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Dr. Yu Zhu

Dr. Yu Zhu

Title: Professor
Dept/Program: School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering
Office: GDYR 817
Phone: 330-972-5945
Fax: 330-972-5290
Email: yzhu@uakron.edu
Website: https://nano.uakron.edu/

Biography

Dr. Yu Zhu obtained his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry at the University of Cologne, Germany in 2007. After his post-doctoral training in Professor James Tour’s lab at Rice University, Dr. Zhu joined the Department of Polymer Science at The University of Akron as an Assistant Professor in 2012. Dr Zhu’s research areas comprise synthesis and assembly of carbon nanomaterials and polymers; the use of those novel materials in energy storage devices, nano-electronics and organic electronics.

Research

Energy Storage:

  • Solid-state battery
  • Redox flow battery
  • Nanomaterials for energy storage
  • Advanced materials for battery manufacturing

Organic Electronics:

  • Hydrogen bonded conjugated materials

Composites:

  • Polymer composites with 2D fillers

Publications

Google Scholar | Ohio Innovation Exchange

  1. Xiang Li, Peiyuan Gao, Yun-Yu Lai, J. David Bazak, Aaron Hollas, Heng-Yi Lin, Vijayakumar Murugesan, Shuyuan Zhang, Chung-Fu Cheng, Wei-Yao Tung, Yueh-Ting Lai, Ruozhu Feng, Jin Wang, Chien-Lung Wang, Wei Wang, Yu Zhu. Symmetry-breaking design of an organic iron complex catholyte for a long cyclability aqueous organic redox flow battery. Nature Energy (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-021-00879-6
  2. Si Li, Yu-Ming Chen, Wenfeng Liang, Yunfan Shao, Kewei Liu, Zhorro Nikolov, Yu Zhu, A superionic conductive, electrochemically stable dual-salt polymer electrolyte Joule 2018 (9), 1838-1856 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2542435118302447
  3. Yun-Yu Lai, Xiang Li and Yu Zhu Polymeric Active Materials for Redox Flow Battery Application.  ACS Appl. Polym. Mater. 2020, 2, 2, 113-128 https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsapm.9b00864?fbclid=IwAR1XfrYlsnKVcbKX76uFiOSZHTHY232ZeCoVA_j2-RiN6ooY0YqemL9pQHs
  4. Kewei Liu, Changlin Zhang, Yuandong Sun, Guanghui Zhang, Xiaochen Shen, Feng Zou, Haichang Zhang, Zhenwei Wu, Evan C. Wegener, Clinton J. Taubert, Jeffrey T Miller, Zhenmeng Peng, and Yu Zhu A High-Performance Transition Metal Phosphide Alloy Catalyst for Oxygen Evolution Reaction. ACS Nano, 2018, 12 (1), pp 158–167 http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsnano.7b04646
  5. Chung-Fu Cheng, Xiang Li, Kewei Liu, Feng Zou, Wei-Yao Tung, Yi-Fan Huang, Xuhui Xiac, Chien-Lung Wang, Bryan D.Vogt and Yu Zhu A high-performance lithium-ion capacitor with carbonized NiCo2O4 anode and vertically-aligned carbon nanoflakes cathode. Energy Storage Materials, 2019, 22, 265–274266 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405829719308943
  6. Kewei Liu, Chung-Fu Cheng, Leyao Zhou, Feng Zou, Wenfeng Liang, Miaoyu Wang, Yu Zhu A shear thickening fluid based impact resistant electrolyte for safe Li-ion batteries. Journal of Power Sources 423 (2019) 297–304 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378775319303039
  7. Haichang Zhang, Ruonan Deng, Jing Wang, Xiang Li, Yu-Ming Chen, Kewei Liu, Clinton J. Taubert, Stephen Z. D. Cheng, and Yu Zhu Crystalline Organic Pigment-Based Field-Effect Transistors. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2017, 9, 21891−21899. http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsami.7b03170
  8. Feng Zou, Yu-Ming Chen, Kewei Liu, Zitian Yu, Wenfeng Liang, Min Gao, Sarang M. Bhaway and Yu Zhu Metal Organic Frameworks Derived Hierarchical Hollow NiO/Ni/Graphene Composites for Lithium and Sodium Storage. ACS Nano, 2016, 10 (1), 377–386 http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsnano.5b05041
  9. Kun Yang, Tianda He, Xiaoyi Chen, Stephen Z. D. Cheng and Yu Zhu Patternable Conjugated Polymers with Latent Hydrogen–bonding on the Main Chain. Macromolecules 2014, 47 (24), 8479–8486 http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ma501960t
  10. Tianda He, Aozhen Xie, Darrell H. Reneker, and Yu Zhu A Tough and High-Performance Transparent Electrode from a Scalable and Transfer-Free Method. ACS Nano 2014, 8 (5), 4782–4789 http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/nn500678b

Education

  • Ph.D., Physical Chemistry, University of Cologne, Germany (2003-2007)
  • Post-doctoral research associate, Rice University (2008-2012)