Research

PEAQS explores the multi-scale interplay of atomic and meso-scale structure with functionality and creates and maintains pathways that provide technical and workforce development programming for all students in STEM.

The current projects being advanced by highly integrated PEAQS community for innovation are:

Develop a low-cost open-source micro particle and droplet screening system for biomedical applications

The project aims to develop an open-source microparticle and microdroplets screening system capable of detecting a single cell or bacterium from water samples. The Li team develops and validates a low-cost, open-source PCR thermocycler under $450—nearly 90% cheaper than commercial devices—that employs Peltier modules, PID control and a Raspberry Pi touchscreen interface, achieves stable thermal cycling within ±1.6 °C, delivers bacteria detection performance comparable to the Bio-Rad T100 system, and releases all hardware and software designs open-source to support affordable molecular diagnostics and environmental monitoring in resource-limited settings.

Develop a porous silicon microthruster platform

The Jessing group is working to design, fabricate and characterize a micro-thruster utilizing the explosive properties of porous silicon. The group is establishing methods to characterize and optimize the energy release of porous silicon that is impregnated with sodium perchlorate using both modified calorimetry and a custom designed test stand that measures the thruster’s energy, thrust, and impulse outputs during detonation.

Functional, synthetic biomembrane for the integration into a lung-on-a-chip (LoaC) platform

The Jessing group is developing methods to fabricate ultrathin (approximately 1 um) porous silicon membranes that mimics the interstitial space between alveolar and capillary cells in the lung. The group focuses specifically on the development of a process to electrochemically anodize the ultra-thin silicon membrane.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Utilization of Strongly Reducing, Pyridylated Phenoxazines in Photoredox Catalysis

The Lamb group investigates the capability of pyridylated N-aryl phenoxazines to engage as strongly-reducing organocatalysts in photoredox catalysis. The group synthesizes novel phenoxazine-based, visible-light absorbing photocatalysts and characterizes capability of the PCs to engage in photoredox catalysis compared to commercial organic catalyst of the same chemical class and an iridium-based catalyst that dominates the field. This characterization is evaluated via catalytic screens targeting a radical alkenylation reaction using diphenylethyelene as a model alkene substrate.