{"508361":{"#nid":"508361","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Metamaterial Separation Proposed for Chemical, Biomolecular Uses","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe unique properties of metamaterials have been used to cloak objects from light, and to hide them from vibration, pressure waves and heat. Now, a Georgia Institute of Technology researcher wants to add another use for metamaterials: creating a new directional separation technique that cloaks one compound while concentrating the other.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough the idea must still be proven experimentally, the researchers believe that manipulating mass transfer using metamaterials could help reduce the energy required for certain chemical and biomolecular processes. The proposed technique would use specially-patterned polymeric materials to direct the flow of atoms by taking advantage of their specific physical properties.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA detailed explanation for how the technique could be used to separate a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen \u2013 by cloaking the nitrogen and concentrating the oxygen \u2013 was reported February 25 in the journal Scientific Reports. The research was supported by a seed grant from the American Chemical Society.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe will control how the atoms cross the metamaterial, in which direction they will go,\u201d said Martin Maldovan, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering and School of Physics. \u201cBy designing the diffusivity of the metamaterials, we can make the atoms of one compound go one way, and the atoms of another compound go a different way. We are manipulating the physical properties to control the direction the atoms take through the metamaterial shell.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaldovan and Graduate Research Assistant Juan Manuel Restrepo-Fl\u00f3rez have evaluated their metamaterial using computational techniques, and plan to build a prototype separation device this summer. The work could have applications in such areas as chemical manufacturing, crystal growth of semiconductors, waste recovery of biological solutes or chemicals, and production of artificial kidneys.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe metamaterial technique could supplement traditional membranes, which control the passage of chemicals by varying solubility and diffusivity. Similar in principle to other metamaterials, the mass transfer technique can either direct chemicals around the shell, or concentrate them within the shell.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cInside the metamaterial shell, you can tell one atom to do one thing, and another atom to do something else,\u201d Maldovan said. \u201cOur metamaterials will control the flow because they are anisotropic \u2013 certain directions are favored by the structure. We are controlling where the atoms go.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaldovan\u2019s plan for the mass transfer metamaterials uses four different types of polymers, two with high diffusivity and two with low diffusivity. The size and patterning of blocks made from each material is determined by mathematical algorithms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWith this metamaterial, we can control the direction the atoms can go using the trick of anisotropy,\u201d he explained. \u201cThis would be in addition to separation based on solubility and diffusivity. We have added an important parameter to the toolbox of chemical engineers: where to send the atoms.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to separating atoms, the ability of the metamaterials to concentrate atoms could allow sensors to detect more dilute quantities, essentially amplifying the available chemical signal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn their paper, the researchers show how to separate a 50-50 mixture of nitrogen and oxygen using available polymers that have the necessary properties. Each type of separation will require polymers with different properties, not all of which are available in existing materials, meaning not all chemical or biomolecular mixtures will be amenable to separation with the new technique.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new separation process won\u2019t replace traditional distillation and membrane separation processes, but could supplement them, Maldovan said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDistillation and evaporation are very energy intensive, but they are the workhorses of the chemical industry,\u201d he said. \u201cMembrane processes have been developed to reduce energy use. Our goal is to provide a technique that uses even less energy. This could lead to better and more efficient membranes that would provide better separation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe metamaterials will ultimately have to be fabricated at the micron scale to be effective. But Maldovan says prototypes can be made using larger structures \u2013 at the centimeter scale \u2013 to demonstrate the process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe need first to fabricate them, then optimize the design,\u201d he said. \u201cWe know what needs to be fabricated, so future efforts will combine design, fabrication, and optimization.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Restrepo-Fl\u00f3rez, J. M. and Maldovan, M., \u201cMass Separation by Metamaterials,\u201d (Scientific Reports, 2016) \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/srep21971\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/srep21971\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/srep21971\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe unique properties of metamaterials have been used to cloak objects from light, and to hide them from vibration, pressure waves and heat. Now, a Georgia Institute of Technology researcher wants to add another use for metamaterials: creating a new directional separation technique that cloaks one compound while concentrating the other.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have proposed using metamaterials to offer a new separation technique for chemicals and biomolecules."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2016-03-02 11:54:19","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:20:57","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-03-02T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2016-03-02T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"508341":{"id":"508341","type":"image","title":"Concentration profile","body":null,"created":"1457114400","gmt_created":"2016-03-04 18:00:00","changed":"1475895270","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:54:30","alt":"Concentration profile","file":{"fid":"204910","name":"metamaterials1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/metamaterials1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/metamaterials1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1709690,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/metamaterials1_0.jpg?itok=MDve1vy9"}},"508351":{"id":"508351","type":"image","title":"Concentration profile2","body":null,"created":"1457114400","gmt_created":"2016-03-04 18:00:00","changed":"1475895270","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:54:30","alt":"Concentration profile2","file":{"fid":"204911","name":"metamaterials2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/metamaterials2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/metamaterials2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1734991,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/metamaterials2_0.jpg?itok=cgJiFeny"}}},"media_ids":["508341","508351"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"169989","name":"cloaking"},{"id":"79961","name":"Martin Maldovan"},{"id":"128991","name":"metamaterial"},{"id":"169566","name":"separation"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}