Biography:

Masashi Morita was born in Saitama, Japan, in 1988. He received his BS and MS degrees from Waseda University in 2011 and 2013 under the direction of Professor Makoto Ogawa. He joined Research & Development division, Panasonic Corporation as a researcher. From 2017, he became a senior researcher. His research interests include the synthesis and applications of porous materials toward adsorbents and catalysis.

Abstract:

Adsorptive removal of toxic substances is of crucial importance both in industry and in living environments. In general, porous materials such as zeolites and activated carbons are used as the adsorbents. Ag-Y zeolite is widely used for the adsorptive removal of sulfur compounds from natural gas at ambient temperatures in fuel cell cogeneration systems in spite of its low adsorption capacity and high cost. For the purpose of a more efficient and simple process, new types of porous materials for adsorbents are strongly required. In recent years, porous coordination polymers (PCPs) or metal‒organic frameworks (MOFs), which have high surface areas and act as molecular sieves owing to their micropores, have been studied due to their potential applications in gas storage, molecular separation and catalysts^{[1, 2]}. PCP/MOFs, as adsorbents, offer the advantages of having high surface area, ordered structures, and adjustable chemical functionality. the unique adsorptive reactions of various materials have been reported^{[3, 4]}.

Herein, we applied porous coordination polymers (PCPs) to adsorbents for the removal of sulfur compounds and also investigated how the metal ions highly dispersed in PCPs affected the adsorption capacity and how the open metal sites functioned as the adsorption sites^[5]. HKUST-1, which is composed of Cu(II) and trimesate, was examined to remove methanethiol (MT) from hydrocarbon gas at 30 °C. As a result, HKUST-1 showed high sulfur adsorption capacities for MT (8.4 wt%), compared with those on Ag-Y zeolite (3.0 wt%). Spectroscopic study revealed that a MT was adsorbed on Cu(II) site to produce a dimerized dimethyldisulfide (DMDS) accompanied by a reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I). To conclude, we have utilized HKUST-1 for the adsorptive removal of MT from hydrocarbon gas. It was experimentally shown that highly dispersive Cu(II) sites in HKUST-1 are effective for the removal of sulfur compounds.

Recent Publications

1. Kitagawa S., Kitaura R., Noro S. (2004) Functional porous coordination polymers. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 43:2334-2375.
2. Corma A., García H., Llabrés i Xamena F.X. (2010) Engineering Metal Organic Frameworks for Heterogeneous Catalysis. Chem. Rev. 110:4606-4655.
3. Horike S., Sugimoto M., Kongpatpanich K., Hijikata Y., Inukai M., Umeyama D., Kitao S., Seto M., Kitagawa S. (2013) Fe²⁺-based layered porous coordination polymers and soft encapsulation of guests via redox activity. J. Mater. Chem. A 1:3675-.3679.
4. Song J., Luo Z., Britt D.K., Furukawa H., Yaghi O.M., Hardcastle K.I., Hill C.L. (2011) A Multiunit Catalyst with Synergistic Stability and Reactivity: A Polyoxometalate-Metal Organic Framework for Aerobic Decontamination. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 133:16839-16846.
5. Morita M., Wakita H., Nomura T., Higuchi M., Kitagawa S. (2017) Highly efficient oxidative adsorption of methanethiol from hydrocarbon gas using Cu²⁺-based porous coordination polymers. Microporous and Mesoporous Mater. 243:351-354.

Biography:

Dr. Laurence Noirez is CNRS Research Director at the Laboratoire Léon Brillouin (LLB), Université Paris-Saclay (France). Working in a Large Facility that welcomes around 500 experimentalists per year, Dr. Noirez has a 25 years expertise in neutron scattering, diffraction and instrumentation. Her main developments concern a multiscale structural and dynamic study of simple and complex fluids (microfluidics) taking into account in particular the liquid/surface boundary conditions. Dr. L. Noirez established that liquids are long range elastically correlated and measured their low frequency shear elasticity. She also evidenced the impact of the interfacial forces on the liquid flow showing in particular that liquids can produce cold. She has published over SCI 130 articles

Abstract:

