Liwei Lin (Advisor)

Solar-enabled evaporation is a solar-energy-harvesting technology that can be used in modern power plants, chemical plants, and seawater desalination plants. A new type of nanostructured laterally assembled two-dimensional carbide (MoC0.66) membrane is manufactured using CO2 laser ablation and vacuum filtration. With high absorption efficiency in a wide spectrum range from visible light to IR, the membrane functions as photo-absorber. With a carbide membrane on top of water, the evaporation under energy input is greatly promoted. Meanwhile, evaporation enabled water flow in the...

Some of the 2d and 2d-like carbide exhibit tunable band structure with relatively high conductivity, which provides sensing function for dopants such as gas molecules. 2d-like carbide also has limited phase change induced nanostructure aggregation. With up to 1000K thermal stability, such carbides will be a better fit than other oxide and nitride materials in higher temperature sensing. For certain gases that require combustion sensing, nanostructure 2d-like carbides will be much stable and reliable. 2d-like Molybdenum carbide is three times more sensitive than graphene in response...

Isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood samples has important prognostic and therapeutic implications for cancer treatments but the process is very challenging due to the low concentration of CTCs. In this study, we report a novel 3D printed microfluidic device functionalized with anti-EpCAM (epithelial cell adhesion molecule) antibodies to isolate CTCs from human blood samples. A multi-jet 3D printing technology is utilized with specially designed interior structures to enabe high surface area and fluid flow manipulation to increase the capture efficiency of tumor...

In this ongoing project we have previously developed a new class of three-dimensional modular fluidic operators (i.e. fluidic diodes, capacitors and transistors); passive 3D internally- rifled mixers; and have previously demonstrated low- cost one-way pumping and mixing systems powered solely by the operator’s finger. In this semesters presentation we feature a 3D printed micromixer-integrated microfluidic gradient generator for antibiotic screening. Every year, more than twenty thousand people in the United States die from antibiotic- resistant bacterial infections. Despite...