Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

The control of liquid-liquid interfaces is significantly important across applications like emulsification, separation processes, drug delivery, and material synthesis, offering tailored functionalities and enhanced performance. Equally vital are air-liquid interfaces, pivotal in foams, bubbles, aerosols, and biological process studies. At the University of Waterloo's (UW) Multiscale Materials Design (MMD) Lab, by merging additive manufacturing and interfacial nanomaterials-ligands co-assembly, Dr. Kamkar's team has developed cutting-edge techniques to create structured all-liquid soft materials that serve as templates for the fabrication of novel hierarchical aerogels. These aerogels have applications in electromagnetic shielding, water treatment, thermal management, electronics, and more. However, realizing the full potential of these structured soft/light materials requires precise characterization and engineering of interfacial activity and assembly of nanomaterials/molecules, which is a key focus of Dr. Kamkar's research program. This request is, thus, for an interfacial rheology system (IRS), consisting of an interfacial exchange cell (IEC) and Du Noüy ring, and Bub and Cup accessories that will complement a recently purchased rheometer at MMD Lab. A multidisciplinary team of researchers at UW, spanning the Faculty of Engineering to the School of Pharmacy, will harness the unique capabilities of this system for the comprehensive characterization of diverse interfaces and soft materials. The requested IRS uniquely enables the study of dynamic rheological behaviours in nano- and micro-scale materials like proteins, DNA, surfactants, and nanomaterials, at liquid-liquid and air-liquid interfaces. It allows us to apply shear or oscillatory deformation at various interfaces to assess interfacial viscoelasticity and viscosity under different static or dynamic conditions and compositions, i.e., altering pH or surfactant concentration. This provides crucial insights into the assembly kinetics and robustness of the interfacial films. The Bub and Cup accessories extend this capability to study the bulk rheological response of low viscosity all-liquid soft materials. The applicants' research revolves around interfacial assembly for a wide range of advanced applications, including aerogels, drug delivery systems, batteries, water harvesting systems, electromagnetic shields, and more. Hence, there is an urgent need for the requested tool to advance their ongoing work. Understanding and manipulating liquid-liquid and air-liquid interfaces holds the potential for significant advancements in biology and materials science, fostering innovative collaborations and opening doors to exciting research opportunities. This will also prepare HQP for diverse career paths, spanning advanced manufacturing, energy materials, pharmaceuticals, and beyond.