Chinedum O. Osuji
Eduardo D. Glandt Presidential Professor
Contact
Tel: 215-537-3608
Email: cosuji@seas.upenn.edu
Research Website | Publications
About
Dr. Osuji is a Professor, and Chair, in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and a secondary member of the faculty in Materials Science and Engineering, at University of Pennsylvania. He came to Penn in 2018 after 11 years on the faculty in Chemical and Environmental Engineering at Yale. Prof. Osuji currently serves as an Associate Editor for Macromolecules and a member of the Board of Directors of the Materials Research Society (2021-2024).
Research Interests
Soft materials and complex fluids are ubiquitous in natural and synthetic systems. Our interests lie in understanding and controlling the structure and dynamics of such soft matter. Through studies focused on interfacial phenomena, directed self-assembly, rheology and microfluidics, we advance structure-property relationships in colloidal suspensions, liquid crystals, surfactants, polymers and biological materials. We employ microscopy (optical, electron, atomic force), scattering (visible light, x-ray), rheology and other methods, along with some basic polymer and small molecule synthesis. Our focus is on fundamental aspects, but many of the systems we study have interesting applications as functional materials. We are particularly motivated by applications in clean water and clean energy generation, analytical separations, nanomaterials synthesis and engineering better complex fluids in many forms. Current efforts include: (1) Directing self-assembly of soft mesophases using magnetic and optical fields; (2) Elucidating transport in precise, highly ordered nanoporous membranes with 1 nm scale pores for water purification and electrochemical devices; (3) Phase behavior and liquid demixing of liquid crystals; (4) Autonomous experimentation; (5) Rheology of cellulose and particulate suspensions.
Soft Matter and Complex Fluids; Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology; Energy and Environmental Engineering
Educational Background
Ph.D.: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2003)
B.S.: Cornell University (1996)
Awards
2022 Prince Sultan Bin Adbulaziz International Prize for Water
2021 Intel Outstanding Researcher Award
2020 Costel Denson Distinguished Lecture, Lehigh University
2019 Nano Research Young Investigator Award
2018 Fellow of the American Physical Society
2018 Racheff Lecturer, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
2016 Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Graduate Mentor Award
2015 Hendrick C. Van Ness Award
2015 American Physical Society John H. Dillon Medal
Lange Lectureship, Materials Department, UCSB, Feb. 2013
Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, 2012
3M Nontenured Faculty Award, 2012
Dow Distinguished Lectureship, UCSB Materials Research Lab, Feb. 2011
Yale College Arthur Greer Memorial Prize 2010
National Science Foundation CAREER award, 2008