Adaptive Separation using Dynamic Nanofibril Networks

This research program will develop materials, methods, and technologies that enable adaptive separation of molecules and particles using dynamic nanofibril networks.

The ground-breaking nature is the development of dynamically tunable membranes/gels for next-generation separation technology.

Current separation technologies are based primarily on polymeric membranes or gels for membrane filtration or chromatography. Membrane filtration is versatile but lacks selectivity, while chromatography is selective but with limited throughput.

As pharmaceutical companies move toward protein or nanoparticle-based therapies, the size limitation of chromatography is a concern. The future separation technology should be adaptive and selective, with high resolution and throughput.

It is time to develop next-generation separation technology that enables dynamic adaptability and integration with our electronic infrastructure and AI technology.Hydrated nanofibril networks with unique nanomechanical behavior, a vast dynamic density range, and large pore sizes enable tunability that polymer networks cannot achieve.

It is an unexplored class of materials for separation purposes, now available at scale due to recent cellulose and amyloid nanofibrils developments.

Nanofibrils assemble in anisotropic hydrogel networks with a uniaxial swelling, ranging from 0 to 1000 g/g water content with pore sizes from a few to 1000 nm.

I will study how different pretreatments or stimuli, such as electrochemistry, enable direct control of this 1000-fold change in pore size, which is unachievable for polymers.

I will explore different modes of separation: centrifugation, filtration, electro-filtration, and ion-selectivity, using nanofibril networks as an adaptive mesh to sieve/repel molecules and particles of different sizes and charges.

The outcome is a scientific foundation exploring how low-density nanofibril networks can lead to disruptive separation technology in a multi-billion-dollar industry.