Dr. Chang-Hwan Choi recently received a Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) grant
Story content courtesy of Stevens Institute of Technology, US
To support Office of Naval Research (ONR) development of hydrodynamically efficient and environmentally non-toxic anti-corrosion materials, Dr. Chang-Hwan Choi, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology, researches nanotechnology with multifunctional superhydrophobic properties that repel water and prevent corrosion in robust and durable ways.
Dr. Choi's 2011 DURIP grant funds an environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) that will enhance his study of the functionalities of novel prototypes of nanostructured materials. The ESEM will allow his lab to study and observe the wetting dynamics of water—phenomena such as condensation and evaporation—on nano-patterned superhydrophobic surfaces.
The capability of in-situ measurement of wetting dynamics via the ESEM will support many new experiment opportunities for faculty and students throughout Stevens and enable collaborations with industry and other universities for a variety of research topics in engineering, physics, chemistry, and biology. In addition to research benefits, this instrumentation grant will also support educational initiatives through a new cross-disciplinary PhD concentration in Nanotechnology and the Nanotechnology Graduate Program.
DURIP supports university research essential to the Department of Defense. It is one of several programs under the umbrella of University Research Initiatives to improve the quality of research and education in engineering and science disciplines critical to our national defense.
