Northwestern University
IN-1: Innovation 1

The ISEN Flex Lab brings together researchers in industry, academia, government, and non-governmental organizations to study the most pressing issues in sustainability and energy. The lab offers a variety of benefits to organizations looking to partner with the institute including: Size. The ISEN Flex Lab spans 8,000 square feet across two floors. It can comfortably house approximately 40 researchers and provides adjoining office and collaboration space for researchers, project coordinators, and students. Flexibility. The lab’s exceptionally flexible design underscores the interdisciplinary nature of ISEN’s mission. Occupants are able to bring in large and/or specialized equipment to conduct a wide range of research in energy and sustainability in close proximity to the numerous research groups, centers, and facilities that Northwestern has to offer. The climate controlled lab space is also equipped with transportable fume hoods and basic lab amenities. Continuity in Development. Given its size, flexibility, and proximity to available resources, the lab facilitates the entire lifecycle of product development. Researchers are able to generate original discovery, characterize new synthesis, and develop prototypes that deploy the research findings, entirely within the ISEN Flex Lab. Interdisciplinary Collaboration. The ISEN Flex Lab is located in the heart of Northwestern’s Technological Institute, home to the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science as well as the departments of chemistry and of physics and astronomy. The building houses a number of Northwestern’s Core Research Facilities including those focused on solar energy, nanotechnology, catalysis, engineering, biological chemistry, and materials science.

Spanning two floors in Northwestern's Technological Institute building, the ISEN Flex Lab is equipped to meet the diverse needs of the university's educational, governmental, and private-sector research collaborators in the fields of energy and sustainability. In addition to providing access to a laser lab and basic lab amenities, the lab’s flexible design allows occupants to install their own large and specialized equipment, customizing the space to their unique needs. ISEN Flex Lab Research Spotlights: Solar Fuels Institute (SOFI) Demo Project Justin Notestein, Associate Professor of Chemical & Biological Engineering, and graduate student Alex Grant are using the ISEN Flex Lab to experiment with new catalysts designed to capture ambient carbon dioxide and convert it into methanol. The small-scale reactor leverages solar energy to generate the electrical and thermal energy needed to drive water electrolysis for renewable hydrogen, direct air capture of carbon dioxide, and ultimately methanol production. The research is phase one of SOFI’s four-phase project that involves developing a safe, economically viable system to convert carbon waste into energy dense fuels. Solid Acid Fuel Cell Stack for Distributed Generation Applications Sossina M. Haile, Professor of Materials Science & Engineering and Applied Physics, is using the ISEN Flex Lab to carry out her Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) research grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. Her interdisciplinary project seeks to improve the operation of electrochemical devices and has implications for fuel cells, electrochemical ammonia generation cells, and hydrogen producing electrolysis cells. Specifically, her research will prepare nanostructured electrodes incorporating the electrolyte cesium dihydrogen phosphate (CsH2PO4). Formaldehyde and Hydrogen Reactor for Bio-methanol Upgrading Tracy Lohr, Research Assistant Professor of Chemistry, is using the ISEN Flex Lab to experiment with a new process designed to convert bio-available methanol to formaldehyde (produced worldwide at 30 million metric tons/year) and hydrogen fuel. The bench top prototype reactor is designed to yield high single pass conversion to formaldehyde while leveraging co-produced hydrogen to fuel the process, thereby making the process energy neutral in contrast to commercial formaldehyde production. Specifically, work will focus on prototype testing for high conversions and formaldehyde capture technology.