Yaodong Tu
is a notable figure in the field of NanoEngineering, particularly known for his work as a postdoctoral associate in the NanoEngineering group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He completed his PhD in mechanical engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2017, under the supervision of Prof. Ruzhu Wang. His research has been primarily focused on advanced adsorption materials and adsorption heat transformation systems.
A significant contribution of Tu is his involvement in the discovery of the photomolecular effect, which has implications for understanding water evaporation. In a study published in 2022, Tu and his team reported the cleavage of water clusters off surfaces by photons, a process that can lead to water evaporation exceeding the thermal limit. This finding challenges the conventional understanding of water evaporation, which has been predominantly associated with thermal processes.
(Tu, Y., Zhou, J., Lin, S., AlShrah, M., Zhao, X., & Chen, G. (2022). Photomolecular Effect Leading to Water Evaporation Exceeding Thermal Limit. arXiv preprint arXiv:2201.10385.)
Moreover, Tu's research has extended to exploring the interaction between visible light and the air-water interface. Along with his team, he demonstrated that despite water being almost transparent to visible light, there is a strong interaction at the air-water interface, which they hypothesize to be due to the photomolecular effect. This discovery has potential implications for environmental science and physics, especially in understanding phenomena related to water evaporation and its role in natural and industrial processes.
Tu's work is a prime example of the evolving nature of scientific research, where new findings can significantly alter our understanding of fundamental processes like water evaporation. His research not only contributes to the field of NanoEngineering but also has broader implications in environmental science and climate modeling, particularly in understanding the role of light in water evaporation and potentially in the formation and evolution of fog and clouds.