2016年8月24日星期三

“LIQUID FINGERPRINTING" TECHNIQUE TO BE COMMERCIALIZED

Start-up company Validere is commercializing sensing technology that can perform instant, in-field characterization of the chemical make-up and material properties of unknown liquids.
Validere plans to develop the Watermark Ink (W-INK) technology, developed by Harvard University scientists and engineers, into a pocket-sized device that could be used by first responders to quickly identify chemical spills, or by officials to verify the fuel grade of gasoline right at the pump.
Developed in the laboratory of Joanna Aizenberg, professor of materials science, the W-INK concept exploits the chemical and optical properties of precisely nanostructured materials to distinguish liquids by their surface tension. Akin to the litmus paper used in chemistry labs to detect the pH of a liquid, the detector changes color when it comes in contact with a liquid with a particular surface tension. The color-changing strip can be programmed to respond precisely to the unique surface tension exhibited by any liquid of interest.
Aizenberg’s lab specializes in reverse-engineering nature. W-INK mimics two biological systems to achieve a tunable device with properties that allow it to change colors when it comes in contact with certain liquids. The wings of some species of butterfly owe their brilliant colors to structure rather than pigment; while brittle stars, relatives of starfish, can change color from black to white by modulating the position of pigmented cells inside lens-like, light-focusing structures arranged in an array across the star’s back.
By combining both of these mechanisms so that they respond optically to liquid infiltration into chemically modified porous structures, Aizenberg’s team developed a liquid decoder that is small enough to fit in the palm of the hand and can function without a power source. Engineered surface properties interact with liquids to change the interfacial chemistry of the test strip, which instantly causes corresponding color changes or markers to appear.
With support from the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration, Aizenberg is now leading research efforts to optimize the sensing capabilities, while Burgess is spearheading Validere’s development of software and an interface device that will translate visual test results into recommended action for handling identified liquids. The device will pair with disposable strips to comprise customizable field test kits that can be tailored to identify virtually any liquid or liquidmixture.
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