Micro and Nano-scale Transport Laboratory (MNT Lab) is located at the first floor of the Quantum-Nano Centre, QNC 1512, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN).
Dr. Mitra's visionary research in interfacial science and wetting phenomena at the micro and nano-scale has unlocked groundbreaking pathways for materials discovery and technological innovation. His pioneering work addresses some of humanity's most pressing challenges across the energy, environment, and health domains. By harnessing the power of micro and nanotechnology, Dr. Mitra has developed cutting-edge solutions for enhanced oil and gas extraction, sustainable bio-energy production through coal bioconversion, and affordable, efficient water quality monitoring. His research has also led to the creation of transformative health diagnostics for vector-borne, viral, bacterial, and cardiac diseases. Dr. Mitra's seminal contributions to interfacial science through the novel liquid-liquid encapsulation technology has opened up exciting new frontiers in drug delivery, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and food & beverages, enabling the development of advanced materials and methods that promise to reshape these industries. Furthermore, Dr. Mitra's ingenious approach to confining water molecules within angstrom-scale spaces has yielded pioneering techniques for ion trapping, paving the way for next-generation sensing, purification, and energy storage applications. Through his multidisciplinary research at the intersection of fundamental science and real-world impact, Dr. Mitra is not only pushing the boundaries of knowledge but also driving the creation of technologies that have the potential to transform our world for the better. Current research projects at MNT Lab can be viewed on the research page.
News
New technology offers simple, low-cost method for encapsulation
Researchers at the University of Waterloo have developed a simple, low-cost method for accurately encapsulating core materials (which could be pure liquid or liquid containing suspended functional ingredients) that could make important contributions to a wide range of industry applications.
“The key to this technology is that everything is in liquid state – the core, the shell, and finally submerged inside a liquid bath. This provides extraordinary flexibility in terms of core shell combinations. At least 15 of these types of combinations have already been demonstrated,” said Sushanta Mitra, executive director, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology and professor of Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo. "It is ultrafast with each encapsulation taking only 50 milliseconds. This technology is at least 5000 times less energy intensive and it avoids the introduction of any microplastics in the encapsulation process.”
For details, click here.
Developing an anti-viral coating against COVID-19
New research is underway to develop a coating that will kill the COVID-19 virus immediately upon contact with any surface. The antiviral coating could be applied to all personal protective equipment and high-touch surfaces, greatly reducing the risk of community transmission of the virus.
For details, click here.
Engineering researchers awarded provincial funding
Four professors at Waterloo Engineering, including Lab Founder Sushanta Mitra, were recently awarded $570,000 in provincial funding to build their research teams and pay for research-related infrastructure.
Sushanta Mitra (mechanical and mechatronics engineering) was awarded $150,000 through the Ontario Research Fund-Research Infrastructure program for equipment to characterize capillarity and wetting for under-liquid systems.