(4co) Could We 3D Print a Light Bulb at Home? 2D Nanomaterials Used for 3D Printing, Biosensing, and Control Release of Intercalates

Graphene – a single-atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal honeycomb lattice – has gained considerable attention due to its exceptional mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. Compounding on these properties, graphene’s chemical and physical stability has led to numerous applications, including nanoelectronics biomedical applications such as biosensors, antibacterial, drug delivery, cell imaging tissue engineering, and energy storage applications in batteries. Graphene oxide is one of the most widely studied chemical derivatives of graphene because of its water solubility and fast, scalable synthesis. A fast-evolving research field is the 2D and 3D printing of nanomaterials, including graphene oxide and its composites. In addition to graphene, using other 2D nanomaterials(2DN) can improve the applicability of these devices. Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are graphene-like (2D) nanomaterials, and molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) is one of the most widely studied TMDC. MoS₂ has strong light absorption, layer-dependent electronic characteristics where the band structure changes from an indirect bulk form (~1.3 eV) to a direct monolayer form (~1.8 eV). MoS₂ can endure high temperatures stability due to strong forces in plane with softness imparted by its van der Waals layered structure, making it suitable for lubrication applications.

2DNs can be interfaced with each other to realize stacked heterostructures with controlled and/or expanded properties, which can be applied to achieve great electronic and optoelectronic functional devices. 2DNs have an aggressively growing library, with different types of 2DN nanomaterials being discovered constantly, e.g. new MXENES, an emerging type of 2DN, are discovered every month. As a result, intense efforts to exploit the unique, tunable electronic properties of 2DNs are underway. One example is the growing research on the additive manufacturing of composite, hierarchical structures, attempting to incorporate 2DN-heterostructures into devices at previously inaccessible scales. For instance, in current efforts, I have shown that fusing graphene, a metallic 2DN, with MoS₂, a semiconductor 2DN, can produce ultrafast optoelectronic switches by leveraging the mismatch in Fermi levels. These 2DNs with various functionalities can be mass-produced via 2D and 3D printing and provide easy, economical access for various applications. I envision that these efforts can be extended to open new research areas and interfacing these composites with bioprinting can further develop the field.

Moreover, I will present a few applications using these 2D nanomaterials, such as 3D printing of gels for electronic devices, biosensing for characterizing Glioblastoma heterogeneity (GBM, most common primary brain tumor affecting the adult population) to distinguishing necrosis, tumor, margin, and normal tissue. In addition, 2D nanomaterials can hold intercalates and control the release of these intercalated materials, which can be an important technique in many applications, including flavor, fertilizer, pesticide, and drug deliveries. I will demonstrate edge- and basal-plane-specific kinetics of planar, 1D wrinkled, and 2D crumpled nanochannels of graphene oxide films used to control the release rates of molecular intercalants pre-loaded into graphene oxide (GO) gallery spaces. Moreover, showing the transport phenomena release profile of GO and citric acid intercalated experimental and modeling, which gives diffusivity coefficients of 9.92*10^-10 mm²/min for planar films, 1.07*10^-10 mm²/min for 1D wrinkles, and 2D 5.53*10^-10 mm²/min for 2D crumple. This type of fluidic-space manipulation should allow the intelligent design of 2D-material-based technologies such as time-release drug-eluting coatings.

My lab will use and develop cutting-edge 2D and 3D printing methods to incorporate nanomaterials and biomaterials for mass production into the field of optoelectronics, biosensing and materials encapsulations. Specifically, my research will primarily focus on three areas: (1) 3D printing of graphene and other 2DNs for electronic devices; (2) 2D printing of 2DNs for biosensing applications; and (3) Wrinkled 2D nanomaterials for integration and encapsulation. This versatile area of research will bring cutting edge research of the 2D and 3D printing phenomena and can lead to high research output, resulting in high impact publications, multiple funding opportunities, leadership in the field of 3D/2D printing of bio-nano interface while sharing my research with the community through different outreach opportunities.

Awards:

*Presidential Diversity Postdoctoral Fellow (Brown University)2020/2022

*Chancellor Student Service and Leadership Award 2020

*Eugertha Bates Memorial Award 2020

*National Science Foundation - Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF-GRF) 2017-2020

*NSF-Graduate Research Opportunities Worldwide (NSF-GROW) 2018-2019

*Bridge to the Doctorate Fellowship 2015-2017

*The PASSAGE Scholars Program

*AIChE Presentation Awards

*First Place - Graduate Student Poster Competition at the Chicago Section of the American *Institute of Chemical Engineering (AIChE), 2018/2017

*UIC - Graduate Student Council travel award 2018/2019

*UIC - Student Presenter Awards 2018/2019

Teaching experiences (teaching statement attached)

*Brown University

Co-Instructor ENGN 0720Thermodynamics / fall and summer2021/ (~60 students)

*University of Illinois at Chicago

Teaching Assistant, Engineering 100 (597 students)

WISE ((Woman in Science and Engineering Summer Program) summer 2017

*Project SYNCERE

Engineering Instructor various schools in Chicago