2008 — 2012 |
Sun, Li |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Surface-Functionalization of Carbon Nanofiber Sheets by Electrochemical Synthesis For Large-Scale Engineering Applications
The award will support the investigation of metal electrodeposition mechanisms on carbon nanofiber surfaces so that multi-functionalized materials with desired physico-chemical properties can be produced and evaluated for large scale engineering applications. Carbon nanofibers have comparable sizes and unique properties as multiwall carbon nanotubes but are available in large quantity with a competitive cost. Incorporating metallic coatings or particles onto the nanofiber surface can further improve its electric/thermal conductivity, magnetic field response, electromagnetic wave absorption, and catalytic activity. After being assembled into a paper sheet form, the carbon nanofibers can be reproducibly handled and used as electrodeposition electrodes. Electrodeposition provides an effective approach to introduce surface functionalization. Yet the metal nucleation, growth and bonding on these carbon nanomaterials remain largely unknown. This research will fill this critical gap by exploring the relationship between the synthesis parameters and the coating morphology and microstructures. The research can lead to the cost-effective handling and functionalizing carbon materials for their assembly into specific architectures in a reproducible fashion. This can help utilizaion of carbon nanofiber structures in applications such as lightning strike prevention, reinforced composites, electromagnetic shielding materials, static discharge, vibration/acoustic dampers, catalyst substrates, supercapacitors and bio/chemical sensors development. The broader impact on society will also be accomplished through education outreach efforts to show the opportunities and rewards of a career in science and engineering. In addition to support undergraduate and graduate research and modernize materials engineering curriculum, special emphasis will be placed on high school teacher and student education and training.
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2009 — 2013 |
Song, Gangbing [⬀] Sun, Li |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Collaborative Research: Develop Next Generation Unified Framework For Remote Laboratory Experiments
This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)
This engineering education research award to the University of Houston in collaboration with Texas Southern University will employ researchers to develop a general framework for remote laboratory experiments with the goal of making access and use independent of the computer platform, operating system, and browser. Barriers to access to remote experiments would be reduced through the use of a web page interface. Existing experiments will be used to test and evaluate the remote laboratory framework, and this framework will be integrated into a number of courses. The unified framework will reduce the need for special computer expertise by faculty wishing to use remote laboratory experiments, so a larger pool of faculty can take advantage of these resources in laboratories and classrooms. This project will allow much wider use of physical laboratory work in educational environments which have limited space and physical resources. The project can also potentially increase the utilization of physical resources through scheduling of off-site users, thus making laboratory equipment more cost effective. Hands-on laboratory experience is an essential part of undergraduate engineering education, and this research will advance understanding of how to broadening access to remote laboratory experiments and improve engineering education to prepare students for engineering jobs.
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2011 — 2015 |
Sun, Li Liu, Dong |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Collaborative Research: Magnetic Directed Alignment of Injectable Neural Stem Cell Scaffold For Regeneration After Spinal Cord Injury
1134119 / 1134449 Liu / Cao
The research objective of this award is to develop a novel technique to fabricate injectable, alignable, and bioactive scaffold that uses neural stem cells (NSCs) as building blocks for spinal cord injury (SCI) repair. This work capitalizes on the ability to manipulate superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) with magnetic field remotely and noninvasively. In this approach, the NSCs are labeled with nanoengineered cationic magnetoliposomes (CMLs) which encapsulate numerous SPIONs, and can be injected into the injured spinal cord in colloidal suspensions. Upon the application of a magnetic field, magnetically labeled NSCs will spontaneously self-assemble into chain/column lattices and align along a virtual axis that is defined by the field flux lines, thereby forming a scaffold to guide the directional regrowth of axons. Neurotrophic factors stored in the bilayer of the CMLs can be released by radio frequency electromagnetic triggering to promote NSC survival and axonal growth.
If successful, this research will transform state-of-the-art of biological scaffold fabrication in tissue engineering, when directional guidance is desired for cellular growth and expansion, and enhance the therapeutic strategies for challenging issues of experimental spinal cord injury and neurodegenerative diseases. This work will also help to greatly expand the use of SPIONs in general clinical applications by changing their role from passive tracer (e.g., magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents) to active enabler of biological processes. The technology developed can be conveniently translated to clinical treatments of a diverse group of nervous system diseases, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) and peripheral nerve disorders. It will benefit hundreds of thousands of Americans who are have severely limited mobility or paralyzed incurring from these diseases. Additionally, this work investigates the magnetic directed self-assembly of soft biological particles under histological conditions, and the findings will advance fundamental understanding of aggregation kinetics and phase separation in dipolar colloids, which constitutes the basis of a variety of micro/nanofluidic applications. Through the proposed project, an integrated interdisciplinary research and education program will be established which creates vast opportunities for underrepresented groups, by actively recruiting qualified minority students for both undergraduate and graduate studies and by engaging in K-12 teacher/student outreach activities.
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2011 — 2015 |
Sun, Li Zhou, Yuxiang |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Electrochemical Nano-Manufacturing of Multi-Segment Magnetic Structures to Introduce "Color Contrast" to Magnetic Resonance Imaging
This award will provide funding to develop magnetic nanostructures as contrast agents (CAs) with controllable shape, size, chemistry and more importantly local magnetic field to introduce frequency dependent nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) signals. These signals will be reconstructed to form "color" magnetic resonance images (MRIs). Compared to the current MRI which can only provide grey scale images, the new technology can have significantly improved resolution, sensitivity and capability of indentify different types of CAs. Proposed research focuses on developing non-traditional nanomanufacturing approaches to fabricate multicomponent nanostructures with desirable properties for bio-medical applications. Compared to traditional lithographic and physical synthesis methods, the new approach will effectively lower cost, increase yield and improve quality control through the combination of a unique nanoporous template synthesis method and controlled electrochemical deposition technique for nano-manufacturing.
If successful, this research will develop nano-manufacturing techniques capable of producing non-spherical, muti-component and biocompatible nanomaterials with precise size, shape and composition control at levels that are difficult to achieve by other synthesis methods. Through careful design, multi-component nanomaterials can deliver a wide range of functionalities that are difficult to realize in conventional spherical particles. This ability to create diverse shapes and functionalites will then be used to create next generation MRI with three-segment CAs with discreet localized magnetic fields. The net effect is that these contrast agents will offer differing response with changing frequency. Similar to the impacts of introduction of color decoration in optical imaging using dyes and fluorophores, the introduction of "color" contrasts in MRI will significantly improve disease diagnosis efficiency, accuracy and sensitivity. In addition, these anisotropic nanostructures will have other multi-functionalities that can be utilized in targeted delivery, tissue engineering and localized treatment. In addition, the boarder impact of the project on society will also be reflected through the integrated research and educational program development.
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