Nanomaterials for Energy and the Environment: from Polymer Nanocomposites and Atmospheric Water Harvesting to Buildings | with Professor Bozlar

Abstract
Low-dimensional nanomaterials, including graphene and carbon nanotubes, have played a pivotal role in enhancing the performance of multifunctional nanocomposites, advanced coatings, and selective membranes, enabling critical applications in aerospace and automotive sectors, CO2 capture technologies, and atmospheric water harvesting systems, and beyond. In the first part of this seminar, we review the fundamental physics and chemistry of various forms of nanomaterials, including graphene and carbon nanotubes. In the second part, we present the multifunctional potential of carbonaceous nanostructures used as reinforcement in polymer nanocomposites. In the third segment of the seminar, we will highlight the synergistic role of graphene combined with diverse polymer matrices in enhancing indoor air quality management and atmospheric water harvesting. Finally, in the last part of this talk, we demonstrate the versatility of graphene with applications extending to built environments.

Biography
Michael Bozlar is an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Arlington (UTA) in the Dept. of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering. Prof. Bozlar is a mechanical engineer and a materials scientist by training. He holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from CentraleSupelec and Ecole Normale Superieure Paris-Saclay, France. Prior to joining UTA, Prof. Bozlar was a Postdoc and then a Research Faculty at Princeton University in the Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment for slightly over ten years. His lab at UTA is a multidisciplinary group focused on the synthesis, processing, and characterization of organic and inorganic materials, for applications in polymer composites, rechargeable batteries, water harvesting and treatment, and bioengineering.