At the liquid-solid interface, the energy of the liquid is different from the bulk due to the imbalance between the attraction forces between molecules (cohesion) and the interactions of the molecules to the surface (wetting). In case of ceramic composites, liquid molecules are so strongly attracted to the high energy surface that the surface procures a total wetting. Because the viscosity measures the energy necessary to transfer a motion from a surface to the liquid, the force of the interactions to the substrate plays a key role in the determination of the fluid properties. By improving the liquid/surface boundary forces, high energy surfaces optimize the motion transfer during the rheological measurement. Low frequency shear elasticity becomes measurable bringing robust evidence that liquid molecules are not dynamically free but elastically correlated. The elastic property is experimentally identified on polymer melts, glass formers, Van der Waals liquids or liquid water pointing out a generic property [1]. It sheds a new light on the mechanisms that govern liquid transport, gelation or glass processes [2] or active materials and allows the identification of new effects as the conversion of a liquid phase in a strain-driven optical harmonic oscillator [2] or the production of cold under flow that become possible when the liquid molecules are strongly anchored on high energy substrates [3].

Recent Publications

1. L. Noirez L, H. Mendil-Jakani, P. Baroni, Polymer Int. 58 (2009) 962.
2. L. Noirez, P. Baroni, J. of Phys.: Cond. Matter 24 (2012) 372101.
3. P. Baroni, P. Bouchet, L. Noirez, J. Chem. Phys. Lett. (2013).
4. P. Kahl, P. Baroni, L. Noirez, Appl. Phys. Lett. 107 (2015) 84101.
5. P. Kahl, P. Baroni, Liquid Crystals Reviews 4 (2017) 135.

Biography:

Abstract:

Biography:

Dr Efrosyni Themistou is a chemical engineer with a PhD in Poymer Chemistry. She worked as a postdoctoral research associate in the University of Cyprus, the State University of New Yprk (SUNY) – University at Buffalo, USA and the University of Sheffield. She became a Lecturer in Materials in the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast, UK in 2013. Her current research is on the synthesis of well-defined polymeric materials using various advanced polymerisation techniques. Techniques such as NMR, GPC, DLS, TEM, SEM and SAXS are used to characterize these materials. These polymers can find various applications as drug/protein/DNA delivery vehicles, sensors and tissue engineering matrices

Abstract:

Novel polymers bearing functional groups are essential in various biomedical applications. Biocompatible polymeric nanostructures including star polymers and amphiphilic block copolymers that self-assemble to polymer micelles and vesicles in aqueous solutions, enable the intracellular delivery of hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs, antibodies, proteins and DNA, without affecting cell metabolic activity. Amphiphilic block copolymers can be also used for the functionalisation of nanofibres for tissue engineering applications. The purpose of this study is to explore the preparation of biodegradable star polymers and amphiphilic block copolymers using reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerisation and ring opening polymerisation (ROP). Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: For the synthesis of the amphiphilic block copolymers the biocompatible water-soluble poly[2(methacryloyloxy)ethyl phosphorylcholine) (MPC) and oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (OEGMA) monomers were used for the formation of the RAFT macro- chain transfer agent (CTA). Various hydrophobic monomers were used for the efficient chain extension of these macro-CTAs, leading to the formation of amphiphilic block copolymers (either by RAFT polymerisation or ROP). For the preparation of star polymers by aqueous RAFT polymerisation, a degradable acetal-based cross-linker was used to connect the hydrophilic macro-CTA linear chains together to form star-shape polymeric nanostructures. All polymers were characterized by NMR and GPC, where the formation of the polymeric nanostructures, achieved either by self-assemble methods or chemical cross-linking, was indicated by TEM and DLS studies. Findings: RAFT polymerisation and ROP are great methods for producing well-defined polymeric nanostructures. Thin film rehydration, pH-switch, solvent-switch and polymerisation-induced cell-assembly (PISA) can be used for the formation of various polymer morphologies in aqueous solutions (micelles and vesicles), which are important for biomedical applications. Conclusion & Significance: The polymers prepared in this work are currently being evaluated for site-specific delivery of biologically important molecules, as well as for their use as protein sensors and tissue engineering matrices. 

