Welcome to my chemistry page! I am passionate about utilizing the creative potentials of chemistry to tackle social and environmental challenges in our world. My past research experiences have involved organic catalysis, inorganic and organometallic chemistry, and material characterization. I am also highly interested in materials chemistry, as well as chemistry with energy implications.
I was a member of the Megan Fieser group at USC, where I am conducting a literature survey of the hydrogenolysis of polymers using metal complexes. In the past, I co-authored a review article of catalytic approach to decompose CFRP composites in Travis Williams group at the Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute of USC.
Past Research
Catalyst Design for the Hydrogenolysis of Carbonyl-Containing Polymers
In response to the growing concern for the increasing accumulation of plastics in landfills and oceans, there is an alarming demand to close the recycling loop by degrading plastics into benign products. The primary goal of the current literature research is to establish a literature foundation and comprehensive understanding of the state-of-the-art methods for metal-catalyzed hydrogenolysis or reduction of carbonyl-containing molecules. Particularly, we are interested in looking for cost-efficient, relatively accessible and sustainable metal catalysts, such as iron (Fe) and cobalt (Co) complexes. The literature project targets will lay down the necessary groundwork in preparation for designing a next-phase research to adapt the catalysts for the degradation of carbonyl-containing polymers.
Metal-Organic Framework with Rare Earth Metal
Over the past decade, metal-organic framework (MOF) became a booming area of interest in chemistry research. With advantages such as high selectivity and flexible geometry, MOF demonstrates immense potential in topics such as synthesis, catalysis, magnetism, sensing, etc. This startup literature project reflects our interests in this exciting field with emphasis on using rare earth metals such as lanthanide-based MOFs (Ln-MOF) to achieve useful, interesting chemistry.
Chemically Recycling CFRP Composites via Oxidative Catalysis
Carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites (CFRPs) are widely used in aircraft, wind turbines, and marine products and have gained growing popularity due to their properties that excel metal alloys. However, recycling difficulties have been holding CFRPs back from putting into larger-scale use, such as in the consumer automobile industry. And currently, products made from these composites are mostly sent to landfills, hence the presence of “airplane graveyards.”
Below is a science communication piece I wrote for this research. Click it to learn more!
For a printable PDF version, click here. (It’s part of my publication design projects)
Below is a short video explaining our goals with an interview with graduate student Carlos Navarro.
I also co-authored a review article on the chemical approach to recycle CFRP composites, please scroll to the bottom of the page to see my written works.
Characterization of the Roman Curse Tablet
From 2016 to 2017, I worked on the characterization of the Roman cursed tablets along with Wen Liu, a Ph.D. student at the University of Cambridge. The project focuses on studying the physical structure and chemical composition of the Roman cursed tablets using several characterization techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and experimental results confirmed that the tablets are composed of lead alloy. I was fortunate enough to present my findings at the International Conference on Chemical Materials and Process (ICCMP) held at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.
What is the Roman curse tablet?
The Roman curse tablet, produced in the ancient Rome period, is a metal plate inscribed with curses. In this research, several techniques were used to find out the physical structure and chemical composition of the Roman curse tablet, and testified the hypothesis that whether the tablet is made of pure lead or lead alloy. A sample of Roman Curse Tablet from the Johns Hopkins Archaeological Museum was analyzed using several different characterization techniques to determine the physical structure and chemical composition.
Publications & Writings
PUBLISHED WORKS
2. Navarro, C.; Giffin, C.; Zhang, B.; Yu, Z.; Nutt, S.; Williams, T. A Structural Chemistry Look at Composites Recycling. Materials Horizons 2020.
1. Liu, W.; Zhang, B.; Fu, L. Characterization of the Roman Curse Tablet. AIP Conference Proceedings 2017, 1879.
CHEMISTRY Writings
Addressing the PFAS Action Act Debate
May 13, 2020 | Position Paper
The Group 3 Dilemma: A New Perspective
March 3, 2020 | Position Paper
Bringing Airplanes Back from the Dead
Feb 24, 2020 | Science Communication Article
OTHER PROJECTS
Speculative Design Project: A Push-Button Future of Chemistry
November 2020