outstanding researcher awards - wordpress.com€¦ · 15/05/2015 · fyp thesis title: influence...

American Institute of Chemical Engineers Singapore Local Section (AIChE-SLS) Awards 2015

• Outstanding Researcher Awards

• Professor Neal Chung, National University of Singapore

http://www.chbe.nus.edu.sg/faculty/chencts

• Professor En-Tang Kang, National University of Singapore

http://www.chbe.nus.edu.sg/faculty/cheket

• Professor Koon Gee Neoh, National University of Singapore

http://www.chbe.nus.edu.sg/faculty/chenkg








• Outstanding Researcher Award

• Professor Neal Chung , National University of Singapore





Prof. Chung is one of the World Leaders on Emerging Membrane Technologies for Water Reuse and Desalination

(a small MD pilot system at NUS )

1. Forward Osmosis 3. Membrane distillation 2. Biomimetic Membrane

aquaporin

Wang et al., Soft Matter 2011, Small 2012, JMS 2013 Zhong et al., JMS 2012, Duong et al JMS 2012 Sun et al., Colloids and Surfaces, 2011 and 2012 RSC Advances 2013

> 20 journal papers > 30 journal papers

What are the next clean energy sources? Prof. Chung is one of world leaders on membranes for blue (osmotic) energy,

biofuel separation, purification and separation of CH4 and H2, and CO2 capture

Natural Gas

Fuel cell

Bioenergy

Solar energy

Wind energy

Blue energy

Coal

CO2 capture technology

must also be developed

Hydrogen

Nuclear Energy

4

Battery

Copyright National University of Singapore 2012 6

Surface Functionalization via Molecular Design and Engineering

The highly robust and versatile controlled radical polymerization (CRP) techniques and click

chemistry are particularly suited for the preparation of multi-functional surfaces, including

antifouling, antibacterial, stimuli-responsive, biomolecule-coupled and micropatterned

surfaces. In addition to bioactive surfaces, CRP’s have also been widely used for the

preparation of well-structured functional membranes and biomaterials, such as micellar

delivery systems, hydrogels, cationic gene carriers and polymer–protein conjugates.

Prog. Polym. Sci. 2009, 34, 719

Biomacromolecules 2015, 16, 723

Copyright National University of Singapore 2012 7

Polymer/Organic Electronic Memories: Materials, Devices and Mechanisms

As an emerging area in organic electronics, polymer memories have become an active research

topic in recent years, because they are likely to be an alternative or supplementary technology

to the conventional memory technology facing the problems and challenges in miniaturizing from

microscale to nanoscale. Polymer/organic electronic memories draw the mechanistic analogy

between the polymer switching element and one of the three primary circuit elements, viz.,

capacitor, transistor and resistor.

Prog. Polym. Sci. 2008, 33, 917

Chem Soc. Rev. 2012, 41, 4688

Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

Examples of Our Research (Orthopedic Implants)

9

Orthopedic Implants: race for the surface between bacteria & osteoblasts

Bacteria Osteoblasts

Orthopedic Implant

Conflicting requirements:

• Minimize adhesion of bacteria

but not osteoblasts

• Kill bacteria but not osteoblasts

Factor for osteoblast (peptide or protein)

Ti Substrate

Antimicrobial polymer

1 2

2-pronged strategy needed

Pristine Modified

Antimicrobial Polymer Antimicrobial Action Factors for Osteoblasts

Poly(methacrylic acid) Anti-adhesive Silk sericin

Carboxymethyl chitosan Bactericidal BMP-2, VEGF

Chitosan-hyaluronic acid Bactericidal and anti-adhesive

RGD

On modified Ti surface:

Bacterial colonization

reduced

Osteoblast attachment

promoted

Calcium deposition

promoted

Biomaterials 2010, 31, 8854

Biomaterials 2012, 33, 8082 Biomaterials 2008, 29, 4751 Biomaterials 2008, 29, 1412

Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

Examples of Our Research (Functionalized Nanoparticles)

(a) Stealth NPs: evading immune system &

selectively targeting cancer cells

(b) Magnetic-fluorescent NPs for stem cell

tracking: non-cytotoxic, high T2 relaxivity & uptake

MRI

signal Fluorescent

signal

(c) Mucoadhesive sustained drug

delivery system for bladder

cancer therapy

FITC DAPI Dox Merged

(a)

(b)

(c)

FITC DAPI DOX MERGED

(a)

(a) 2 h incubation, (b) 2 h followed by

rinsing with PBS and another 72 h

incubation in medium

(b)

Incubation of cancer cells with NPs

Langmuir 2014, 30, 6151

Eur J Pharm Sci. 2013, 48, 111 Biomaterials 2011, 32, 2166 Adv. Funct. Mater. 2009, 19, 2615 Adv. Funct. Mater. 2009, 19, 1158


