Advancing Lightweight Materials: A Journey towards Undergraduate Entrepreneurship

The journey toward aerogel research began for three students in Nanotechnology Engineering’s (NE) third-year Soft Nanomaterials course. The concept which captured the students’ interest was the hierarchical design and assembly of nanomaterials, which involves structuring materials at multiple scales.

“The Soft Nanomaterials course was a really cool course! What stuck with me after the lecture was the idea that nanomaterials can have a hierarchical design with different levels of structure at different scales, from nano- all the way to macro-scale. The idea to achieve extraordinary properties by controlling materials features at different levels was fascinating.” said Anthony Keen, an NE student.

Fourth-year students Humzah Curtay, Anthony Keen, and Aliasgar Bawangaonwala initially began exploring the use of hierarchical assembly of nanomaterials to create ultra-lightweight, highly porous scaffolds known as aerogels for advanced applications such as sound insulation and electromagnetic shielding. The students presented their idea to Professor Milad Kamkar from the Department of Chemical Engineering, who agreed to supervise the project.

The research focuses on formulating various aerogels with specific, targeted properties. By tweaking the chemical and microstructural features of materials at different scales, one can fine-tune the final properties of the aerogels for any desired application. At the nanoscale, the team is hybridizing a variety of nanomaterials using novel techniques to create these aerogels, which will be characterized through a wide range of advanced techniques. At the macro-scale, the team is using 3D printing techniques to shape the formulated hybrid aerogels. Additionally, they are tackling a significant challenge in the industrial production of aerogels: developing methods to fabricate aerogels that can be dried at room temperature, a breakthrough that would greatly enhance scalability and sustainability.

“Indeed, a crucial step in advancing nanotechnology toward industrial applications lies in the ability to organize and integrate nano-size materials into larger, functional structures with practical, real-world dimensions and uses.” said Kamkar, the director of the Multiscale Materials Design (MMD) lab.

The potential applications of their aerogels are vast. Potential formulations could have electromagnetic shielding properties that can be used to protect sensitive electronic equipment. They are also investigating the use of aerogels for oil spill clean-up and thermal insulation for medical shipping containers.

To support their research, the team applied for and received a MITACS grant to support this project. This research will be part of their Fourth-year design Project. The University of Waterloo has a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, and Curtay, Keen and Bawangaowala created a start-up called Airsero to pursue this research. Commercialization is a key aspect of their project. They are actively engaging with different companies to understand industry needs and explore potential collaborations.

“We are really excited about what our aerogels offer and are looking for a partnership to bring our technology to real-world use,” said the team.