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Polymer Program Title

Lei Zhu

Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering

Education

Ph.D University of Akron
M.S. Fudan University
B.S. Fudan University

Contact Information

Phone: (860) 486-8708
Email: lzhu@ims.uconn.edu
Website: http://www.ims.uconn.edu/~lzhu/

Research Interests

Supramolecular Self-assembly of Columnar Liquid Crystals:

We seeks to achieve fundamental understanding of novel nanostructure and morphology in supramolecular columnar liquid crystals (LCs) with immiscible polymer side chains, and to manipulate spontaneous curvature in a microphase-separated single LC column on nanometer length scales. Rational material design and precise engineering of the spontaneous self-assembly of the supramolecular columnar LCs will lead to a new generation of nanomaterials for nanotechnology.

Organic/Inorganic Nanocomposites:

Nanosize inorganic fillers can be employed in polymers to enhance their macroscopic properties. In this research, we are aiming nanosize dispersion of inorganic fillers, such as layered silicates, nanotubes, and quantum dots. Robust material characterization techniques such as X-ray scattering, TEM, and rheology study will be utilized to test these materials.

Polymer Ordering on Nanometer Scales:

Polymer crystallization and liquid crystal formation in nanospaces is expected to exhibit unusual behavior too. Synchrotron small- and wide-angle X-ray scatterings are employed to "look at" the nanophases and molecular crystalline structures simultaneously. Real-space TEM technique is used to visualize the nanostructures in real spaces.

Polyelectrolyte Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cells:

PEMs operating at high-temperature have several advantages such as improved CO tolerance, better water management, and higher reaction rates. Methods are being sought to maintain high proton conductivity under high temperature and low humility conditions, e.g., NafionŠ/heteropolyacid composite membranes. It is desired to immobilize heteropolyacids in the NafionŠ matrix.

Recent Publications

  1. Sun, L.; Zhu, L.; Ge, Q.; Quirk, R. P.; Xue, C.; Cheng, S. Z. D.; Hsiao, B. S.; Avila-Orta, C. A.; Sics, I.; Cantino, M. E. Comparison of crystallization kinetics in various nanoconfined geometries. Polymer 2004, 45, 2931-2939.
  2. Sun, L.; Liu, Y.; Zhu, L.; Hsiao, B. S.; Avila-Orta, C. A. Path-dependent melting in a low molecular weight polyethylene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) diblock copolymers. Macromol. Rapid Comm. 2004, 25, 853-857.
  3. Sun, L.; Liu, Y.; Zhu, L.; Avila-Orta, C. A.; Hsiao, B. S. Self-assembly and crystallization behavior of a low molecular weight double crystalline polyethylene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) diblock copolymer. Polymer 2004, 45, 8181-8193.
  4. Zhu, L.; Sun, L.; Miao, J.; Cui, L.; Ge, Q.; Quirk, R. P.; Xue, C.; Cheng, S. Z. D.; Hsiao, B. S.; Avila-Orta, C. A.; Sics, I.; Cantino, M. E. Epitaxial phase transformation between cylindrical and double gyroid mesophases. Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 2005, 856E, BB2.3.1-BB2.3.6.
  5. Cui, L.; Miao, J.; Zhu, L.; Sics, I.; Hsiao, B. S. Confined discotic liquid crystalline self-assembly in a novel coil-coil-disk triblock oligomer. Macromolecules 2005, 38, 3386-3394.
  6. Sun, L.; Ertel, E. A.; Zhu, L.; Hsiao, B. S.; Avila-Orta, C. A.; Sics, I. Reversible de-intercalation and intercalation induced by polymer crystallization and melting in poly(ethylene oxide)/organoclay nanocomposites. Langmuir 2005, 21, 5672-5676.
  7. Miao, J.; Xu, G.; Zhu, L.; Tian, L.; Uhrich, K. E.; Avila-Orta, C. A.; Hsiao, B. S.; Utz, M. Chain-folding and overall molecular conformation in a novel amphiphilic star-like macromolecule. Macromolecules 2005, 38, 7074-7082.
  8. Cui, L.; Miao, J.; Zhu, L. Spacer length controlled oblique-columnar to lamello-columnar mesophase transition in liquid crystalline DNA-discotic cationic lipid complexes. Macromolecules 2006, 39, 2536-2545.
  9. . Zhao, B.; Zhu, L. Nanoscale phase separation in mixed poly(t-butyl acrylate)/polystyrene brushes on silica nanoparticles under equilibrium melt conditions. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 4574-4575.
  10. Cui, L.; Zhu, L. Lamellar to inverted hexagonal mesophase transition in DNA complexes with calamitic, discotic, and cubic cationic lipids. Langmuir 2006, 22, 5982-5985.
  11. Cui, L.; Collet, J. P.; Xu, G.; Zhu, L. Supramolecular self-assembly in a disk-cube dyad molecule based on triphenylene and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS). Chem. Mater. 2006, 18, 3503-3512.
  12. Cui, L.; Zhu, L. Ionic interaction induced highly ordered lamello-columnar phases in asymmetric discotic triphenylene salts. Liq. Cryst. 2006, 33, 811-818.
  13. Sun, L.; Zhu, L.; Rong, L.; Hsiao, B. S. Tailor-made onion-like stereocomplex crystals in incompatible, enantiomeric, polylactide containing block copolymer blends. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2006, 7373-7376.
  14. Ginorio, J. E.; Sun, L.; Zhu, L. Synthesis and characterization of well-defined immiscible polylactide block copolymers and their stereocomplexes. J. Young Investigators, 2006, 15(5), http://www.jyi.org/research/re.php?id=819.
  15. Sun, L.; Ginorio, J. E.; Zhu, L.; Sics I.; Rong L.; Hsiao B. S. Phase transitions and honeycomb morphology in an incompatible blend of enantiomeric polylactide block copolymers. Macromolecules, 2006, 39, 8203-8206.
  16. Hou, G.; Zhu, L; Chen, D.: Jiang, M. Core-shell reversion of hybrid polymeric micelles containing gold nanoparticles in the core. Macromolecules, 2007, 40, 2134-2140.
  17. Miao, J.; Cui, L.; Lau, H. P.; Mather, P. T.; Zhu, L. Self-assembly and chain-folding in hybrid coil-coil-cube triblock oligomers of polyethylene-b-poly(ethylene oxide)-b-polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane. Macromolecules 2007, 40, 5460-5470.
  18. Liu, Y.; Cui, L.; Guan, F.; Gao, Y.; Hedin, N. E.; Zhu, L.; Fong, H. Crystalline morphology and polymorphic phase transitions in electrospun nylon 6 nanofibers. Macromolecules 2007, 40, 6283-6290.

Book Chapter

Zhu, L. "Polymer Ordering in Nanoconfined Spaces" in H. S. Nalwa (ed.) Polymeric Nanostructures and Their Applications; American Scientific Publishers: Stevenson Ranch, CA, 2006, chapter 7.

 

Polymer Program: 860.486.3582: polymer@ims.uconn.edu