Contact Information

Dr. Yu Zhu
Department of Polymer Science
The University of Akron
Akron, Ohio 44325-3909
E-mail: yzhu@uakron.edu
Phone: (330) 972-5945
Fax: (330) 972-5290

Education/Experience

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

Research Interests

One of our research interests is controlled synthesis and assembly of nanomaterials for various applications. Many low dimensional materials, such as graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNT) exhibit exceptional high carrier mobility, high electrical and thermal conductivity and large specific surface area. By controlling synthesis and assembly, those exotic properties are able to be extended to macro-scale, which is important for applications like solar cells, supercapacitors and lithium ion batteries. We are also interested in the synthesis of conjugated polymer, which is another type of semi-conductive materials suitable for flexible electronics. We focus on the patterning of conjugated polymers in nano-scale for organic electronics.

Current research projects:

• Synthesis of low-dimensional materials for energy storage/conversion applications;
• Graphene and carbon nanotubes for nanoelectronics;
• Patterning conjugated polymer for organic electronics;
• Carbon nanomaterial/polymer composites.

Recent Publications

1. Zhu, Y.; James, D. K.; Tour, J. M., Advanced Materials 2012, ASAP, doi:10.1002/adma.201202321.
2. Zhu, Y.; Li, X. Y.; Cai, Q. J.; Sun, Z. Z.; Casillas, G.; Jose-Yacaman, M.; Verduzco, R.; Tour, J. M., Journal of the American Chemical Society 2012, 134 (28), 11774-11780.
3. Yan, Z.; Yao, J.; Sun, Z. Z.; Zhu, Y.; Tour, J. M. Small 2012, 8, (1), 59-62.
4. Zhu, Y.; Tour, J. M., Nature Photonics 2012, 6 (2), 72-73.
5. Xiang, C. S.; Lu, W.; Zhu, Y.; Sun, Z. Z.; Yan, Z.; Hwang, C. C.; Tour, J. M. ACS Appl. Mater. Inter. 2012, 4, (1), 131-136.
6. Genorio, B.; Lu, W.; Dimiev, A. M.; Zhu, Y.; Raji, A. R. O.; Novosel, B.; Alemany, L. B.; Tour, J. M. ACS Nano 2012, 6, (5), 4231-4240.
7. Zhu, Y.; Sun, Z.; Yan, Z.; Jin, Z.; Tour, J. M. ACS Nano 2011, 5, (8), 6472-6479.
8. Zhu, Y.; Lu, W.; Sun, Z.; Kosynkin, D. V.; Yao, J.; Tour, J. M. Chem. Mater. 2011, 23, (4), 935-939.
9. Yan, Z.; Sun, Z.; Lu, W.; Yao, J.; Zhu, Y.; Tour, J. M. ACS Nano 2011, 5, (2), 1535-1540.
10. Yan, Z.; Peng, Z.; Sun, Z.; Yao, J.; Zhu, Y.; Liu, Z.; Ajayan, P. M.; Tour, J. M. ACS Nano 2011.
11. Sun, Z.; Pint, C. L.; Marcano, D. C.; Zhang, C.; Yao, J.; Ruan, G.; Yan, Z.; Zhu, Y.; Hauge, R. H.; Tour, J. M., Nature Communications 2011, 2, 559.
12. Zhu, Y.; Tour, J. M. Nano Lett. 2010, 10, (11), 4356-4362.
13. Tieke, B.; Rabindranath, A. R.; Zhang, K.; Zhu, Y. Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2010, 6, 830-45.
14. Sun, Z. Z.; Yan, Z.; Yao, J.; Beitler, E.; Zhu, Y.; Tour, J. M. Nature 2010, 468, (7323), 549-552.
15. Zhu, Y.; Zhang, K.; Tieke, B. Macromol. Chem. Phys. 2009, 210, (6), 431-439.
16. Zhu, Y.; Higginbotham, A. L.; Tour, J. M. Chem. Mater. 2009, 21, (21), 5284-5291.
17. Rabindranath, A. R.; Zhu, Y.; Zhang, K.; Tieke, B. Polymer 2009, 50, (7), 1637-1644.
18. Jin, Z.; Lomeda, J. R.; Price, B. K.; Lu, W.; Zhu, Y.; Tour, J. M. Chem. Mater. 2009, 21, (14), 3045-3047.
19. Zhu, Y.; Rabindranath, A. R.; Beyerlein, T.; Tieke, B. Macromolecules 2007, 40, 6981-6989.
20. Zhu, Y.; Heim, I.; Tieke, B. Macromol. Chem. Phys. 2006, 207, 2206-2214.
21. Rabindranath, A. R.; Zhu, Y.; Heim, I.; Tieke, B. Macromolecules 2006, 39, (24), 8250-8256.

Patents

1. Turbiez, M. G. R.; Janssen, R. A. J.; Wienk, M.M.; Kirner, H. J.; Düggeli, M.; Tieke, B. and Zhu, Y., Diketopyrrolopyrrole polymers as organic semiconductors. WO2008000664, 2008.
2. Tour, J. M. and Zhu, Y., Transparent electrodes based on graphene and grid hybrid structures. WO 2011112589, 2011.
3. Tour, J. M., Zhu, Y. and Volman V. Graphene-based thin films in heat circuits and methods of making the same, WO2012100178 and US20120208008, 2012.
4. Tour, J. M., Zhu, Y. and Raji A.R. Graphene nanoribbon composites and methods of making the same, WO2012112435, 2012.