Recent Publications

1. Petropoulou A, Gibson TJ, Themistou E, Pispas S, Riziotis C (2016) Amphiphilic block copolymer-based photonic platform towards efficient protein detection. Front Matter: Proc. SPIE, 10025, Advanced Sensor Systems and Applications VII, 100250M.
2. Spence S et al. (2015) Targeting Siglecs with Sialic Acid Ligand Abrogates Inflammation in an IL-10-dependent Manner. Science Translational Medicine, 7(303): 303ra140
3. Ruiz-Perez L, Madsen J, Themistou E, Gaitzsch J, Messager L, Armes SP, Battaglia G (2015) Nanoscale Detection of Metal-labeled Copolymers in Patchy Polymersomes. Polymer Chemistry 6:2065-2068.
4. Viswanathan P, Themistou E, Ngamkham K, Reilly G, Armes SP, Battaglia G (2015) Controlling Surface Topology and Functionality of Electrospun Fibers at the Nanoscale using Amphiphilic Block Copolymers to Direct Mesenchymal Progenitor Cell Adhesion. Biomacromolecules 16(1): 66-75.
5. Themistou E, Battaglia G, Armes SP (2014) Facile Synthesis and Thiol-functionalized Amphiphilic Polylactide-Methacrylic Diblock Copolymers. Polymer Chemistry 5: 1405-1417.
6. Madsen J at al. (2013) Nile blue-based nano-sized pH sensors for simultaneous far-red and near-infrared live bioimaging. Journal of American Chemical Society 135(39):14863-14870.

Biography:

Associate Professor Dr. Noor Faisal Abas is currently a senior lecturer at the School of Housing, Building and Planning, University Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia. He has published his academic articles in indexed journals and presented many international and local papers in the field of engineering, building material and building construction. He is leading a few research project on alternative building materials, cement replacement materials and fiber concrete. His area of expertise are building technology and construction material.

Abstract:

This paper investigated the mechanical properties of polypropylenes fibres on normal concrete. Effects of addition polypropylene fibre on concrete are studied. Polypropylene fibre act as additives by volume .This research are conduct with three different type of mixing where each of mix containing different percentage of polypropylene fibre that are 0.3% ,0.6% and 0.9%. Compression test, flexural test and water absorption test were carried out to determine the mechanical properties. All tests are conduct by using a standard method of testing. The different type of mixing has been tested with different aged 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. The overall specimen that was prepared to tests is 48 cubes and 32 prisms. From the data obtained, results show that slightly increase in compressive strength .But, the higher the fibres content, the lower its strength. This research indicated that 0.3% fibres have higher result in compressive test while 0.9% higher in flexural strength. The lowest percentage of water absorption test is 0.3% with 5.19% at 28 days.

Recent Publications

1. Nasibeh Faghih, Reza Esmaeili Far, Noor Faisal Abas (2015) Mechanical Properties of Concrete Containing Biomass ash as Cement Substitute. Advances in environmental Biology.

2. N.A. Abd Hamid, N.F. Abas (2015) A Study on Effect on Size Coarse Aggregate in Concrete Strength. Jurnal Teknologi.

3. N.F. Abas, M.A. Karim (2015) Properties of Mortar Blocks with Waste Concrete Ash (WCA) as a Cement Replacement Material. Jurnal Teknologi.

4. Noor Faisal Abas (2015) Waste Paper Sludge as a Cement Replacement Material in Green Concrete: Engineering Properties. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences

5. Ahmad Hadri Husain, Noor Faisal Abas (2015) The Implementation of Waste Concrete Ash as Partial Cement Replacement Materials in Concrete. Australian Journal of Basic and Basic Applied Sciences

6. Noor Faisal Abas (2015) The Mechanical Properties of Waste Malaysian Clay as a Cement Replacement Material in Concrete. Australian Journal of Basic and Basic Applied Sciences

7. Mazran Ismail, Abu Hassan Abu Bakar, Noor Faisal Abas, Ruhizal Roosli, Shardy Abdullah, Mohd Nizam Yusof (2015) Non-Struuctural Elements of the Traditional Malays Houses in the East Coast Malaysia. Applied Mechanical and Materials.

