Group News

1. May, 2007. Dr. Su was awarded a New Investigator Award from James and Esther King Biomedical Program of Florida Department of Health. 

2. September, 2007. Dr. Su was awarded a Doctoral New Investigator Award from Petroleum Research Foundation of American Chemical Society. 

3. October, 2007. Our paper published in Advanced Materials on nanomanufacturing was selected as the front cover. 

4. May, 2007. We received a grant from Air Force Research Laboratory to develop silica encapsulated indium nanoparticles for heat transfer. 

5. August, 2008. We received a grant from National Science Foundation to develop polymer encapsulated paraffin nanoparticles for heat transfer. 

6. May, 2009. Two program managers, Mr. Snyder and Mrs. Gschwender, from Air Force Research Laboratory visited us and discussed our project.

7. Sept, 2009. In NanoFlorida 2009, Chaoming won a first grade poster award, Jerry won a second grade poster award. 

8. January, 2010. Dr. Su received an award from DoD's CDMRP to develop multiplexed cancer biomarker detection using phase change nanoparticles. 

9. August, 2010. Our patent on thermal biosensing has been issued. 

10. Sept, 2009. In NanoFlorida 2010, Yan won a third grade poster award. 

11. October, 2010. Dr. Su was invited to give a talk on 218 Electrochemical Society meeting on our researches.

12. November, 2010. Our research on multiplexed cancer biomarker detection has been highlighted at website of DoD's Lung Cancer Research Program. 

13. November, 2010. All members in nano-PCM sub-group will go to MRS spring meeting in San Francisco. 

14. November, 2010. A group of scientist from Harris visited us to discuss the possibility of working together on a project. 

15. December, 2010. Dr. Su was invited to give a talk at BioBanking Conference in Providence, RI, hosted by Cambridge Healthtech Institute.

16. February, 2011. Dr. Su received a Distinguished Researcher Award from University of Central Florida. 

17. March, 2011. Dr. Su received a CAREER Award from NSF to study phase change nanoparticle based biosensing in thermal space.

18. June, 2011. Dr. Su was invited to give a talk at IMRS Conference in Singapore. 

19. Sept, 2011. Dr. Su was invited to give a talk at ChinaNano2011 in Beijing.

Research Activities

1. Nanoscale phase change materials (Nano-PCMs)

High flux of heat is generated in high-power lasers, electronic devices, and engines, as well as industrial chemical reactors. The ability of heat-removing from these devices determines their performance, lifetime, and safety. We have used encapsulated nanoparticles of phase change materials (nano-PCMs) including metals and paraffins to control temperatures of heat-generating devices. Owing to their small size effects, nanoparticles can form homogeneous mixtures with heating generating elements, thus presenting great heat-removing or heat-absorbing advantages. The encapsulation of nanoparticles in structurally-robust and chemically-inert shells provides wide applicability of nano-PCMs into a variety of condition. Nano-PCMs have been added into single phase liquid (i.e., coolant) to enhance its heat capacity. When the suspension of nano-PCMs is pumped continuously between hot source and cold source, the latent heat of fusion will greatly enhance the heat transfer capability of fluid, which can enhance performance of existing single phase coolants. When encapsulated nano-PCMs are used as nano-heat-sinks, the thermal runaways of heterogeneous exothermic reactions such as catalytic reaction and polymerization can be controlled. In addition, due to their low density and large latent heat of fusion, nano-PCMs have been carried by air flow to enhance cooling effects of air.

2. Biological sensing in thermal space (Hot-bio)

Existing biosensing techniques based on optical, electric, magnetic and mechanical signal transductions have low level of multiplicity due to peak overlap, lack of probe specific properties, and system complexicity. We use nano-PCMs to detect multiple biomarkers in thermal space. This new technique is based on a well-known but not explored thermal phenomenon: the temperature of a solid will not rise until the solid is completely molten, and the melting peak is sharp in a linear temperature scan. The sharp melting peaks will not overlap and present high spectral resolution for thermal bio-sensing. In contrast, On the other hand, the rich knowledge on metallurgy and alloy phase diagrams accumulated in the past hundreds years can be used to design nanoparticles with controlled melting temperatures and sharp melting peaks. By using a small number of metals, the possible combination of alloys that have sharp melting peaks could reach over thousands. A one-to-one correspondence can thus be established between each type of nanoparticle and each type of biomarkers, enabling the detections of multiple biomarkers in one thermal scan without adding extra system complexicity, which could allow detection of lethal cancers from indolent ones at early stage using pattern recognition approach. A variety of selected phase change nanoparticles of metals and alloys are embedded inside silica microbeads to make thermal barcodes. The use of 50 different types of nano-PCMs will allow construction of thermal barcodes with labeling capacity of over 15 billions, and each barcode can be readout easily in one thermal scan. 