• Outstanding Researcher Awards

• Professor Neal Chung, National University of Singapore













• Outstanding Young Researcher Award :

Young Faculty Member

• Dr. Jianping XIE, National University of Singapore • http://www.chbe.nus.edu.sg/faculty/chexiejp

Luminescent Au/Ag NCs

• ~1 nm; tunable sizes

• Non-toxic

• Strong luminescence

• Size-tunable electronic

structures

• Strong radiosensitizing

• Antimicrobial activity

• etc…

Biomolecules

• Proteins or Peptides

• Excellent

biocompatibility

• Good in vivo stability

• Tailorable

pharmacokinetics

• Rich surface

functional groups

• Bioprobes

• etc…

Luminescent Biomolecule-Au NCs or Bio-NCs

• Small HD (<6 nm) Metabolizable

• Good biocompatibility Non-toxic

• Traceability (strong luminescence)

• Well-defined size, structure, surface, and

physicochemical properties; Easy characterizations

• Excellent tumor deposition (passive or active)

• Strong radiotherapy enhancement; etc…

Biomolecule-

Metal Nanoclusters

or Bio-NCs

Fluorescent Probes

Radiosensitizers

Antimicrobial Agents

Sensors

4

Engineering Ultrasmall Metal Nanoclusters for

Biomedical Applications @ XIE Group

Highly Fluorescent Metal Nanoclusters

Metal NCs with tunable properties (Synthesis

and Fundamentals)

•J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015, 137, 2128

•J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136, 10577

•J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136, 1246 (Highly cited paper)

•J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012,134, 16662 (Highly cited paper)

•J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 888 (Highly cited paper)

•Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2015, 54, 184

•Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2014, 53, 4623 (Highly cited)

•ACS Nano 2011, 5, 8800 (Highly cited paper)

•ACS Nano 2012, 6, 7920

•Chem. Mater. 2013, 25, 946 (Highly cited paper) …

Fluorescent Probes

Fluorescent metal NCs for bioimaging and

sensing applications

•Anal. Chem. 2013, 85, 1913 (Highly cited paper)

•Chem. Comm. 2014, 50, 5143 (Highly cited paper)

•ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2014, 6, 21822

•Chem. Comm. 2010, 46, 961 (Highly cited paper)

•Nanoscale 2012, 4, 1968

•Chem. - Asian J. 2013, 8, 858 (Highly cited paper)

…

Traceable

Antimicrobial Agents

Highly efficient and traceable silver

NC antimicrobials

- Ultrasmall, < 1 nm

- High ratio of surface atoms, > 50%

- Tunable emission colors

•NPG Asia Mater. 2013 (Highly cited paper)

•Nano Research 2014, 7, 301

•Biomaterials 2014, 35, 6707…

Controlled drug delivery

& cancer therapy

-Ultrasmall, HD <3 nm

-Good biocompatibility

Adv. Mater. 2014 (Highly cited)

Small 2015; Adv. Funct. Mater.

2013; Biomaterials 2015;

Adv. Healthcare. Mater. 2014

(Highly cited paper)

5


• Outstanding Young Researcher Award :

Young Faculty Member

• Dr. Jianping XIE, National University of Singapore • http://www.chbe.nus.edu.sg/faculty/chexiejp


• Outstanding Young Researcher Award:

Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr. Qiu Guanglei, National University of Singapore

Struvite

Phosphorus recovery

TOC

NH4+

Mg2+

H2O

PO43-

Ca2+

H2O

Osmotic membrane bioreactor

Draw solution

Mixed liquor

PO43-

Mg2+

Ca2+

NH4+

NaOH addition

Recovery solids

FO m

em

bran

e

Municipal wastewater

Wate

r p

rod

uctio

n

Simultaneous Water and P Recovery from Municipal Wastewater

17

Direct P recovery from municipal wastewater achieved for the first time;

Obviates the need for biological P removal;

Obviates the need for Mg/Ca addition;

Simultaneous recovery of water;

Calcium phosphate

Recovered solids

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Rem

ov

al r

ate

PO

43

- -P

, mg

/L

Operation time, day

Effluent Influent

Supernatant Overall removal rate

5

6

7

8

9

pH

Bioresour.Technol., 2014, 170, 221–

229.

US Patent, Application No.

61/860,935.

The AIChE-SLS Researcher Award 2015 Qiu Guanglei (Dr.) ChBE, NUS


• Outstanding Young Researcher Award:

Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr. Qiu Guanglei, National University of Singapore

American Institute of Chemical Engineers

Singapore Local Section (AIChE-SLS) Awards 2015

Outstanding Graduate Student Researcher Award

Feng Guangxue

National University of Singapore Yap Swee Kun

National University of Singapore


• Outstanding Graduate Student Researcher Award

• Feng Guangxue, National University of Singapore

G. Feng, C. Y. Tay, Q. Chui, R. Liu, N. Tomczak, J. Liu, B. Z.

Tang, D. T. Leong, and B. Liu, Biomaterials 2014, 35, 8669-

8677.

