Carlos Díaz-Marín is a PhD candidate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering working at the intersection of soft matter and energy-mass transport processes for water and energy applications under the supervision of professors Evelyn N. Wang and Gang Chen. Carlos’s research combines physics-based modeling, synthesis, and characterization to rationally design polymer-salt composites with exceptional water capture properties. These materials, which combine high performance with low cost, can convert ambient moisture into drinkable water for off-grid water production and can enable decarbonized air conditioning, via thermal energy storage.
Carlos was born in Costa Rica and obtained double degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Physics from the University of Costa Rica. He has served on the executive board of the MIT LatinX Graduate Student Association and as an MIT Communication Lab Fellow. He has taught high-school-level classes related to technologies for decarbonization. In his spare time, Carlos likes everything involving the outdoors and/or being active including hiking, dancing, biking, and exploring the Northeast.