Controlling Colloidal Transport Using Solute Gradients: Water, Oil and Bacteria

Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University at Buffalo

Diffusiophoresis describes a transport process by which a particle can undergo a directional migration in response to the local solute gradients. Although this process has been known for decades, it is often considered to be an esoteric laboratory phenomenon. Recently, renewed interest in diffusiophoresis has revealed its potential for shaping environmental and biological systems through its subtle hydrodynamic effects. In this talk, I will discuss three examples in which diffusiophoresis can be helpful for systems that require controlled colloid transport in environmental and biological systems: 1) membraneless water purification using CO2, 2) enhanced oil recovery from deep rock pores, and 3) accelerated bacteria dispersal for soil bioremediation.

Sangwoo Shin received his BS and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Yonsei University in 2005 and 2012. He is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University at Buffalo (UB). Prior to joining UB, he was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Princeton University from 2013 to 2016 and an Assistant Professor at the University of Hawaii from 2017 to 2021. His research involves diverse problems in the areas of complex fluids, interfacial processes, and transport phenomena in biological and environmental systems.