FENG Guangxue (Bachelor, NUS)

• Achievements – Modulation of the self-assemble behavior of conjugated polymers (CPs) inside

nanoparticles (NPs) to increase brightness for long term cell tracing. (Small 2014, 6, 1212).

– Utilizing fluorogens with aggregation-induced emission characteristics (AIE dots) to fabricate ultra-bright and stable organic dots for cell tracing and blood vascular imaging. (Biomaterials 2014, 35, 8669; and DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201500010)

– Introducing photochrome to the core of fluorescent organic dots for reversible turn on/off fluorescence for bioimaging. (Nanoscale 2014, 4, 4141)

– Introduce cell targeting ligands at organic dot surface for cancer cell recognition and photodynamic therapy. (Chem. Commun. 2014, 50, 8587)

– Control CP NPs sizes from 10 nm to 3 µm for selective detection and photothermal killing of cancer cells over normal cells. (J. Mater. Chem. B 2015, 3, 1135)

– Design light-up probes for imaging of cytoplasm and nucleus. (Chem. Commun. 2014, 50, 9497)

– Design antimicrobial conjugated polyelectrolytes or light-up probes for killing of bacteria.




Yap Swee Kun, National University of Singapore

Rapid nanoparticle-catalyzed hydrogenations in triphasic millireactors

with facile catalyst recovery, Green Chem. 16, pp. 4654-4658, 2014




Feng Guangxue

National University of Singapore Yap Swee Kun

National University of Singapore


• Outstanding Undergraduate Dissertation/Research Project Award

• Ang Wei Jun, National University of Singapore

• Denise Ng, National University of Singapore

• Stella Seah, National University of Singapore

• Justin Wong, National University of Singapore



Ang Wei Jun, National University of Singapore

FYP Thesis Title: Influence of cationic and non-ionic surfactants on the kinetics of mixed hydrogen/tetrahydrofuran hydrates.

Supervisor: Dr. Praveen Linga

GHRL

DTAC concentration

0 wt% 0.05 wt% 0.5 wt%

Norm

aliz

ed R

ate

of

Hydra

te F

orm

ation,

NR

15 (

mm

ol s

-1 m

-3)

0

200

400

600

800

Methane/THF system

Hydrogen/THF system

Achievements and Highlights of Study

No

Sur

factan

t

0.01

wt%

DTA

C

0.05

wt%

DTA

C

0.5

wt%

DTA

C

1.0

wt%

DTA

C

0.01

wt%

T-2

0

0.05

wt%

T-2

0

0.1

wt%

T-2

0

Norm

aliz

ed R

ate

of

Hydra

te F

orm

ation,

NR

15 (

mm

ol s

-1 m

-3)

0

50

100

150

200

250

Results

•Effect of surfactant on the kinetics of mixed THF hydrate formation is characteristic of the gas

Implications

•Further studies required to explore the behaviour of surfactants in presence of water soluble promoters during hydrate formation

• Search for alternate chemicals that can promote kinetics of hydrate formation in presence of THF

•Synergistic effect required between thermodynamic and kinetic promoters for efficient hydrate formation

Time (min)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Pre

ssure

(kP

a)

0

100

200

300

400

500

0 wt% DTAC

0.05 wt% DTAC

0.5 wt% DTAC

1 wt% DTAC

Surfactant effect on mixed H2/THF hydrate formation kinetics

Surfactant effect on mixed H2/THF hydrate dissociation kinetics

Surfactant effect on H2/THF and CH4/THF mixed hydrate formation kinetics

Results

•Surfactant did not significantly influence the dissociation kinetics of mixed H2/THF hydrates

Implications

• Similar to during hydrate formation, there is a need to examine if the presence of THF along with surfactant affects the kinetics of dissociation

Results

•Minor promoting effect of surfactants on hydrate formation rates in presence of THF

Implications

•THF, a well-established thermodynamic promoter of sII hydrate structures (that mixed H2 hydrates form), has ability to suppress the kinetic promoting effect of surfactants

•Future studies need to look into the use of other promoters for mixed H2 hydrate formation



Denise Ng, National University of Singapore

FYP Thesis Title : Effects of Polymer Excipients in ROY-excipient Co-formulated Spherical Agglomerates.

Supervisor: Associate Prof. Saif Khan

Effects of Polymer Excipients in ROY-excipient Co-formulated Spherical Agglomerates

Batch crystallization, a common purification method in the pharmaceutical industry, results in poor morphological and polymorphic control. Thus, it requires energy intensive processes, such as milling, grinding and compounding, which may lead to polymorphic transformations. The co-formulation of drug and excipient(s), with the aid of microfluidic capillary emulsion generation, circumvents the need for these processes. In this project, the role of selected excipient(s) in enhancing the homogeneity and polymorphic selectivity of co-formulated drug-excipient spherical agglomerates is investigated. The effects of different excipients reveal that PLGA is able to yield better polymorphic selectivity and structural homogeneity for ROY, our hydrophobic drug model.

