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Zhongfang Chen
Research Associate Professor
Education:
Ph.D., Nankai University, P. R. China, 2000 (Physical Chemistry)
M.S., Nankai University, P. R. China, 1997 (Physical Chemistry)
B.S., Nankai University, P. R. China, 1994 (Organic Chemistry)
Career Highlights:
1999-2000: Humboldt Fellow, Institut für Organische Chemie, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
2000-2001: Postdoc, Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
2001-2003: Humboldt Fellow, postdoc, Institut für Organische Chemie, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
2003-2005: Postdoc, Department of Chemistry, Center for Computational Chemistry, University of Georgia
2006-2007: Associate Research Scientist, Department of Chemistry, University of Georgia
Research Interests:
My main technical expertise is in the realm of computational and physical chemistry and nanomaterials science. My primary goals are (a) to design new materials with novel chemical bonding, with predictable and tunable properties, and of significant importance to future technology, (b) to complement and interpret experiments and to address long-standing questions, and (c) to explore the rules and trends of chemistry and physics. The problems under my investigation are not only with general interest and fundamental importance but also with great application potentials.
Our research areas are rather interdisciplinary, combining quantum mechanics, chemistry, materials science, physics and biology. My recent research is focusing on (a) one-dimensional (1-D) nanomaterials (nanotubes, nanocables, nanowires, peapods etc.), (b) nanomaterials for hydrogen and lithium storage, (c) endohedral metallofullerenes and related endohedral clusters, (d) molecules with novel chemical bonding (especially novel aromaticity and planar hypercoordinate carbon) and (e) probing interaction between nanoparticles and biological molecules. We are continuously developing new research areas such as (f) toxicity prediction of nanomaterials and (g) photocatalysis and rational design of fuel cells and solar cells.
Selected Publications:
1. Chen, Z.; Neukermans, S.; Wang, X.; Janssens, E.; Zhou, Z.; Silverans, R. E.; King, R. B.; Schleyer, P. v. R.; Lievens, P. “To Achieve Stable Spherical Clusters: General Principles and Experimental Confirmations” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 12829.
2. Chen, Z.; Wannere, C.S.; Corminboeuf, C.; Puchta, R.; Schleyer, P. v. R. “Nucleus-Independent Chemical Shifts (NICS) as an Aromaticity Criterion” Chem. Rev. 2005, 105, 3842.
3. Lu, X.; Chen,Z. “Curved p-conjugation, Aromaticity and the Related Chemistry of Small Fullerenes (<C60) and Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes” Chem. Rev. 2005, 105, 3643.
4. Lu, X.; Chen, Z.; Thiel, W.; Schleyer, P. v. R.; Huang, R.; Zheng, L. “Properties of Fullerene[50] and D5h Decachlorofullerene[50]: A Computational Study” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 14871.
5. Chen, Z.; Nagase, S.; Hirsch, A.; Haddon, R. C.; Thiel, W.; Schleyer, P. v. R. “Side-Wall Opening of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs) by Chemical Modification: A Critical Theoretical Study” Angew Chem. Int. Ed. 2004, 43, 1552.
6. Chen, Z.; Hirsch, A.; Nagase, S.; Thiel, W.; Schleyer, P. v. R. :Spherical Sila- and Germa-Homoaromaticity” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 15507.
7. Chen, Z.; Corminboeuf, C.; Heine, T.; Bohmann, J.; Schleyer, P. v. R. “Do All-Metal Antiaromatic Clusters Exist?” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 13930.
8. Chen, Z.; Jiao, H.; Hirsch, A.; Schleyer, P. v. R. “Spherical Homoaromaticity” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2002, 41, 4309.
9. Hirsch, A.; Chen, Z.; Jiao, H. “Spherical Aromaticity in Ih-Symmetrical Fullerenes: the 2(N+1)2 Rule” Angew. Chemie. Int. Ed. 2000, 39, 3915.
Contact:
(518) 276-6170
chenz4@rpi.edu
Home Page: http://www.rpi.edu/~chenz4/index.htm
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