The TEAM Lab advances three research thrusts centered on the transport and transformation of energy and mass through multiscale materials engineering and advanced manufacturing. Our work spans radiative heat transfer, combustion-driven materials synthesis, and electrochemical reaction engineering, advancing scalable technologies for thermal management, quantum materials, and electrified chemical conversion.
Radiative Thermal Management in Structured Materials
We develop nanoengineered materials that manipulate thermal radiation to enable passive cooling and heating. Our work integrates materials design, nanophotonics, and scalable manufacturing to create surfaces and textiles that regulate temperature without external power input. By bridging additive manufacturing with multiscale materials engineering, we translate fundamental principles of radiative heat transfer from laboratory concepts into scalable technologies for buildings, wearables, and industrial systems. Major thrusts include:
- 3D printing of radiative cooling nanocomposites
- Smart textiles integrating thermoregulation with sensing and energy harvesting
- Spectrally selective metallic coatings for passive radiative heating
Flame-based Nanomanufacturing of Diamond at Atmospheric Pressure
We investigate combustion-driven reactive flows and flame-plasma coupling to establish flame-based nanomanufacturing of diamond materials under atmospheric conditions, eliminating the need for vacuum systems or complex processing. By integrating combustion chemistry and plasma physics with reaction kinetics modeling and in-situ laser diagnostics, we precisely control crystal nucleation, growth, and defect formation during synthesis. This approach enables rapid, low-cost, and scalable fabrication of nanodiamonds for quantum, electronic, and energy applications. Major thrusts include:
- Atmospheric flame vapor deposition of high-quality nanodiamonds
- Flame-plasma coupling for enhanced diamond growth
- Diamond defect engineering: NV center and boron incorporation
Electrified Methane Conversion & Sustainable Fuel Production
Methane is a widely available carbon resource whose direct and selective conversion into liquid products is a longstanding challenge in chemical manufacturing. We investigate electrochemical and photoelectrochemical routes for converting methane into value-added liquid fuels and chemicals under mild conditions. Our work focuses on how reactive species generation, charge transfer, and surface kinetics govern catalytic transformation at electrochemical interfaces. By engineering catalyst defects, transport environments, and operating conditions, we control reaction selectivity and conversion efficiency in methane-to-liquid processes and related systems. This research integrates interfacial reaction engineering with rational material and system designs to advance the electrification of chemical manufacturing and decentralized fuel production. Major thrusts include:
- Defect-engineered (photo)electrocatalysts for methane activation
- Electrochemical reactor and transport engineering for methane-to-liquid conversion
- Mechanistic studies of interfacial intermediates and radical-mediated pathways