Our research is focused on the synthesis, characterization and environmental and health applications of porous nanomaterials, such as zeolites and mesoporous silica. Our approach is to systematically and strategically vary the zeolite and mesoporous silica properties such as particle size and surface functionalization in order to optimize their performance in various applications. Recent projects have focused on adsorption of heavy metal contaminants, development of drug delivery materials, greener synthesis methods including mechanochemistry, and characterization of interactions of nanomaterials with environmental and biological systems.