TIAN Lab invented several new types of water sensors and miniaturized instruments to address the significant challenges and urgent needs of point-of-location and real-time monitoring of water pollution at low cost. Water quality monitoring requires long-term, multi-point, continuous surveillance, yet traditional sensors suffer from low sensitivity and poor selectivity, making precise water quality detection difficult. TIAN Lab developed low-cost sensitive sensors with new selective membrane coating, significantly enhancing sensitivity and selectivity. TIAN Lab developed ultrasensitive graphene sensors with shrink polymer for detection of heavy metal ions, nutrients, and PFAS at sub part per trillion level, between 100 and 1000 times superior in sensitivity to the state-of-the-art and the standards of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). TIAN Lab is collaborating with federal, local, and tribal agencies in the US to monitor water quality in rivers including the Mississippi River and lakes like Lake Superior, which promotes environmental justice and ensures water quality with significant societal impact. TIAN Lab closely works with EPA (federal agency), the US Geological Survey (federal agency), the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (local agency), Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Environmental Program (tribal agency), Freshwater Society, and industry.
TIAN Lab’s development of several types of water microsensors made him a leading expert on water sensing for toxic metals, nutrients and PFAS. As the lead of sensors and sensor networks, he undertakes major engineering leadership role in the $160M Great Lakes Water Innovation Engine, the largest inaugural grant in the NSF history, in support to grow a water-focused collective of more than 200 water experts and tens of agencies and companies. The ambitious plan is to create a decarbonized circular “Blue Economy” that leverages the region’s extraordinary water resources for technology innovation and commercialization. These low-cost water sensors will help to save 1.4 million pre-mature lives annually (The Lancet, 2022) because of water pollution and minimize the economic losses of about $260 billion per year due to the water crisis in the world, especially in low-income countries.
TIAN Lab explores advancements in microfluidic and electrochemical systems for efficient fluid control and precise heavy metal detection. The first study demonstrates a valveless micropump integrating Tesla-type fluidic diodes optimized through topology methods, achieving a high flow rate of 34 ml/h, 2.2 times that of traditional nozzle-diffuser designs. This technology enhances mixing efficiency and throughput in applications such as drug delivery and electronics cooling. The second study integrates pyrolyzed carbon electrodes with a valveless micropump for detecting lead ions via anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV). The system achieves a detection limit of 40 ppt for lead and improves sensitivity twofold compared to syringe-pumped systems due to enhanced mass transfer. Both approaches highlight innovations in fluidic and sensing technologies, utilizing advanced materials and efficient designs to tackle challenges in precision measurement and fluid control.
These innovations collectively advance the fields of microfluidics and electrochemical sensing by addressing key challenges such as inefficient mixing, low sensitivity, and complex fabrication. The Tesla-type micropump offers scalable and energy-efficient fluid control, ideal for biomedical and industrial processes. Meanwhile, the integration of glassy carbon electrodes with a valveless micropump provides a sensitive, cost-effective solution for real-time heavy metal monitoring, crucial for environmental safety and public health. These technologies demonstrate the potential of combining material innovation with microfluidic design to revolutionize diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and industrial fluid management.