8. Ahmad Hadri Husain, Noor Faisal Abas (2015) The Mechanical Performance of Waste Concrete Ash as Partial Cement Replacement Materials in Concrete. Applied Mechanical and Materials.

9. Noor Faisal Abas (2016) A Laboratory Work With Biomass: A Cement Replacement Material in Concrete Mix. Jurnal Teknologi.

10. Nor Nadiah Rahmad, Noor Faisal Abas (2016) Experimental Study On Performance Of Concrete With Partial Replacement Of Coarse Aggregates With Cockle Shell And Oil Palm Shell. Building Material and Technology Conference. Penang 9 May 2016.

11. Khairusy Syakirin Norizan, Noor Faisal Abas (2016) The Mechanical Performance Of Porcelain As Cement Replacement Material In Concrete. Building Material and Technology Conference. Penang 9 May 2016.

12. Muhd Shahir Mat Ali, Noor Faisal Abas. (2016) Mechanical Properties Of Waste Glass Material As Cement Replacement Material In Concrete. Building Material and Technology Conference. Penang 9 May 2016

13. Muhamad Zarif Zufayri Jusoh, Noor Faisal Abas (2016) the mechanical performance of raw clay as cement replacement materials in concrete. Building Material and Technology Conference. Penang 9 May 2016.

Biography:

Martin Kroupa obtained his B.Sc. and M.Sc. at University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Czech Republic. His research interests lie in the area of colloidal and interface science with the main focus on the dynamic behavior of concentrated colloidal dispersions and related phenomena such as coagulation and fouling. These phenomena are closely connected to the rheology and thus the modeling of rheological behavior is another large area of interest of M.K. He is also active in the field of electrochemistry.

Abstract:

Polymeric nanoparticles have a broad spectrum of applications including dispersion (emulsion) paints or thin films. However, the understanding of their behavior and properties, especially at high concentrations is still limited. We model the dispersions of polymeric nanoparticles using the dynamic model based on Discrete Element Method (DEM). The interaction model represents particles that are elastic, adhesive and electrostatically stabilized. The flow-field computation that is included in the model enables us to evaluate the rheological properties of the dispersion, which are crucial for its behavior. Further characterization of both dispersions and gels is done using oscillatory simulations, from which the viscoelastic properties are obtained. The model was successfully used to describe the dynamic behavior of a flowing dispersion including the processes of coagulation, fouling and breakage. These processes and their relative importance in a specific system determine the transition from a dispersed state to a gel. Due to their specific position on the boundary between solids and liquids, gels have unique properties that make them suitable to be used e.g., as a porous structures or matrices for drug delivery in the pharmaceutical industry.

Recent Publications (minimum 5)

1. Kroupa M., Soos M., Kosek J. (2017) Slip on Particle Surface as the Possible Origin of Shear Thinning in non-Brownian Suspensions. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 19: 5979-5984.
2. Kroupa M., Vonka M., Soos M., Kosek J. (2016) Utilizing the Discrete Element Method for the Modeling of Viscosity in Concentrated Suspensions. Langmuir 32:8451–8460.
3. Kroupa M., Offer G. J.., Kosek J. (2016) Modelling of Supercapacitors: Factors Influencing Performance. Journal of the Electrochemical Society 163: A2475–A2487.
4. Kroupa M., Vonka M., Soos M., Kosek J. (2015) Size and Structure of Clusters Formed by Shear Induced Coagulation: Modeling by Discrete Element Method. Langmuir 31: 7727–7737.
5. Kroupa M., Vonka M., Kosek J. (2014) Modeling the Mechanism of Coagulum Formation in Dispersions. Langmuir 30:2693–2702

Biography:

Sylvain G. Cloutier received the outstanding PhD thesis award in 2006 from the Division of Engineering at Brown University, where he studied the optoelectronic properties of nanoengineered materials. As an assistant professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Delaware, he received the DARPA Young Faculty Award for his work on the use of nano-engineered materials for lasers. In 2011, he joined ÉTS as professor of Electrical Engineering, where he leads the Canada Research Chair on Hybrid Optoelectronic Materials and Devices and explores new hybrid materials and heterostructures for optoelectronic device integration. He published more than 80 contributions cited over 1400 times and obtained 3 patents. In 2014, he was elected to the College of the Royal Society of Canada. At ÉTS, he is also the director of research, partnerships and faculty affairs.  

