Continuous and Oscillatory Multi-Phase Microscale Technologies for Pharmaceuticals, Materials and Energy

My proposed interdisciplinary research program will include development of multi-phase micro systems for fundamental studies of (a) synthesis of cadmium-free semiconductor nanocrystals (i.e., quantum dots (QDs)) for applications in biological imaging and displays; (b) utilization of light-absorbing nanoparticles for the next generation of energy-efficient carbon capture and sequestration technologies; and (c) different mechanisms involved in single/multi-phase C-C and C-N cross-coupling catalytic cycles. Capitalizing on the enhanced mixing and mass and heat transfer rates enabled by flow segmentation compared to batch and single-phase systems, I will focus on exploring the nucleation and growth mechanisms of cadmium-free QDs. The lack of understanding of these mechanisms has prevented further progress and scalability of cadmium-free QDs in comparison with II-VI QDs. The second direction of my research program will be focused on fundamental heat and mass transfer studies of photo-thermal release of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the presence of light-absorbing nanoparticles and investigation of CO₂ conversion into minerals as well as renewable energy sources. Finally, building on my recently developed oscillatory multi-phase technique, in the third theme of my research program, I will utilize multi-phase oscillatory flow strategy towards exploring the rate limiting steps and fundamental mechanisms associated with single/multi-phase C-C and C-N cross-coupling reactions. The findings of this research will be applied towards development of more efficient catalysts and optimization of flow chemistry approaches for continuous manufacturing of pharmaceutical targets.