3. X-ray interaction with nanoparticles (X-particles)

Nanoparticles can be used as contrast agents in cancer imaging using computed tomography, and as beam concentrators in X-ray cancer therapy. But, existing nanoparticles cannot achieve multiplexed cancer imaging, and cannot reduce damage to normal cells when dose is sufficient to kill cancer cells. We have designed a new imaging modality, in which a panel of nanoparticles are designed and used as contrast agents for multiplexed cancer imaging, which can greatly facilitate cancer characterization and staging by detecting multiple molecular biomarkers. We are also working on new nanoparticle modification strategies to enhance the efficiency of cancer-killing in X-ray radiation therapy, in which cancer-cells can be selectively killed at lower dose, while radiation damages to normal tissues will be minimized. Another new surface modification is developed to prevent cancer metastasis by taking advantages of penetrating power of high energy X-ray beams. The prevention of cancer metastasis could potentially enable easier surgery to remove tumor, or X-ray therapy to kill all cancer cells in situ. Meanwhile, we are developing multilayer X-ray mirrors to obtain monochromatic X-ray beams that can have great potentials for cancer imaging and treatment. 

Research Projects

1. Encapsulated solid-liquid phase change nanoparticles for lung cancer biomarker detections, Department of Defense. 

2. Encapsulated phase change nanoparticles for heat transfer, National Science Foundations. 

3. Synthesis and characterization of encapsulated phase change nanoparticles, Air Force Research Laboratory. 

4. Structure-performance correlations in nanocolumn-array supported nanoparticle films for solar energy conversions, American Chemical Society. 

5. Nanocolumn-supported nanoparticle array for early detection of lung cancer biomarkers, Florida Department of Health. 

6. Thermal management for high heat flux components-time scaling management of peak heat fluxes. Air Force Research Laboratory. 

7. CAREER: Biosensing in thermal space. National Science Foundations. 

8. Fabrication and characterization of vertical micro/nanowire array. Harris Incorporation. 

Teaching

1. Thermodynamics and kinetics of materials

2. Material characterization techniques

3. Colloid and interface

4. Metallurgical thermodynamics

5. Emerging materials

Current Group Members

1. PhD students: Chaoming Wang (MSE, 2008 Spring), Maniual Houssin (ECE, 2010 Spring), Mahmood Mohagheghi (ME, 2011 Spring, jointly supported with Prof. Louis Chow)

2. Postdoctoral researchers: Wei Wu (jointly supported with Prof. Louis Chow), Zhaoyong Sun

3. Undergraduates: Daqiu Ren

4. High school students: Alan Fu

Alumni

1. Postdoctoral researchers: Drs. Weixing Xu, Ruhai Tian, Minghui Zhang, Shujiang Ding

2. Graduates: Xuejun Zhang, Zeyu (Jerry) Ma, Yan Hong (Rheem)

3. Undergraduates: Carolina Arana, Kenneth Etchevery, Michelle Garcia, Ryan Melin, Connie Suen

4. High school students: Ameen Hafez, Wesley, Pinney

Selected Publications

23. Y. Hong, C. Wang, M. Su, Rational design and combinatorial synthesis of eutectic alloy nanoparticles for biosensing and identification using phase change nanoparticles, Small 2010, submitted. 
22. J. J. Hu, C. Muratore, J. G. Jones, A. A. Voevodin, Y. Hong, M. Su, In situ transmission electron microscopy of phase change investigation of bismuth nanoparticles, J. Mater. Res. 2011, submitted. 
21. W. Wu, Y. R. Lin, L. Chow, J. S. Ding, Y. Hong, J. P. Kizito, L. Gschwender, E. Snyder, M. Su, Jet impingement and spray cooling using slurry of nanoencapsulated phase change materials, Int. J. Heat Transfer 2011, in press. 

