IEM Distinguished Lecturers Seminar: “Bubbles and Microfluidics: solving societal problems”

Abstract: The connecting line in my work is controlling cavitation, the formation and collapse of bubbles. I will give an overview of my journey that started Taming Acoustic Cavitation, showing how microfluidics can improve reproducibility and energy efficiency in sonochemistry. With similar tricks, I will share recent results from our work at the Netherlands Center for Multiscale Catalytic Energy Conversion (MCEC), where we are learning unexplored aspects of electrochemistry. To conclude, I will share our experiences in developing the BuBble Gun, a novel needle-free injection technology based on laser-induced cavitation for small volume delivering in the superficial layers of skin.

Bio: David Fernandez Rivas (BS: 2004; MSc: 2006 Nuclear Engineering, Higher Institute of Science and Technology, Havana, Cuba) obtained his PhD at the University of Twente UT (2012). Assistant professor (2014-2019), associate professor (2020-2021) and Professor (2021) in the Mesoscale Chemical Systems Group, UT; and research affiliate at the Mechanical Engineering Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA (2017). His research interest and expertise are in the areas of microfluidics, transdermal drug delivery alternatives, solar-to-fuel cells, process intensification, acoustic cavitation and sonochemistry. In 2019, he obtained the European Research Council Starting Grant for his project BuBble Gun, aimed at penetrating microjets in soft substrates, towards controlled needle-free injections. He has received several recognitions, such as the Young Sonochemist Award, given by the Japan Society of Sonochemistry (JSS) in 2011, the Pieter Langerhuizen Lambertuszoon Fonds prize (2016) awarded by the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities (KHMW), and elected as Engineer of the Year 2021, and the Prince Friso Award by the Royal Dutch Institute of Engineers (KIVI). His work in Public Outreach earned him the Stairways to Impact Award, granted by the Dutch Scientific Council, and the UT in the Media Award, both in 2021. He was elected to the Global Young Academy (2020) and the Young Academy Europe (2020).

 

He has co-authored over 50 reviewed journal papers and is inventor of a patent commercialized by the spin-off BuBclean (2013) of which he is cofounder. He also founded FlowBeams, a spin-off from the University of Twente (2021) to valorize his research and second patent on needle-free injections.

 

He is co-chair of the COST Action Greenering: Green Chemical Engineering Network towards upscaling sustainable processes, from the European Cooperation in Science & Technology.  He also serves in the editorial board of several journals, such as Ultrasonics Sonochemistry, and Biomicrofluidics.

 

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