by Linda Costa IMS Written Communications Assistant
Dr. Avinash Dongare, a resident member of the University of Connecticut’s Institute of Materials Science (IMS) has been elected Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Dr. Raj Rajendran, Chair of the Executive Materials Division of ASME, surprised Dongare with the nomination.
Dr. Rajendran has known Avinash since 2007 when they met while Dr. Rajendran was serving as Chief Scientist for the Engineering Directorate at the U.S. Army Research Office. During that time, Dongare was serving as Rajendran’s National Research Council (NRC) Fellow, working on modeling the response of complex molecules and single crystals under shock (high pressure and high strain rate) loading conditions.
“It is clear that Dr. Dongare stands among the most outstanding researchers of his generation,” Dr. Rajendran said of his decision to nominate Dongare. “I am confident his innovative research will continue to earn him well-deserved recognition and accolades from his peers.”
Rajendran also noted Dongare’s dedication to the field, noting that he actively serves the scientific community through his roles with ASME and as a reviewer for several leading journals in his area of expertise.
“His service and leadership underscore his commitment to advancing science and supporting the work of his colleagues,” Dr. Rajendran commented.
Dr. Dongare’s current research involves the development and application of advanced computational methods to investigate the behavior and properties of novel materials across multiple scales.
ASME is a nonprofit organization founded in 1880 to help the engineering community develop solutions to numerous challenges.
A research study recently published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS) presents a breakthrough in the design of synthetic copolypeptides which mimic the mechanical properties of spider silk.
The study, entitled Synthesis and In Situ Thermal Induction of β-Sheet Nanocrystals in Spider Silk-Inspired Copolypeptides, was conducted in the research lab of IMS resident faculty member and Professor of Chemistry, Dr. Yao Lin, in collaboration with Dr. Jianjun Cheng, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (UIUC). Graduate students Tianjian Yang and Jianan Mao (UConn) and Tianrui Xue (UIUC) provided essential contributions to the study.
Leveraging advanced helix-accelerated, ring-opening polymerization techniques, the research team synthesized multiblock copolypeptides, which undergo a transformation into β-sheet nanocrystals upon heating, achieving robust materials with excellent mechanical integrity, tunability, and processability without the need for solvents.
The study also expands upon traditional poly-alanine-based constructs found in natural spider silk by introducing novel β-sheet-forming amino acids, offering new ways to tailor these materials for specific functional applications. This approach is expected to pave the way for next-generation biopolymer and high-performance fiber materials whose properties will include increases in tensile strength, extensibility, processability, and versatility similar to natural spider silk.
Professor Lin’s group studies bio-inspired macromolecules and materials using the techniques of polymer synthesis, macromolecular characterization, physical chemistry, molecular biology and biochemistry as tools.
Dr. Ki H. Chon, the Krenicki Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Connecticut, is a pioneer in the field of biosignal processing and wearable devices. As the inaugural head of the Biomedical Engineering department from 2014 to 2022, Dr. Chon’s leadership was instrumental in driving substantial growth in both faculty recruitment and research funding, securing a more than $17 million increase in annual research allocations.
Having earned his undergraduate engineering degree from UConn, Dr. Chon has remained dedicated to advancing his alma mater’s stature in the global academic community. His research has led to the development of a life-saving wearable device capable of predicting seizures in divers—a breakthrough that underscores his commitment to translating academic research into practical, real-world applications. This innovation has not only secured the backing of the U.S. Navy but also holds the potential to transform safety protocols in diving operations worldwide.
Dr. Chon’s scholarly contributions are extensive, with an impressive tally of over 220 refereed journal articles and 13 U.S. patents granted, alongside substantial federal research funding totaling more than $29 million. His work on real-time detection of atrial fibrillation and other physiological anomalies via mobile and wearable technology platforms has positioned him at the forefront of biomedical engineering.
Dr. Chon has demonstrated a profound commitment to educational innovation. He has developed three new courses, including Junior Design and Biomedical Signal Processing, which have significantly enhanced the biomedical engineering curriculum at UConn. These courses not only prepare students for real-world engineering challenges but also ensure that they are well-versed in the latest technological advancements and methodologies.
Beyond his technical and academic achievements, Dr. Chon has played a pivotal role in enhancing the department’s diversity and inclusion efforts. His recruitment strategy led to the appointment of UConn’s first female African American Professor in the College of Engineering, marking a significant step forward in fostering an inclusive academic environment.
As a fellow of six major societies and a distinguished member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, Dr. Chon’s contributions to the field of biomedical engineering are widely recognized. His leadership and vision have not only elevated the Department of Biomedical Engineering at UConn but have also had a profound impact on the broader scientific and engineering communities.