20. C. Wang, L. Ma, M. Su, Simultaneous detection of multiple biomarkers with several orders of concentration difference using phase change nanoparticles, Anal. Chem. 2011, 83, 2215. 
19. Y. Hong, W. Wu, J. Hu, A. A. Voevodin, L. C. Chow, M. Su, Suppressing supercooling of encapsulated phase change nanoparticles for heat transfer, Chem. Phys. Lett. 2011, 504, 180. 
18. M. Hossain, C. Wang, M. Su, Multiplexed biomarker detection using X-ray fluorescence of composition-encoded nanoparticles, Appl. Phys. Lett. 2010, 97, 263704. 
17. M. Zhang, Y. Hong, S. Ding, J. Hu, Y. Fan, A. Voevodlin, M. Su, Encapsulated nano-heat-sinks for thermal management of heterogeneous chemical reactions, Nanoscale 2010, 2, 2790.
16. C. Wang, L. Ma, M. Hossain, M. Zhang, H. Wang, S. Zou, J. Hickman, M. Su, Visual detections of molecular thin films on plasmonic nanoparticle arrays, Sensors Actuators B-Chemical, 2010, 150, 667.
15. C. Wang, M. Hossain, L. Ma, M. Su, Highly sensitive thermal detection of thrombin using aptamer-functionalized phase change nanoparticles, Biosensors Bioelectronics 2010, 26, 437. 
14. Y. Hong, S. Ding, W. Wu, J. Hu, L. Gschwender, E. Snyder, L. Chow, M. Su, Enhancing latent heat of colloidal suspension using nanoscale encapsulated phase change materials for heat transfers, ACS Appl. Mater. Interface, 2010, 2, 1685. 
13. C. Wang, L. Ma, L. Chen, K. X. Chai, M. Su, Scanning calorimetric detections of multiple DNA biomarkers contained in complex fluids using phase change nanoparticles, Anal. Chem. 2010, 82, 1838. 
12. L. Ma, C. Wang, Y. Hong, M. Zhang, M. Su, Thermally addressed immunosorbent assay (TAISA) using encapsulated phase change nanoparticles, Anal. Chem. 2010, 82, 1186. 
11. W. Wu, H. Bostanci, L. C. Chow, Y. Hong, M. Su, Nucleate boiling heat transfer enhancement for water and FC-72 on superhydrophilic titanium oxide nanoparticle modified surface, Intl. J. Heat Transfer 2010, 53, 1773. 
10. C. Wang, M. Zhang, H. Wang, S. Zou, M. Su, Sub-nano-gram mass measurements on plasmonic nanoparticles for temperature-programmed thermal analysis, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2010, 1, 79.
9. Z. Ma, Y. Hong, M. Zhang, M. Su, Encoding and decoding nanoscale thermal barcodes for ultra-high capacity identification systems, Appl. Phys. Lett. 2009, 95, 233101. 
8. L. Ma, Y. Hong, Z. Ma, C. Kaittanis, M. Perez, M. Su, Multiplexed highly sensitive detection of cancer biomarkers in thermal space using encapsulated phase change nanoparticles, Appl. Phys. Lett. 2009, 95, 043701.
7. Y. Hong, Z. Ma, C. Wang, L. Ma, M. Su, Three-dimensional assemblies of semiconductive nanowires using microscale fibrous building blocks, ACS Appl. Mater. Interface 2009, 1, 251. 
6. R. Tian, L. Ma, M. Su, Electrically induced deflective amplification for adaptive sensing of chemicals, Appl. Phys. Lett. 2009, 94, 013505. 
5. Z. Ma, Y. Hong, L. Ma, M. Su, Superhydrophobic membranes with ordered arrays of nanospiked microchannels for water desalination, Langmuir 2009, 25, 5446. 
4. Z. Ma, Y. Hong, L. Ma, Y. Ni, S. Zou, M. Su, Curved microwell array created by diffusion-limited chemical etching of artificially engineered solids, Langmuir 2009, 25, 643. 
3. Z. Ma, L. Ma, M. Su, Engineering three-dimensional micromirror array by fiber-drawing nanomanufacturing, Adv. Mater. 2008, 20, 3734. 
2. X. Zhang, Z. Ma, Z. Yuan, M. Su, Mass-production of vertically aligned extremely long conductive micro/nanowires using fiber drawing nanomanufacturing, Adv. Mater. 2008, 20, 1310.
1. M. Su, Liquid mixing driven motions of floating macroscopic objects, Appl. Phys. Lett. 2007, 90, 144102. 

Positions Available

1. Postdoctoral researcher with background in bio-nanotechnology, biomarker detection, microbiology and cell biology. 

2. Graduate students with interests/experience in bio-medical engineering, nano-biotechnology, biomaterials, molecular and cancer biology. 

3. Undergraduate researchers with major in molecular biology, and engineering. 

Contact

Ming Su, Ph.D

Assistant Professor

NanoScience Technology Center
Department of Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering

University of Central Florida
12424 Research Parkway, Room 481
Orlando, FL 32826
407-473-5085 (office)
407-882-2819 (fax)
mingsu@mail.ucf.edu