Seminar

ABSTRACT:  Carbon nanotube (CNT)/polymer nanocomposites (CPNs) have recently drawn great interest for use in electronics, due to their superior properties such as tunable electrical conductivity, light weight, low cost, corrosion resistance, processability, etc. (compare with properties of currently used metals). In fact, the polymer matrix is insulative; however, incorporating a low content of conductive filler transforms it into conductive via forming a conductive network.

ABSTRACT:  The regulation of intracellular water activity is a necessary characteristic of many physiological functions in all living organisms. The high water transport rate across cell membranes is due to a type of water channel protein, aquaporin. The unique selectivity, high water transport capability, and low activation energy of aquaporins have garnered strong scientific interests with many studies concentrating on the fabrication of biomimetic membranes based on the reconstitution of aquaporins into self-assembled amphiphilic lipid or polymer bilayers.

ABSTRACT: The bottom–up approach is considered a potential alternative for low cost manufacturing of nanostructured materials [1]. It is based on the concept of self–assembly of nanostructures on a substrate, and is emerging as an alternative paradigm for traditional top down fabrication used in the semiconductor industry. We demonstrate various strategies to control nanostructure assembly (both organic and inorganic) at the nanoscale.

ABSTRACT:  Complexes formed in systems containing both positive and negative charges are of fundamental importance in a variety of materials applications.  A common method for producing polyelectrolyte complex films is to sequentially deposit oppositely charged polymers, an effective but tedious process that is not readily scalable.  A focus on this talk is on the deposition of relatively thick films directly onto conducting surfaces, using electrochemical processes to modulate the local pH.  The process is carried out on a quartz crystal microbalance, which in addition to

ABSTRACT:  The Singapore University of Technology and Design facilitated an ambitious large-scale science experiment in September and November 2015 which saw over 43,000 students carrying sensors designed to measure temperature, humidity, pressure, light, noise, IR temperature, motion, among other physical parameters in a project supported by the National Research Foundation and carried out with partners from the Ministry of Education and the Singapore Science Center. Prof. Erik Wilhelm, Prof.

ABSTRACT:  This presentation will provide an overview of recent progress and remaining technical challenges of PEM fuel cells. The important contribution of catalyst materials and catalyst layer towards wide-spread commercialization of fuel cells will be highlighted. The advantage and possible limitations of various types of catalysts, such as Pt alloys (de-alloys), core-shell catalysts and shape-controlled nanocrystal catalysts will be assessed.

ABSTRACT:  Mathematical programming methods have been widely adopted for process design and operation, as they provide systematic means to find optimal or feasible design/operation decisions that may not be easily seen from qualitative or simple quantitative analysis. However, mathematical programming formulations of process design and operation problems are usually nonconvex, implying that an optimal, or even a feasible solution, is difficult to obtain.

ABSTRACT:  In order to reduce carbon emissions and construct sustainable society, it is very important to construct sustainable biorefineries, which produce biofuel/biochemical from biomass. Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP), which integrates enzyme production, saccharification and fermentation into a single process, is a promising strategy for effective bioproduction.

ABSTRACT:  Globe warming and energy security are two major challenges the world is facing today. To preserve our environment and energy resource, it is imperative to maximize the utilization of existing fuels while exploring renewable sources. Fuel cell and lithium metal battery as the next-generation high-efficiency energy conversion and storage devices have attracted a great deal of attentions in recent years. This presentation summarizes some recent progresses in my laboratory in these two research areas.

ABSTRACT:  Lattice Boltzmann methods, due to their amenability to parallelization and ability to handle geometrically complex boundaries, are appealing for simulating flows with particles, droplets, and bubbles when experimental observations and manipulations are not possible. This talk will present recent advances in the use of these methods for simulating droplet coalescence and particle motion in confined geometries.