• Home
  • Research
  • Henry C. W. Chu - Energy, Environment, and Sustainability

Henry C. W. Chu - Energy, Environment, and Sustainability

  • Transport, Molecular Thermodynamics, and Electrochemical Engineering
  • Modeling, Theory, and Simulation
  • Heterogeneous Catalysis and Surface Science
  • Energy, Environment, and Sustainability
  • Complex and Multiphase Flow Dynamics
  • Biomolecular Engineering, Cellular Engineering, and Synthetic Biology
  • Advanced Materials, Devices, and Nanotechnology

    • We develop fundamental knowledge and technologies to meet an increased demand for energy with minimal environmental impact. Examples of current focus areas include development of active and selective catalysts, advancing new strategies in membrane-based separations, and introduction of next-generation semiconductors for energy research.

    Faculty

    Photo of Henry C. W. Chu

    Henry Chu

    Assistant Professor
    Website: Chu Group

    Biography

    The theme of our research is heterogeneous soft matter transport and design, covering topics such as complex fluid dynamics, colloid and interface science, electrokinetics, and rheology. Our research develops predictive multi-scale computational tools (e.g. particle/fluid dynamics simulations) and fundamental theory (e.g. asymptotic/scaling analyses) to address emerging NAE Grand Challenges for Engineering in these research areas, emphasizing on close collaboration with experimental groups to translate knowledge into applications.  Examples of applications include enhanced oil recovery, CO2 sequestration, smart materials assembly, sustained drug delivery, engineered functional surfaces, 3D printing, adaptive micro-robots, and microfluidic energy harvesting.

    For details of available projects and information of our group, see http://www.chugroup.site

    Education

    Ph.D., 2017, Cornell University
    M.Phil., 2012, The University of Hong Kong
    B.Eng., 2010, The University of Hong Kong

    Awards & Distinctions

    • Nanoscale Emerging Investigator, The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2024
    • Petroleum Research Fund Doctoral New Investigator Grants, American Chemical Society, 2023
    • Basic Energy Sciences Geosciences Research Grants, US Department of Energy, 2023
    • RSC Advances Emerging Investigator, The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2023
    • Soft Matter Emerging Investigator, The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2023
    • Global Faculty Fellow, University of Florida, 2021

    selected Publications

    • Y. Wen, Y. Li, H. C. W. Chu, S. Cheng, and Y. Zeng (2024). Hydromechanical modulation of enzymatic kinetics using microfluidically configurable nanoconfinement arrays, ACS Central Science, 10, 2059-2071.
    • S. Zhang and H. C. W. Chu (2024). Competition between ion-ion electrostatic correlations and hydrodynamic slip radically changes diffusioosmosis, Chemical Science, 15, 18476-18489.
    • S. Zhang and H. C. W. Chu (2024). Diffusioosmotic flow reversals due to ion-ion electrostatic correlations, Nanoscale, 16, 9367-9381.  Invited article in Nanoscale Emerging Investigator Series.
    • J. Xu, Z. Wang and H. C. W. Chu (2023). Unidirectional drying of a suspension of diffusiophoretic colloids under gravity, RSC Advances, 13, 9247-9259.  Invited article in RSC Advances Emerging Investigator Series.
    • S. Sambamoorthy and H. C. W. Chu (2023). Diffusiophoresis of a spherical particle in porous media, Soft Matter, 19, 1131-1143.  Invited article in Soft Matter Emerging Investigator Series.