100 μm

Polymorphic selectivity of Y/YT04 under 1mm film conditions

Excipient loading (mg/ml)

Ethyl cellulose

PLGA (50:50)

PLGA (75:25)

20 90.8% 100% 97.6%

40 94.0% 99.4% 99.5%

Figure 2: Polymorphic selectivity in various ROY-excipient co-formulated SAs. Y and YT04 are polymorphs of ROY. The bracketed ratios refer to the ratio of lactic to glycolic acid in PLGA.

Figure 4: Microscopic images of a) ROY 120 mg/ml EC 40 mg/ml b) ROY 120 mg/ml PLGA (75:25) 40 mg/ml c) ROY 120 mg/ml PLGA (50:50) 40 mg/ml dry particles formed under 1 mm film conditions showing structural homogeneity in ROY-PLGA particles and Janus in ROY-EC particles.

a) b) c)

Figure 1: Glass capillary microfluidic setup used to create ROY-excipient spherical agglomerates (SAs)

Figure 3: FESEM images of dry particles a) ROY 120 mg/ml EC 40 mg/ml b) ROY 120 mg/ml PLGA (50:50) 40 mg/ml formed under 1 mm film conditions showing Janus in ROY-EC particles and structural homogeneity in ROY-PLGA particles

ROY and Ethyl

Cellulose or PLGA in

DCM

1.5 wt% PVA water

solution

Evaporative crystallization in a glass

well of 1mm/2mm of pre-dispensed

1.5 wt% PVA water at 25°C

Circular capillary with tapered end Square capillary



Justin Wong, National University of Singapore

FYP Thesis Title: MULTI-OBJECTIVE OPTIMISATION OF SHELL-AND-TUBE HEAT EXCHANGERS USING THE ELITIST NON-DOMINATED SORTING GENETIC ALGORITHM.

Supervisor: Prof. G.P. Rangaiah

Multi-Objective Optimisation of Shell-And-Tube Heat Exchangers Using the Elitist Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm

• Implementation of real coded NSGA-II

• A chi-squared test-based termination criterion (ChiTC)

• A novel termination criterion based on steady-state detection (SSTC).

• This work builds upon the Excel-based Multi-Objective Optimisation Program (EMOO)

• EMOO was previously developed using the binary-coded elitist non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II)

• The Performance of EMOO was significantly improved through:

Figure 1: EMOO Main Interface



Stella Seah, National University of Singapore

FYP Thesis Title “DENSITY SEGREGATION OF WET GRANULAR MIXTURES IN GAS FLUIDIZED BEDS”.

Supervisor: Dr. Eldin Wee Chuan Lim

Novelty of Study

Novel approach to study density segregation of wet

mixtures in gas-fluidized beds through dynamic force analyses using computational fluid dynamics with

discrete element method

Mechanisms of mixing/segregation of wet binary mixtures

not addressed adequately in literature reported to date

Novel simulation of initial packed bed consisting of a layer of well-mixed region between two flotsam layers as

this was thought to impose no bias on subsequent mixing/segregation behaviors

Force analyses of particles were carried out based on

their initial positions within the packed bed



• Ang Wei Jun, National University of Singapore

• Denise Ng, National University of Singapore

• Stella Seah, National University of Singapore

• Justin Wong, National University of Singapore


• AIChE SLS Service Awards

Dr. Praveen Linga, Secretary, AIChE Singapore local Section, 2014-2015

Mr. Terence Tan, President, AIChE NUS Student Chapter, 2014-2015

Acknowledgements • American Institute of Chemical Engineers Singapore Local Section (AIChE-SLS)

acknowledges the inputs by the following review panel members.

• Prof. Bing-Hung Chen (National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan)

• Dr. Ann Chow (Institute of Chemical Engineering Science)

• Prof. Clive Davis (Massey University, New Zealand)

• Dr. Rensheng Deng (Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology)

• Dr. Fong Yew Leong (Institute of High Performance Computing)

• Associate Prof. Raymond Lau (Nanyang Technological University)

• Prof. IA Karimi (National University of Singapore)

• Mr. Ng Chee Wai (Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore)

• Prof. Raj Srinivasan (Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar)

• Prof. Chi-Hwa Wang (National University of Singapore)

• Mr. Kenny Yip Kai Pui (Mitsui Phenols Singapore)

• Prof. Hua Chun Zeng (National University of Singapore)

outstanding researcher awards - wordpress.com€¦ · 15/05/2015 · fyp thesis title: influence...

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