(6fo) Scalable Synthesis of Nano- and Micro-Scale Materials for Energy Applications

In the past few decades, the exploration of nano- and micro-scale materials has led to myriad of technological advances, especially in the energy sector. These materials, particularly at the nano-scale, have unique mechanical, optical, and electrical properties that lead to exemplary performance in applications such as energy harvesting and storage, fuel production, and drinking water production using solar steam. However, the ever-growing demand for energy results in non-renewable sources of energy being widely used as the main generation source. The challenge of meeting the increasing energy demand in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way is one of the most important problems facing society. While many high-performance materials have been synthesized and reported in the literature, the synthesis process is generally expensive and low-yield, with minimal scale-up opportunities.

My research interests are in development of scalable processes for synthesizing materials at the nano- and micro-scales, particularly for use in energy storage and harvesting. Through proper process design, materials with unique morphologies (spherical, hollow, wires, columns, etc), low dimensionality (0-dimensional through 3-dimensional), and tailored composition (doped materials, solid solutions, layered compositions, etc). I aim to 1) design scalable synthesis processes for nano- and micro-scale materials, 2) investigate the effect of process parameters on fundamental material properties, 3) investigate the performance of the materials in energy storage and harvesting applications, and 4) create pilot-scale reactors for proof-of-scalability.

In this poster, I will present a variety of processes, including aerosol chemical vapor deposition, electrospray, and furnace aerosol reactors, that I have used for the synthesis of various materials, as well as characterization and performance of the synthesized materials.

My PhD work has focused on the study of aerosol reactors for the synthesis of nano- and micro-scale materials. Aerosol-based reactors provide unique opportunities to control and tailor properties of the final materials using easily controlled system parameters. For example, aerosol chemical vapor deposition (ACVD) allows for the deposition of structured metal oxide thin films by controlling reactor temperature and precursor flow rates. Additionally, doped-metal oxide thin films may be synthesized by simply introducing two precursors simultaneously. During my graduate work I have used ACVD to synthesize SnO₂, TiO₂, and Cu-doped TiO₂ films for use as battery electrodes in lithium-ion battery coin cells. Electrospray can be used to form mono-dispersed nano-droplets, which I have used to deposit a metal-organic framework coating material. Finally, furnace aerosol reactors can be used to synthesize particles ranging from the nano- to micro-scales by controlling precursor concentrations. Additionally, hollow particles can be synthesized using knowledge of the reactions taking place and tailoring system conditions. My graduate work has focused on the application of materials synthesized using these processes in energy storage, in the form of lithium-ion batteries and lithium-sulfur batteries.

My background has prepared me to work in the interdisciplinary research area between materials science and chemical engineering to develop scalable processes for material synthesis to address the pressing needs for new energy technologies.

Teaching Interests:

Teaching is about more than presenting information to the students, it is about helping the students find which aspect of the field they are most passionate about and where they can contribute to the field. Through my experience as a teaching assistant and research mentor I learned how beneficial these roles were to my own understanding of the course work or research area.

During my time as a graduate student I have been a teaching assistant for undergraduate Engineering Analysis of Chemical Systems, Mass Transfer Operations, and Process Control Lab. Through these experiences I have covered the range of teaching new chemical engineering students the basics of mass and energy balances to helping senior students design their experiments in Process Control Lab. Additionally, in the research setting I have mentored four undergraduate students and one master’s student, three of which have published papers with me. Working with students with various levels of experience in research has shown me the importance of effective communication is and has taught me how to best organize my own efforts and those of other researchers. I feel prepared to teach any of the undergraduate chemical engineering courses and would be particularly interested in teaching or developing a course on the place of chemical engineering in the energy field and renewable energy.