Abstract:

In the last 5 years, methylammonium lead halide or MALH perovskites (e.g., CH₃NH₃PbA_3-xB_x, where A and B are I, Cl or Br) have shown tremendous potential for low-cost optoelectronic device integration, including light-emitting diodes, solar cells and photodetectors. For example, the power-conversion efficiencies from organometallic halide perovskite solar cells have increased from 3.8% in 2009 [1] to 22.1% in 2016 [2]. This spectacular progress is largely attributed to improved processing and longer charge-carrier lifetimes, directly related to increased material quality. While significant progress was made, many key parameters including compatibility, interface engineering, surface treatment and processability remain essential to achieving the best device performances. These fundamental challenges prevent integration into commercial-grade devices. For one, relatively low carrier mobilities still prevent large-area devices with performances competing with state-of-the-art technologies [3]. Several groups began exploring hybrid perovskite films in the last 3 years [4-6].

In the last year, we have made major progress towards viable MALH devices (1) by dramatically enhancing structure and properties through solvent engineering, (2) enhancing conductivities by several orders of magnitude using MALH hybrids, (3) extending their operation to the near-infrared and (4) significantly improving their stability and lifetime by doping with SCN [7]. Preliminary results shown in Figure 1 are greatly encouraging and suggest that the carefully-controlled processing capability allowed by the Ceradrop inkjet printer can yield high-quality MALH films. This is a major step towards the integration of MALH perovskites within commercial printable photovoltaic devices, LEDs and sensors.

Recent Publications

1. Kojima A. et al. (2009), Journal of the American Chemical Society 131, 6050-6051.
2. Saliba M. et al. (2016), Energy & Environnemental Science 9, 1989-1997.
3. Brenner TM et al. (2015), J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 6, 4754-4757.
4. Eames C et al. (2015), Nature Communications 6, 7497-7503.
5. Chuang CH et al. (2014), Nature Materials 13, 796-803.
6. Mashford BS et al. (2013), Nature Photonics 7, 407-415.
7. Ka I et al. (2017), Scientific Reports 7, 45543-7

Biography:

Sylvain G. Cloutier received the outstanding PhD thesis award in 2006 from the Division of Engineering at Brown University, where he studied the optoelectronic properties of nanoengineered materials. As an assistant professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Delaware, he received the DARPA Young Faculty Award for his work on the use of nano-engineered materials for lasers. In 2011, he joined ÉTS as professor of Electrical Engineering, where he leads the Canada Research Chair on Hybrid Optoelectronic Materials and Devices and explores new hybrid materials and heterostructures for optoelectronic device integration. He published more than 80 contributions cited over 1400 times and obtained 3 patents. In 2014, he was elected to the College of the Royal Society of Canada. At ÉTS, he is also the director of research, partnerships and faculty affairs.  

Abstract:

In the last 5 years, methylammonium lead halide or MALH perovskites (e.g., CH₃NH₃PbA_3-xB_x, where A and B are I, Cl or Br) have shown tremendous potential for low-cost optoelectronic device integration, including light-emitting diodes, solar cells and photodetectors. For example, the power-conversion efficiencies from organometallic halide perovskite solar cells have increased from 3.8% in 2009 [1] to 22.1% in 2016 [2]. This spectacular progress is largely attributed to improved processing and longer charge-carrier lifetimes, directly related to increased material quality. While significant progress was made, many key parameters including compatibility, interface engineering, surface treatment and processability remain essential to achieving the best device performances. These fundamental challenges prevent integration into commercial-grade devices. For one, relatively low carrier mobilities still prevent large-area devices with performances competing with state-of-the-art technologies [3]. Several groups began exploring hybrid perovskite films in the last 3 years [4-6].

