The research I have conducted can be summarized as process optimization and small molecule reactor design. Whether it was designing and patenting a novel packed bed photoreactor or creating a CO2 initiated colloid separator, I have the experience to look at a process holistically and then formulate solutions to overcome process bottlenecks. Through my current work I have developed the skills needed to transition (photochemical) processes from batch to flow, while considering scalability. I have shared these skills by educating industry professionals when I served as a module instructor during AIChE and the RAPID Institute’s “Fundamentals of Batch to Continuous Process Conversion in Specialty and API Chemistries” course. I have self-funded my PhD by applying and being awarded fellowships and grants that I wrote or co-wrote, namely the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, Ed and Maria Ma Fellowship, and the ACS Green Chemistry Institute Pharmaceutical Roundtable Call for Proposals.
I am appreciative of the mentorship I have received from communities such as AIChE, Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in STEM, Pfizer Chemistry Connect, and the NIH- MARC Program, I strive to give back to the profession by mentoring and inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers. During my PhD career I volunteered and led 11 student projects and have mentored 21 individuals, ranging from high school students to WPI seniors. Outside of the laboratory, I developed outreach presentations and led outreach teams at community events. One of the demos I created, “Introduction to Chemical Engineering Through Bath Bombs”, was designed after seeing the popularity of bath bombs on social media and realizing infusing pop culture with chemical engineering is one way to excite students while growing the profession. Cumulatively, over 300 K-12 students have learned about mass balances and basics of chemical engineering at these events. I cherish the opportunities I have had to develop engineers and look forward to continuing to work in a collaborative environment post-graduation.
Research Interests
Employing photons as a reagent in chemical reactions is not a novel concept. But has been limited because of challenges highlighted in Beer’s law. As the path length of the light increases the intensity of the light reaching the reactants decreases exponentially. When external illumination is employed, photon gradients are generated and lead to nonuniform reaction conditions and less desirable kinetics. My work goes against the paradigm and employs internal volumetric illumination through the creation of a continuous flow packed bed reactor filled with wireless micro light emitting diodes (μLED-PBR). Reactants trickle over the μLED bed creating a thin film over the light source. The result is quasi-homogenous illumination of the solution. Two types of chemistries have been carried out in the reactor, a multiphasic reaction of a-terpinene to ascaridole and a single phase actinometry DPA oxidation. Beyond the rate enhancements observed, the μLED-PBR can be scaled without penalty of decrease illumination, and more efficiently uses photons. I have developed a novel method for the temporal analysis of products during transient operation of the photoreactor. By turning off the lights in the reactor and decoupling the reactor’s wash out period with the reactors exit age distribution an effective exposure time for the products can be determined. This allows for the screening of kinetic parameters for a continuum of residence times with less reagent use compared to steady state step change experiments.
The dissociation and asymmetric diffusion of ions formed in response to a CO2 gradient in water generates a spontaneous electric field capable of moving colloids via diffusiophoresis. This low-energy separation method demonstrates promise as a means to remove colloids from bulk solutions due to its lack of filtration membranes, low shear environment, and biocompatibility. In this study a new radial tube-in-tube-in-tube design is used to deliver CO2 to a 38 µm annular space, generating a strong ion gradient that results in rapid, continuous colloid migration. A CFD model was created to map the ion concentrations and validate the formation of a diffusiophoretic environment. Experimentally, in 82 minutes, 99.2% of 0.5 µm polystyrene colloids were separated from the bulk fluid. This is the first application of a radial colloid separator with potential to be used in separating bacteria cells and lipid nanoparticles.