(3eo) Aerosol Processing of Advanced Functional Materials for Energy and Environmental Applications

There are increasing concerns on global energy and environmental issues, such as fossil fuel shortage and global climate change. It is recognized without a doubt that research and innovation in the development of sustainable energy-related materials by environmental-friendly technologies will play a critical role in meeting these challenges. I have a multidisciplinary educational background in chemistry, chemical engineering, and materials science, and professional research expertise in aerosol science and engineering as well as nanoscience and nanotechnology, which are indispensable in achieving the above stated goal. My research interests are focused on aerosol processing of advanced functional materials, starting from gas, liquid, and solid precursors, and their applications to energy and environmental technologies, ranging from lab synthesis to industrial scaled production and from kinetics modeling to formation mechanism studies. Specific examples are nanostructured photocatalyst development for energy conversion from carbon dioxide and biomass, thin film deposition for solar and sensor applications, and functional absorbent material development for CO₂/NO_x/SO_x capture in clean energy-related research. In my future research, I will continue working on developing environmentally benign aerosol processes for sustainable and renewable energy applications. I will also try to advance the technologies I develop in the lab to larger scale applications and build partnerships with industry through technology transfer. I will describe my research plans and give several specific examples during the poster session.