enable the large-scale synthesis of chemical building blocks from dilute carbon dioxide, and thus, we focus on solving the most complex problems which currently prevent this technology of being used outside of laboratory space.
Selected Research Projects
- Modular Electrochemical Ethanol Production Using Intermittent Power (Electricity)
- Â – Principal Investigator, DOE
- Accelerating Electrocatalyst Innovation: High-Throughput Automated Microkinetic, Multiscale, and Techno-economic Modeling
- – co-Principal Investigator, ARPA-E
Department Research Areas
Selected Publications
- Barecka, Magda H., Kovalev, Mikhail K., Muhamad, Marsha Zakir, Ren, Hangjuan, Ager, Joel W., Lapkin, Alexei A. (2023). CO2 electroreduction favors carbon isotope 12C over 13C and facilitates isotope separation. iScience, 26(10),107834. 10.1016/J.ISCI.2023.107834
- Barecka, M. H., Ager, J. W, Lapkin, A. A. Techno-economic assessment of emerging CO2 electrolysis technologies. STAR Protocols (Cell Press), invited publication, 2, 100889. 2021
- Barecka, M. H., Ager, J. W, Lapkin, A. A. CO2 on-site recycling: retrofit technology for carbon neutral manufacturing. iScience (Cell Press), 24, 6, 102514. 2021
- Barecka, M. H., Ager, J.W, Lapkin, A. A. Economically viable CO2 electroreduction embedded within ethylene oxide manufacturing. Energy Environmental Science, 14, 1530-1543. 2021
- Barecka, M. H., Skiborowski, M., Gorak, A. A novel approach for process retrofitting through process intensification: ethylene oxide case study. Chemical Engineering Research and Design, 123, 295-316. 2017
- Barecka, M. H., Skiborowski, M., Gorak, A. Process intensification in practice: ethylene glycol case study. Practical aspects in Chemical Engineering (book chapter). M. Ochowiak, S. Woziwodzki, M. Doligalski, P. Mitkowski (Eds), Springer. 2017
Feb 07, 2025
Spring 2025 PEAK Experiences Awardees for Undergrad Research
Several COE, COS, and Khoury students mentored by COE faculty are recipients of the Spring 2025 PEAK Experiences Awards from Northeastern’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.
Aug 01, 2024
Technology To Convert Renewable Energy to Liquids
ChE/COS Assistant Professor Magda Barecka was selected to lead a $986,200 DOE project managed by the ARPA-E GREENWELLS program for “Modular Electrochemical Ethanol Production Using Intermittent Power (Electricity).” She is pioneering new technology to convert dilute carbon dioxide into a concentrated ethanol product using intermittent renewable electricity.
May 08, 2024
2024 URF Scholars Recipients
Several engineering students received 2024 URF Scholars Awards from Northeastern’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. URF Scholars are students who are graduating this year and who have earned a PEAK Experiences Award, applied for a distinguished fellowship, or participated in graduate school advising.
Oct 20, 2023
Advancing Early Cancer Detection
ChE/COS Assistant Professor Magda Barecka has discovered a new, more efficient, and environmentally friendly method of separating carbon isotopes, which has the potential to advance both the early detection of cancer and the sustainable production of chemicals. Her research was published in the journal iScience.
Sep 15, 2023
Fall 2023 PEAK Experiences Awardees for Undergrad Research
Several engineering and science students mentored by COE faculty are recipients of Fall 2023 PEAK Experiences Awards from Northeastern’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.
Aug 04, 2023
Developing a Computer Model for Carbon Dioxide Conversion
ChE Associate Professor Richard West, ChE/COS Assistant Professor Magda Barecka, and ChE Assistant Professor Qing Zhao were awarded a $500,000 grant for “Accelerating Electrocatalyst Innovation: High-Throughput Automated Microkinetic, Multiscale, and Techno-economic Modeling” as part of the Creating Revolutionary Energy and Technology Endeavors (CREATE) Exploratory Topic managed by the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).
Aug 17, 2022
New Faculty Spotlight: Magda Barecka
Magda Barecka joins the Chemical Engineering department in August 2022 as an Assistant Professor with a joint appointment in Chemistry and Chemical Biology.