Hosted by: Dmytro Nykypanchuk

The fabrication of nanofibers (diameter from 1- 100 nm) can be accomplished by using a variety of methods, including electro-spinning and a combination of chemical/mechanical processes, especially for cellulose, as a form of green sustainable resource material. Non-woven nanofiber mats have unique properties, such as interconnected pores, a very large surface-to-volume ratio, and a high capacity for surface modifications, making such scaffolds useful for fabrication of high throughput separation membranes. Directed water channels in the barrier layer are formed through the formation of interface between the cross-linked nanofibers and the polymer matrix, while the gap thickness (less than 1 nm) may be regulated by physical interactions or chemical bonding. In the present context, advances in electro-spinning and fundamental studies on cellulose microfibrils (or nanocelluloses) by means of synchrotron x-ray scattering have provided us with new insight to use the fibrous format with varying pore sizes for applications from micro-filtration via ultra-filtration to nano-filtration and reverse osmosis. We have taken advantage of unique breakthroughs in chemical modifications and physical scale-up transformations to drastically improve filtration membrane development with predesigned properties. This technology has led to a revolutionary design of highly permeable filtration membranes with significantly higher flux (or lower energy) than commercial membranes. Biography: Prof. Hsiao served as Chair of the Chemistry Department and held Vice President for Research and Chief Research Officer positions at Stony Brook. His research is focused on the development of new nanostructured polymers for energy, environmental and health applications. Recently, Hsiao and his research team have demonstrated a breakthrough technology using nanofibrous materials, such as natural cellulose nanofibers, for water purification. This technology has led to a