Francisco Hung
Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering
Contact
- f.hung@northeastern.edu
- 129 ISEC
360 Huntington Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
Social Media
Office
- 324 ISEC
- 617.373.8619
Lab
- 355 ISEC
Research Focus
Molecular modeling and process simulation of interfacial/nanoconfined systems and mixtures relevant to separations, development of nano/bio-materials, energy and the environment
About
The primary focus of my research is computer simulation (molecular modeling, process simulation) of interfaces and mixtures relevant to separations, energy storage, development of nano/bio-materials and environmental chemistry. Research interests include ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents, nanoporous materials, hydrophobins, liposomes, biomaterials, crystal nucleation, organics in environmental interfaces, and liquid crystalline systems.
The third son of Chinese immigrants, I was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, and am a first-generation college graduate as my oldest brother. After coming to the US for doctoral studies at NC State University, I became an immigrant myself, eventually joining the Department of Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University in Fall 2016. Prior to this appointment, I held faculty positions at the Cain Department of Chemical Engineering at Louisiana State University (2007-2016) and at Venezuela’s Universidad Simón Bolívar, Departamento de Termodinámica y Fenómenos de Transferencia (1996-2000).
Education
- Postdoctoral researcher (Chemical Engineering) University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2005-2007
- PhD (Chemical Engineering) North Carolina State University, 2005
- MS (Chemical Engineering) Universidad Simón Bolívar, 1999
- BS (Chemical Engineering) Universidad Simón Bolívar, Venezuela, 1996
Honors & Awards
- 2022 Faculty Award, Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers Student Chapter at Northeastern University
- 2018 Richard Sioui Teaching Award in Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University
- 2014 Rainmaker Award, Emerging Scholar in STEM, Louisiana State University
- 2013 CAREER Award, National Science Foundation
- 2008 Ralph Powe Award, Oak Ridge Associated Universities
Teaching Interests
Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics II (CHME 3322)
Capstone Design I: Process Analysis (CHME 4701)
Fundamentals of Chemical Engineering Analysis (CHME 5101)
Leadership Positions
Member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Chemical Engineering Technology Operating Council (CTOC), 2017-2018
Elected Chair of the AIChE Area 1a (Thermodynamics and Transport Properties) Programming Committee, 2015-2018
Director of Graduate Studies, Cain Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, 2015-2016
Area 1a Technical Program Chair, 2014 AIChE Annual Meeting
Elected Liaison Director, AIChE Computational Molecular Science and Engineering Forum (CoMSEF), 2011-2013
Professional Affiliations
American Institute of Chemical Engineers
Research Overview
Molecular modeling and process simulation of interfacial/nanoconfined systems and mixtures relevant to separations, development of nano/bio-materials, energy and the environment
Selected Research Projects
Understanding Novel Shale Hydration Inhibitors for Water Based Drilling Fluids Using Molecular Simulation, Principal Investigator, American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund (2018-2021)
CAREER: Molecular Modeling of Solidification of Nanoconfined Ionic Liquids, Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation (2013-2019)
Department Research Areas
Selected Publications
- J. Xu, V. Karra, D. E. Large, D. T. Auguste and F. R. Hung, Understanding the Mechanical Properties of Ultra-Deformable Liposomes Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations, The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 127(44), 2023, 9496-9512
- R. G. Abdelmessih, J. Xu, F. R. Hung and D. T. Auguste, Integration of an LPAR1 Antagonist into Liposomes Enhances Internalization and Tumor Accumulation in an Animal Model of Human Metastatic Breast Cancer, Molecular Pharmaceutics, 20(11), 2023, 5500-5514
- J. Xu, F. R. Hung, Molecular Simulation of Confined Ethaline-Based Deep Eutectic Solvents for Separations of Carbon Dioxide from Methane, AIChE Journal, 69, 2023, e18093
- A. A. Vodopivec, Y. Chen, P. S. Russo, F. R. Hung, Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Nanostructures Formed by Hydrophobins and Oil in Seawater, The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 125(28), 2021, 7886-7899
- J. Xu, A. M. Scurto, M. B. Shiflett, S. R. Lustig, F. R. Hung, Power Generation from Waste Heat: Ionic Liquid-Based Absorption Cycle vs. Organic Rankine Cycle, AIChE Journal, 67(3), 2021, e17038
- R. Abedin, Y. Shen, J. C. Flake, F. R. Hung, Deep Eutectic Solvents Mixed with Fluorinated Refrigerants for Absorption Refrigeration: A Molecular Simulation Study, The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 124(22), 2020, 4536-4550
- X. Zhang, B. Blalock, W. Huberty, Y. Chen, F. Hung, P. S. Russo, Microbubbles and Oil Droplets Stabilized by a Class II Hydrophobin in Marinelike Environments, Langmuir, 35(12), 2019, 4380-4386
- Y. Shen, R. Abedin, F. R. Hung, On the Performance of Confined Deep Eutectic Solvents and Ionic Liquids for Separations of Carbon Dioxide from Methane: Molecular Dynamics Simulations, Langmuir, 35(10), 2019, 3658-3671
Oct 14, 2022
PhD Spotlight: Vyshnavi Karra, PhD‘22 – Chemical Engineering
Vyshnavi (Vy) Karra earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from Rutgers University. As a chemical engineering PhD student, advised by Francisco Hung, associate professor of chemical engineering, she used molecular simulation to model two families of biocompatible nanomaterials. In her first project, Karra developed a coarse-grained model for rosette nanotubes, self-assembled cylindrical structures […]
Sep 14, 2020
ChE Graduate Student Jiaming Xu Now Published in AIChE Journal
ChE PhD Graduate Student Jiaming Xu co-authored a paper with ChE Associate Professor Francisco Hung and Associate Professor Steve Lustig titled “Power generation from waste heat: Ionic liquid‐based absorption cycle versus organic Rankine cycle” which was published in the AIChE Journal.
Nov 16, 2017
Hung Awarded American Chemical Society Funding
ChE Associate Professor Francisco Hung was awarded a $110K grant from the American Chemical Society (ACS) Petroleum Research Fund for “Understanding Novel Shale Hydration Inhibitors for Water-Based Drilling Fluids Using Molecular Simulation.”
Aug 11, 2017
Research from Prof. Francisco Hung Featured on Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Website
ChE Associate Professor Francisco Hung’s research program on modeling organic molecules adsorbed on environmentally relevant interfaces was featured in the story “Study Characterizes Effects of Corexit Components on Oil Aerosolization” on the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) website.
Sep 01, 2016
New Faculty Spotlight: Francisco Hung
Francisco Hung joins the Chemical Engineering department in Fall 2016 as an Associate Professor.