Our research focuses on the design and synthesis of organic and nanomaterials to explore both novel scientific phenomena and new technological pursuits. We explore new structural designs and develop advanced synthesis technologies. Our research aims to uncover novel materials design principles and study structure-property relationships for the advancement of flexible electronics, energy devices, separation processes, and beyond.
I. Bottom-up synthesis of ultrathin nanoporous membranes.
We develop biomimetic nanoporous membranes for controllable mass transport and separation. Both materials enable the chemical design of nano-scale or Angstrom-scale pores on the molecular level. These membranes not only provide an ideal system for understanding fundamental transport phenomena, but also represent a new class of semipermeable membranes for water desalination, nanofiltration, and gas separation. [Read More]
II. hybrid organic-inorganic 2D materials
We are interested in transport behaviors (e.g., electrons, ions, phonons, etc.) in hybrid organic-inorganic 2D heterostructures. The hybrid heterostructures will be made by the layer-by-layer assembly of inorganic 2D materials and 2D organic monolayers. These hybrid heterostructures will be used in optical, electronic, electrochemical, and heat-managing devices. [Read More]
III. Mixed ionic-electronic materials for bio-inspired and bio-electronic devices
We synthesize mixed ionic-electronic materials for biomimetic and bioelectronic devices. Coupled ion-electron conduction in such materials will offer a general mechanism for translating signals between biosystems and external devices and for designing bio-inspired circuits. In particular, we are interested in designing conjugated 2D polymers as ionic-electronic materials with atomic/molecular precision and investigating the fundamental mechanisms behind the ion/electron transport in ionic circuits, electrochemical transistors, and bioelectronic devices.
Yu Zhong Group | Cornell University | Materials Science and Engineering