In recognition of his outstanding contributions to research, teaching, and service, Dr. Ki H. Chon is an exemplary candidate for the Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor award. His ongoing dedication to the field and his alma mater makes him a deserving recipient of this prestigious honor.
With the support of the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry program in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemistry, Associate Professor of Chemistry and faculty member in the IMS Polymer Program Alexandru D. Asandei, is developing new methods for the precise synthesis of novel fluorinated polymeric materials with complex architectures, as well as exploring the re/upcycling of commercial fluoropolymers.
Fluoropolymers are contrasted to conventional polymers with even simple homo/random fluoropolymers exhibiting outstanding chemical, thermal and flame resistance, biocompatibility, and unique electronic properties which render them important in high-end applications such as battery, aerospace, sensing, medical device, building, construction, and automotive industries. However, the chemical tools for the precise synthesis of analogous complex fluoropolymer materials (blocks, grafts etc.) are lacking. Thus, the project goals include the development of the required novel chemistry, to explore hitherto unknown and unavailable materials with potentially superior properties and applications leading to the associated societal benefits.
While technologically important, fluoropolymers suffer from a number of factors that have hampered new developments. These factors include a combination of very low monomer reactivity, very high propagating polymer chain end reactivity, complex and often hazardous laboratory setups, and the general lack of appropriate polymer chemistry tools (initiators, catalysts, coupling agents etc.). Accordingly, fluoroalkenes remain some of the most challenging monomers for both controlled radical and coordination polymerizations, where manipulation of molecular weight, polydispersity and architecture/sequence are of paramount importance for the emerging properties. In addition, current re/upcycling of industrial fluoropolymers remain minimal.
The proposed research aims at developing innovative and environmentally conscious chemistry (e.g. water, visible light catalysis etc.), to overcome the above deficiencies, and significantly enlarges the fluoro, organic and polymer synthesis toolbox, while providing access to novel fluoropolymer materials. This includes the elaboration of novel, functional, universal radical initiating systems that enable both controlled radical fluoro/regular alkene polymerizations and chain end derivatizations/couplings towards the synthesis of multiblock copolymers, in-depth mechanistic investigations on optimizing polymerization parameters and understanding the structure/property/function in the resulting fluoropolymers, as well as exploration of the coordination polymerization of fluoroalkenes, and the up/recycling of industrial fluoropolymers.
The project provides training and education to undergraduate and graduate students, including minority and female students, in synthetic organic, organometallic, and polymer chemistry. The project also has strong industrial impact, important outreach activities, and the results will be broadly disseminated in the scientific literature and national and international meetings.
from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering
A robotic welding arms in operation.
UConn recently received $10.5 million from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) for research on high-temperature materials and manufacturing processes. The funding will allow a team of seven faculty members from Materials Science and Engineering (Professors Aindow, Alpay, Frame, and Hebert), Civil and Environmental Engineering (Professor Kim), Mechanical Engineering (Professor Bilal), and Chemistry (Professor Suib) along with post-doctoral associates and graduate assistants to address challenges in the manufacturing of aerial systems intended to fly at high speed. Much of the four-year research project will focus on welding-related challenges for high-temperature metallic materials that are used for structures exposed to high speeds. The UConn team will combine experimental and theoretical approaches to help their collaborator, RTX, advance their manufacturing solutions. Additional project tasks address the behavior of non-metallic high-temperature materials under different processing and service conditions, additive manufacturing of high-temperature refractory metals, and the design and processing of metamaterials. These metamaterials are designed to change heat- and electro-magnetic fields in and around structures and are considered to advance the thermal management of high-temperature structures.
The new AFRL project comes at the heels of previous and ongoing AFRL projects for UConn approaching $30 million that involve over 15 faculty members from the Colleges of Engineering and Liberal Arts and Sciences with dozens of graduate students and post-doctoral associates. Covering research from functional materials and photonics to casting, welding, and additive manufacturing, the UConn team has established itself as a valuable partner for the AFRL and key industry partners, for example, Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace.
Professor Rainer Hebert says of the contract, “The AFRL funding enables the UConn team to pursue materials processing research with a strong focus on industry and government relevance. Students and post-doctoral associates working on the project see firsthand how their research translates to industry. This insight will help in preparing a workforce that can pursue research excellence with a keen sense of the needs and constraints of industrial applications.”
(l to r) Drs. Bodhisattwa Chaudhuri, Yupeng Chen, Avinash Dongare, Liisa T. Kuhn, and David Pierce are among the 12 UConn faculty selected as members of CASE for 2024.
The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE), an organization of academic and industry professionals who advise the state government on matters of science and industry, announced the election of 35 new members in 2024. Twelve of these new members — over a third — are UConn faculty. Nearly half of those selected from UConn are members of the Institute of Materials Science (IMS).
