INTERFACIAL THERMAL AND TRANSPORT LAB (ITTL) : CURRENT PROJECTS
I. Material structure-process-property correlations to improve interfacial thermal transport
Grand challenges: Need for energy efficient thermally driven processes
Hypothesis: Porosity will enhance the mixing and swirling of the heat exchanging fluid while serving as the nucleation site for bubbles that dissipate heat during liquid-to-vapor phase change
My focus: I am investigating the structure-property-processing relationships of copper coatings and foams on heaters to achieve high critical heat flux and heat transfer coefficients at low wall superheats. I achieve this by passive methods that include creating hierarchical pores for the passage of liquid and vapor. Additionally, I combine electrodeposition, magnetic alignment, screen printing, sintering, dip, and spin-coating techniques to alter the interfacial wettability, wickability, and roughness. I am also exploring copper/carbon nanomaterials, and copper/nickel composites to achieve higher thermal conductivity and prevent oxidation of the copper heaters. Recently, I also started investigating the structure-property-processing correlations or polymer/nanomaterials membranes for membrane distillation for desalination applications.
Collaborators: Oak Ridge and Idaho National Labs, ANSYS, and Texas A& M University, Kingsville
Impact: a) Additive Manufacturing for High Heat Flux Applications – The first group to demonstrate applications of Metal Organic Deposition (MOD) ink for scaled-up manufacturing for thermal applications. Developed magnetically aligned metal organic deposition ink-based surfaces leading to an improvement of 50% in heat flux and 105% in heat transfer coefficient compared to a plain copper surface.
b) Record Breaking Heat Flux reported for Flat surfaces –Demonstrated the applications of graphene nanoplates in heat transfer applications that reported the highest critical heat flux of (CHF) of 289 W/cm² was achieved at the lowest recorded wall superheat temperature of 2.2°C for flat surfaces. Developed a variety of functional surfaces using various manufacturing processes.
II. Interfacial thermal analysis of lipid bilayers for their applications as drug carriers or model cell membranes
Grand challenges: Need for potent therapeutics with well-understood phospholipid membrane interactions
Hypothesis: Localized heating during light therapies can be exploited to trigger the release of encapsulated therapeutics from lipid-based carriers and the lipid bilayers can further be used as model cell membranes
My focus: I combine thermal analysis experiments and molecular modeling techniques as a rapid vetting method that provides an alternative to traditional drug discovery that requires in vitro, in vivo, and clinical trials. I am investigating the structure-binding-internalization of existing photo sensitive molecules for their potential applications in cancer therapy through their interactions with lipid bilayers. I achieve this by conjugating the exiting molecules with various functional groups and alkyl chains to alter their amphiphilicity. I am also investigating the stability and thermal stresses of lipid/polymer-based nanocarriers using thermal analysis methods.
Collaborators: National Cancer Institute at National Institutes of Health
Impact: a) Photo molecules Repositioning and Repurposing for Cancer Therapies - Developed rapid vetting methodologies to test the use of photographic dyes for photodynamic therapy (PDT) in cancer treatment. Tested dyes developed by Kodak. Developing machine learning models to predict the membrane interactions. Featured on ACS Omega journal cover and other technical websites –
https://broadpharm.com/blog/what-are-peg-linkers
https://avantilipids.com/product/850355
https://avantilipids.com/product/840037
b) Thermal Analysis of Lipids - developed analysis methodologies to model the thermal stresses on lipid-based carriers for PDT due to localized heating during PDT treatment. Performed studies on NIH NCI’s PDT therapeutics. Vaccine storage: cited by vaccine experts as a tool to identify the effects of environmental conditions on the storage, transportation, and distribution of lipid encapsulated mRNA vaccines such as COVID-19.
Featured on Nature Public Health Emergency Collection- Public Health Emergency COVID-19 Initiative