EcoMat Webinar Series | Nanomaterials for Water Harvesting

About the EcoMat Webinar Series

Join the EcoMat webinar series, which will provide you with a platform to learn about the cutting-edge studies on eco-materials and exchange thoughts with peers. 

Session in Mar 2023

Nanomaterials for Water Harvesting 

9am on Mar 16, Thursday (China Standard Time)/ 6pm on Mar 15, Wednesday (LA Time)

SPEAKERS

1. Prof. Tan Swee Ching, the National University of Singapore

Multifunctional applications of AWH hydrogels

Water in its vapor form is everywhere in the air. Clean water production from the air, also known as sorption-based atmospheric water harvesting (AWH), has been a hot topic in recent years. Hydrogels that are capable of high hygroscopicity are often selected and widely studied by a global group of scientists. In addition to AWH, this unique water-absorbing property of hydrogels also enables intriguing multifunctional applications. This talk by Prof. Tan will introduce the interdisciplinary research of his group about how hygroscopic hydrogels are making a difference in diverse areas. Specifically, it will cover 1) the emergence of metal-complex-based hygroscopic hydrogels, 2) fast dehumidification and humidity-regulating hydrogel film for personal thermal comfort, 3) autonomous urban agriculture by water harvesting and self-irrigation, etc.. As such, the emerging research of AWH hydrogels is believed to encourage the development of hydrogel materials that possess peculiar functionalities, and it will also make a contribution to future water and energy sustainability.

2. Prof. Aaswath Raman, UCLA

New frontiers in radiative cooling materials and applications

Radiative cooling has emerged over the last decade as a thriving research field at the intersection of optical materials/ photonics research and green energy applications. Radiative cooling is a natural phenomenon wherein sky-facing surfaces that radiate their heat away as thermal radiation can effectively reject a fraction of it to space, thereby allowing access to a previously untapped renewable resource: the cold of outer space. In this talk, I will highlight some of my group's recent work on both fundamental control of thermal emission as well as new radiation cooling-related applications. First, I will highlight our recent work on super-white paints, demonstrating that low-cost, scalable daytime radiative cooling may now be within reach for buildings everywhere. Next, I will discuss how the concept of radiative cooling for sky-facing surfaces, typically roofs, can be extended to vertical surfaces that have a view of both the ground and the sky, highlighting new opportunities for spectral selectivity and directional thermal emission. Motivated by this application, I will briefly introduce our recent efforts to enable broad spectrum directional control of thermal emission through novel photonic strategies. Finally, I will introduce a new radiative cooling application we have recently demonstrated: passive freezing desalination, and highlight how this result demonstrates the broader potential of using radiative cooling as a mechanism to access new thermodynamic capabilities.

MODERATOR

Prof. Chaoji Chen, Wuhan University, China

Please complete the registration form. You will receive email notification with the even joining URL at least 3 days in advance.