Start
Dec 01, 2009 - 16:00
End
Dec 01, 2009 - 16:00
Venue
Room No 118 (Creatvity Hall)
Event Type
Speaker
Prof. Daren Chen Department of Energy Environmental & Chemical Engineering Washington University in St. Louis
Title
Experimental Tools for Nanoparticle Research
Abstract: Nanotechnology one of ongoing international initiatives will be a strategic branch of science and engineering for the 21st century. Nanoparticles are considered as the building blocks in nanotechnology. Experimental tools play an important role in developing nanoscale science and engineering. These tools bring together researchers from multiple disciplines e.g. material scientists engineers biologists and chemists to pursue the common goal of investigating nanoscale phenomena. In the aerosol field tools have been developed to produce characterize and manipulate nanoparticles in the diameters ranging from 3 to 500 nm. Several recently developed experimental tools for nanoparticles will be discussed in this presentation. We have developed a nanometer differential mobility analyzer (Nano-DMA) to size/classify nanoparticles with the diameters ranging from 3 to 150 nm. Based on the DMA technique a fast-scan electrical nanoparticle sizer has demonstrated the high resolution and fast response capability to measure bimodal nanoparticle distributions in jet and diesel engine emissions. To enhance the sensitivity of detecting nanoparticles we have designed a high efficiency nanoparticle charger. Further we have investigated a multistage DMA capable of classifying monodisperse particles of different sizes simultaneously. More recently we have developed a miniature nanoparticle sizer enabling to monitor the nanoparticles in the spatial distribution and at the personal level. Using the particle inertia effect we have demonstrated the virtual impactor and axial flow cyclone for concentrating and collecting nanoparticles. An electrospray system has been applied to disperse/encapsulate nanoparticles for biomedical pharmaceutical and toxicity studies. Finally the development of an electrospray gene transfector illustrates the importance of multidisciplinary approach in nanotechnology.Biosketch: Professor Chen's research interests are in particle instrumentation and characterization particle processing (i.e. particle charging classification coating film deposition) particle applications in biomedical environmental and energy areas micro-contamination control in semiconductor processing and combustion. The recipient of numerous awards including the Sheldon K. Friedlander Award in1997 Smoluchowski Award in 2002 and Kenneth Whitby Award in 2005 Professor Chen has made significant contributions on nanoparticle instrumentation. Professor Chen has published more than 60 journal papers on aerosol-related topics and holds 16 US and 3 international patents related to aerosol technology.