In the last year, we have made major progress towards viable MALH devices (1) by dramatically enhancing structure and properties through solvent engineering, (2) enhancing conductivities by several orders of magnitude using MALH hybrids, (3) extending their operation to the near-infrared and (4) significantly improving their stability and lifetime by doping with SCN [7]. Preliminary results shown in Figure 1 are greatly encouraging and suggest that the carefully-controlled processing capability allowed by the Ceradrop inkjet printer can yield high-quality MALH films. This is a major step towards the integration of MALH perovskites within commercial printable photovoltaic devices, LEDs and sensors.

Recent Publications

1. Kojima A. et al. (2009), Journal of the American Chemical Society 131, 6050-6051.
2. Saliba M. et al. (2016), Energy & Environnemental Science 9, 1989-1997.
3. Brenner TM et al. (2015), J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 6, 4754-4757.
4. Eames C et al. (2015), Nature Communications 6, 7497-7503.
5. Chuang CH et al. (2014), Nature Materials 13, 796-803.
6. Mashford BS et al. (2013), Nature Photonics 7, 407-415.
7. Ka I et al. (2017), Scientific Reports 7, 45543-7

Biography:

Prof.Dr. Saied Elghazaly is working with steel technology group at the central metallurgical R&D Inst., Cairo-Egypt since 1974. Prof. Elghazaly has a wide experience in the field of steel alloys especially stainless, tool, and high alloy steels produced through conventional or powder metallurgy routes.

Abstract:

Good combinations between strength and toughness are always the aim of all researchers working in the field of material science. Maraging steel grades (200-350) are one of the well known steel alloys that has good strength and toughness and are known as 18%Ni steel family. Maraging steels production, import, and export by certain countries such as USA is closely monitored by international authorities because it is particularly suited for use in gas centrifuges used for uranium enrichment.  In this research an effort is paid to produce innovative carbon-free maraging steel alloy composites that can compete the well known 18%Ni-10%Co standard (300) maraging steel alloy with higher strength and superior toughness. The experimental maraging steel composites having different Ni (10-29%)-and Al (2.5%) contents are produced by consolidation from the nano-elemental alloying powders The mechanism of strengthening in Iron-Cobalt-Nickel-Aluminum  composite alloys is studied, however, the changes in microstructures after aging-heat treatment are emphasized using metallurgical microscopy and SEM-aided with EDX analyzing unit. The toughness, hardness, and strength are measured for all alloy composites under investigation and then compared with the standard nominal properties for series (300).

Biography:

Abstract:

The geometric crystallography offers two ways of looking at the natural dividing of structures into a large number of unit cells. Usually, the crystal is viewed as consisting of "elementary cells", which are repeated by translation of the lattice. An alternative system also divides the crystal in the identical space-filling polyhedra (including different forms), but they do not necessarily represent the translationally-equivalent figures. These areas are called “areas for interaction”, "basic configurations". Such regions may be defined in the n-dimensional space. The concept of homogeneous space can be formulated in two cases: continuous infinite space and infinite discrete space.

Traditional crystallography is based on the use of X-ray diffraction, which underlines periodicity, but electron microscopy gives a more general form of the order. In these cases we have images in a geometric cross-sections or projections for analyze. We consider the sections and projections as two-dimensional images therefore relevant Penrose’s patterns. Two-dimensional Penrose’s patterns can be prepared by projection of five-dimensional hyper cubic lattice in the corresponding direction, and three-dimensional patterns can be prepared from a 6-dimensional hypercube lattice. Consequently, the real discrete space has a dimension in which the cross section and the projection are equivalent because projection in one space (real/converted) corresponds to a section in another  one (the transformed/real). This explains an existence of large number of "exceptions" from the "classic" spatial concepts of crystallography, including quasicrystals.The investigation of features of nanostate allowed concluding about its structural manyfold.

This property determines the local character of formation of nanoparticle, and supports the concept of "building blocks" - the fundamental configurations and, therefore, necessity of use of the space of the high dimensions for the description of various nanoparticles.

We can now indicate the main problem for the chemistry of the XXI century – how a substance is produced? The place where it is formed - the nanoworld.