Energy Environmental Sciences and Materials

Latest Innovations

Polymer Microcolumns for Gas or Vapor Separation

Dr. Suslick has developed a method to form polymer microcolumns for portable and disposable gas chromatography. Using sacrificial materials as a template, 2D and 3D...

Dr. Suslick has developed a method to form polymer microcolumns for portable and disposable gas chromatography. Using sacrificial materials as a template, 2D and 3D microcolumns are formed to separate volatile chemicals.

This method is cost effective and easy to implement.

Air-Fed Microplasma Devices for Water and Surface Disinfection

Dr. J. Gary Eden from the University of Illinois has developed air-fed microplasma devices and arrays that can be used for water and surface disinfection. 


The...

Dr. J. Gary Eden from the University of Illinois has developed air-fed microplasma devices and arrays that can be used for water and surface disinfection. 


The new devices generate spatially uniform plasmas in air and lead to the production of radicals that are lethal to microorganisms, such as E. coli and Giardia. Their biofilm deactivation properties can be used for a variety of water and surface disinfection purposes. 


Previously, devices generating plasmas directly in air needed to use a carrier gas, such as helium or argon, which limited the applicability of that technology to home, hospital, and industrial environments. This new invention uses solely room air, which allows for a reduction of the size and the cost of the system.

Reversible Crosslinking of Polymers Using Molecular Switches

Dr. Braun has developed a material that can polymerize and de-polymerize using two distinct triggers. By building on reversible Spyropyan chemistry, Dr. Braun has made...

Dr. Braun has developed a material that can polymerize and de-polymerize using two distinct triggers. By building on reversible Spyropyan chemistry, Dr. Braun has made polymers that can be multiplied reversibly. 

This invention can be applied to reversible adhesives, self-toughening or self-strengthening materials, and more. 

Non-Aqueous Li-Air Flow Battery

 
 
Dr. Kenis from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has developed a non-aqueous lithium-air flow battery configuration that allows for...
 
 
Dr. Kenis from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has developed a non-aqueous lithium-air flow battery configuration that allows for efficient removal and storage of discharge products. This technology has applications in energy storage, particularly in the electric vehicle market due to its improved current density and discharge capacity. In comparison to traditional Li-ion batteries, the Li-air battery is lighter and has a higher practical energy density. This technology helps to overcome the buildup of discharge products.
 
Related Publications:

Genome-Scale Method for Precision Engineering of Yeast Strains

Dr. Zhao from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has developed a novel method for genome-scale precise deletions in yeast. This technology allows the...

Dr. Zhao from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has developed a novel method for genome-scale precise deletions in yeast. This technology allows the identification of novel factors related to survival in harsh conditions. Utilizing this technology will allow the generation of novel strains more suited to industrial applications. Compared to current strategies which are time consuming, Dr. Zhao’s technology allows the creation of new strains in a month while allowing multiple cycles of adaptation through deletions to occur. 

Reduction of CO2 to Valuable Platform Chemicals 
 

Dr. Kenis from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has developed a new method and device for reducing CO2 to value added platform chemicals such as carbon...

Dr. Kenis from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has developed a new method and device for reducing CO2 to value added platform chemicals such as carbon monoxide and formic acid. This technology will allow CO2 emitters to produce valuable products while reducing the amount of CO2 pollution released into the atmosphere. Dr. Kenis' technology requires less energy input than state of the art CO2 reduction techniques. This makes CO2 reduction more economically feasible and allows for the use of grid electricity (>90% produced from burning fossil fuels) to power the system while still remaining carbon neutral or even carbon negative.

Unidirectional (UD) Prepeg Fabrics with Embedded Liquid Healing Agents for Fabrication of Self-Healing Fiber-reinforced Polymer (FRP Composites)

Dr. White from the University of IL has developed a method for fabricating a glass epoxy prepreg with imbedded microcapsules containing a self-healing agent. Existing...
Dr. White from the University of IL has developed a method for fabricating a glass epoxy prepreg with imbedded microcapsules containing a self-healing agent. Existing wet-layup processes result in an agglomeration of microcapsules. However, this invention enable fabrication of prepreg fabrics with microcapsules (containing a liquid healing agent) evenly distributed throughout a prepreg fabric which results in enhanced mechanical properties.

Biphasic Solvent System for the Capture of CO2 (BiCAP) 

Dr. Yongqi Lu from ISGS has developed a novel biphasic system that can be used for the capture of CO2 in a much more cost effective way. This system uses an organic...
Dr. Yongqi Lu from ISGS has developed a novel biphasic system that can be used for the capture of CO2 in a much more cost effective way. This system uses an organic compound for phase regulation. Since phase regulation is not dependent on the amine component, this solvent system is much more efficient for biphasic separation of CO2.

Method for Delaying Frost Growth on Heat Exchangers

A meniscus-...

A meniscus-guided solution coating technique to produce pharmaceutical nanothin films. This is a new way to manufacture personalized multilayer combination drugs, which can be beneficial to types of cancer where mono-chemotherapy is ineffective. This new technology enables a uniform deposition of thin films down to a few nm in thickness, easy alternation of the film morphology (modulation of dissolution rate) and polymorphism (control of bioavailability), and a layer-by-layer production of dosages comprised of multiple active pharmaceutical ingredients. The method is cost-competitive, scalable, and high-throughput.

CF/PDMS Coiled Muscle

Dr. Tawfick from the University of IL has developed a composition of carbon fiber and silicone to create an artificial coiled muscle. This particular composition gives...
Dr. Tawfick from the University of IL has developed a composition of carbon fiber and silicone to create an artificial coiled muscle. This particular composition gives the artificial muscle the ability to lift 12,600 times its own weight when an electrical current is applied to it. This invention could help replace bulky actuators and could be useful in prosthetics as well as other industries.
 
Publications – C Lamuta, S. Tawfick, S. Messelot, Theory of the Tensile Actuation of Fiber Reinforced Coiled Muscles, Smart Materials and Structures, (Apr. 20, 2018).

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