Bodhisattwa Chaudhuri, Professor, UConn School of Pharmacy
Yupeng Chen, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering, UConn College of Engineering
Avinash Dongare, Professor, Materials Science and Engineering, UConn College of Engineering
Liisa T. Kuhn, Professor and Associate Department Head, Biomedical Engineering, UConn Health
David Pierce, Professor, Mechanical, Aerospace and Manufacturing Engineering, UConn College of Engineering
All new members will be introduced at the Academy’s 49th Annual Meeting and Dinner at the Woodwinds in Branford, CT on May 21, 2024. IMS congratulates all the new CASE members.
Jessica Rouge (far left) with the members of her lab (UConn Photo).
Before sunrise, Jessica Rouge used to leap out of bed in the glow of darkness and race to the Charles River with her teammates for crew practice.
A few hours later, the future UConn associate chemistry professor would run back to Boston College for her morning science class: she was among a small group of female students pursuing a B.S. degree in biochemistry.
Rouge still sprints, but in a different way: now, she doubles as teacher, mother to two toddlers, mentor to young scientists, hobby musician and soon she will potentially add another role to her repertoire: science entrepreneur.
Rouge’s lab group, which is more than 50 percent female, “seeks to understand how enzymes and nucleic acids can be used in new ways to engineer highly specific and targeted responses in chemical and biological systems. Specifically, her team is interested in developing new chemical strategies for assembling catalytic RNA sequences at nanoparticle surfaces for sensing, diagnostic, and therapeutic applications.”
With the preclinical data she was able to secure using the Spark Fund resources, Rouge is hopeful that she and her collaborators are close to licensing her technology.
Besides basketball and logos, the technology is used by Huey’s group for their pioneering Tomographic AFM work, studying future semiconductors, solar cells, metal alloys, and electromagnetic sensors—all with unprecedented nano-volumetric resolution.
While the UConn basketball team moves forward into March Madness, another team of Huskies is hard at work for the love of the game.
One UConn College of Engineering department’s March Madness bracket includes creating the world’s smallest basketball.
Researchers from the materials science and engineering department, housed in the new Science 1 building, has produced a basketball and Husky logo with the best-depth-resolution nanolithography in the world.
“After we determined that our new technique worked, we wanted to do an eye-catching school spirit-related project,” says department head Bryan Huey. “A basketball and the Husky logo seemed to be a perfect way to celebrate UConn. It was fun watching our project gradually (and microscopically) take shape, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the results!”
The pictures were “carved” into a crystalline substrate. Laterally, the patterns are about 4-5 um. For comparison, a human hair is roughly 50 um. And the depth of the engraving is only 5 nm, which is another 1000x smaller than the width. Hence, the world’s smallest basketball was chiseled here in Storrs.
Dr. Steven L. Suib, Director of UConn’s Institute of Materials Science (IMS), is working to mitigate the effects of greenhouse gasses caused by carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions through carbon capture and conversion. His work was recently highlighted in a UConn video. IMS News reached out to Dr. Suib to discuss the impacts of the his research.
Dr. Suib’s research is highlighted in this video produced for UConn Today
How does carbon dioxide (CO2) negatively impact the environment and why is the research you are conducting critical to mitigating the impacts of CO2?
CO2 is a product of combustion from gas burning vehicles, industrial plants, and other sources. Enhanced levels of CO2 are believed to be responsible for global warming and the unusual patterns of weather throughout the world in recent years. We are trying to find ways to trap and gather carbon dioxide and also to transform this into materials that are less hazardous and with practical uses.
You state that CO2 must be trapped (or captured) in order to be converted. What methodology or methodologies are used to capture CO2 emissions?
There have been many different methods suggested to capture CO2 including physical methods of trapping in porous materials as well as chemical reactions for storage.
Discovering methods of converting CO2 to harmless but useful products requires the introduction of a catalyst to convert the gas. You have conducted extensive and often-cited research in catalysis. How does this expertise aid in your research?
The bonds in CO2 are strong and this gas is quite stable. There are many different types of catalysts that we have made. Different reactions are often catalyzed by different catalysts. To find better catalysts they need to be synthesized. The heart of our research programs centers around synthesis of new materials. Unique new materials including catalysts may have different and beneficial properties that commercially available materials do not have.
When you use the term “harmless but useful” in describing products that can be derived from the conversion of CO2, what types of products are possible?
The objective of activating CO2 is to make products that are safe and that can be used in different applications such as new fuels, new chemical feedstocks, and others. These in turn can be used in applications involving sustainable energy, medicines and pharmaceuticals, and new conducting systems (semiconductors, superconductors, batteries, supercapacitors).
