Research

The development of catalytic processes to crack long-chain macromolecules selectively into smaller organic molecules is poised to upcycle plastic waste and create value out of our trash.

My work at Penn led to the development of multifunctional surfaces with diverse, at times contrasting, features: exhibiting self-cleansing, anti-fogging, superhydrophobic properties along with supporting dropwise water condensation at high humidities. Nanoscale characterization, in-situ polymer diffusion tracking, coarse-grained simulations, and...

The world today is responding to the challenges of climate change by two classes of strategies: mitigation and adaptation. Both approaches require us to rethink traditional materials design, manufacturing paradigms, and the lifecycle of the materials that we consume. As a chemical engineer with insight into the nanoscale properties of materials, I...

Interfacial forces can be harnessed to make novel nanomaterials that surpass the properties of conventional materials. These processes can enable novel nanoscale patterning.

To ensure scale-up of this process, it is important to understand its dynamics – is it possible to predict how long it takes for the polymer to move into the packing and how does that motion compare to the bulk motion of the polymer?