3D fabrication platforms for medicine, energy, and manufacturing.

Prior Research

The DeSimone lab was an early leader in using supercritical and liquid carbon dioxide as a clean, recyclable alternative to the hazardous solvents common in polymer and chemical manufacturing. This work helped establish CO₂ as a practical medium for industrial polymer synthesis, from fluoropolymers to dispersion-polymerized microparticles, and introduced engineered "CO₂-philic" surfactants that made otherwise insoluble materials processable in carbon dioxide. These advances contributed to greener commercial applications such as CO₂-based dry cleaning and precision cleaning.

Prior Research

The DeSimone lab developed methods to manufacture particles with precise, independent control over their size, shape, and composition, going beyond what conventional particle-synthesis routes could achieve. This work, most notably the Particle Replication In Non-wetting Templates (PRINT) molding technology, enabled engineered particles for drug delivery and vaccines and laid the groundwork for the lab's current roll-to-roll particle manufacturing.