It seems we have reached a critical stage in the climate crisis with calls for more research and, above all, action to reduce greenhouse gases and their negative effects. How urgent is the research you and your students and colleagues are conducting to the mitigation of the climate crisis? How close is the research to producing measurable outcomes?
The field of capturing and activating CO2 is very active right now, with numerous groups around the world trying to solve problems that would allow CO2 to be eventually used in many different commercial processes. Our work involves a small set of potential materials for capture and activation of CO2. There are measurable improvements in capture and activation. The key will be to push this to the limit so practical processes can be used.
Thanh Nguyen, center, is pictured here with members of his 2022-23 lab.
In rural areas, especially in developing countries, the long distance to a medical facility may hinder a population from getting vaccinations, and especially booster doses.
Vaccines—for everything from influenza to COVID-19 to pneumococcal diseases—are stored at a low temperature for stability and are typically administrated through a hypodermic needle and syringe from a health care professional.
“What if we were able to mail people vaccines that don’t need refrigeration and they could apply them to their own skin like a bandage?” asked Thanh Nguyen, associate professor of mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering at the University of Connecticut. “And what if we could easily vaccinate people—once—where they wouldn’t need a booster? We could potentially eradicate polio, measles, rubella, and COVID-19.”
The answer, Nguyen believes, is administrating vaccines through a programmable microneedle array patch with a novel process he is developing at his lab at UConn.
By adhering a nearly painless, 1-centimeter-square biodegradable patch to the skin, a person can receive a preprogrammed delivery of highly-concentrated vaccines in powder form—over months—and eliminate the need for boosters. “The primary argument is that getting vaccines and boosters is a pain,” Nguyen said. “You have to go back two or three times to get these shots. With the microneedle platform, you put it on once, and it’s done. You have your vaccine and you have your boosters. You don’t have to go back to the doctor or hospital.”
This month, UConn’s Institute of Materials Science received a three-year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support Nguyen’s research on “Single-Administration Self-boosting Microneedle Platform for Vaccines and Therapeutics.” The project’s goal is to develop a low-cost manufacturing process.
The Nguyen Research Group has already been working to thermally-stabilize vaccines and other therapeutics so they can stay inside the skin for a long period. In 2020, Nature Biomedical Engineeringpublished a study by Nguyen and his colleagues reporting that, in rats, microneedles loaded with a clinically available vaccine (Prevnar-13) against a bacterium provided similar immune protection as multiple bolus injections.
“We’ve been able to show this technology is safe and effective in the small animal model, but now the question is, how do we translate it into the commercialized stage and make it useful to the end user, which is the human,” he said.
With support from the Gates Foundation, Nguyen will be able to test his microneedle platform on a larger animal—a pig, which has skin similar to humans. And if the results are similar, Nguyen predicts this technology could be manufactured, at an affordable cost, enabling both domestic and global health impact.
Nguyen’s microneedle platform also caught the attention of the United States Department of Agriculture. In September, the USDA: Research, Education, and Economics division awarded Nguyen with a two-year grant for a study titled “Delivery of FMDV Protein Antigens Using a Programmable Transdermal Microneedle System.”
The Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV) is a highly contagious disease that affects the health of livestock such as cows, pigs, sheep, and goats. When an outbreak occurs, the disease leaves affected animals weakened and unable to produce meat and milk. FMDV causes production losses and hardships for farmers and ranchers, and has serious impacts on livestock trade.
And while vaccines exist, like with humans, boosters are required to keep the vaccine effective.
“USDA is interested in the technology because the patch will be able to deliver the initial dose and subsequent doses, or boosters, to animals without the need for rounding up and handling multiple animals at once,” Nguyen explained. “This decreases stress on the animals and increases safety for the animals and their handlers.”
The microneedle platform is among the latest applications the Nguyen Research Group is exploring in the arena of vaccine/drug delivery, tissue regenerative engineering, “smart” piezoelectric materials, electronic implants, and bioelectronics. Since joining the College of Engineering in 2016, Nguyen has discovered a method of sending electric pulses through a biodegradable polymer to assist with cartilage regeneration; he’s designed a powerful biodegradable ultrasound device that could make brain cancers more treatable; and he used microneedle patches to deliver antibody therapies, which have been proven successful in treating HIV, autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, and certain types of cancer.
Christina Tamburro, post-award grants and contracts specialist for UConn’s Institute of Materials Science said IMS is grateful to both the Gates Foundation and USDA for supporting Professor Nguyen’s drug delivery research.
“This is a wonderful application of material science and this is what we’re all about. Ultimately, this is going to save lives and it can’t get better than that,” she said.
