Wei Zhang
Professor • Chair
Chemistry

Office: Ekeley Science M343
Lab: Ekeley Science M376, M386
Lab Phone: 303-492-8954
Fax: 303-492-5894
 

Education

Ph.D.: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2005
PostdoctorateMassachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006-2008

Areas of Expertise

Dynamic covalent chemistry, Energy storage, Nanotechnology/Materials, Self-assembly, Self-healing, Synthesis

Awards and Honors

  • Provost's Faculty Achievement Award (2013)
  • Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow (2013)
  • CAPA Distinguished Junior Faculty Award (2013)
  • 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award (2012)
  • NSF CAREER Award (2011)
  • Thieme Chemistry Journal Award (2011)
  • New Inventor of the Year, University of Colorado (2011)
  • CRCW Junior Faculty Development Award, University of Colorado (2009)

我小组的研究重点是设计和合成针对广泛环境的新型有机功能材料, energy and biological applications, such as gas separation/storage (e.g.(碳捕获),混合纳米复合材料制造,光收集和纳米医学. 博彩平台推荐在开发新材料方面的努力经常导致博彩平台推荐探索新的合成工具, particularly in the area of dynamic covalent chemistry (DCC) (e.g., metathesis reactions), which enable efficient materials synthesis.

SHAPE-PERSISTENT 2-D AND 3-D MOLECULAR ARCHITECTURES

In recent years, 人们对有机形状持久的分子结构有着浓厚的兴趣, including 2D macrocycles and 3D cages, 哪些在纳米材料和纳米技术的发展中发挥了重要作用. Conventionally, 这些刚性分子主要通过不可逆交叉偶联反应制备, 哪些在动力学控制下,通常提供非常低的目标化合物产率. Our group has successfully applied thermodynamically controlled, dynamic covalent chemistry (DCC) to the synthesis of various 2-D and 3-D molecules. In our approach, provided a large energy gap between the target species and other possible products, DCC能够从现成的简单构建块以高收率生成所需的分子结构. DCC is one of the main synthetic tools in my group, 博彩平台推荐正在开发新的动态共价反应和催化剂,使快速可逆的共价键形成成为可能.

ORGANIC POROUS MATERIALS

Recently, 有机多孔材料已迅速成为有前途的气体储存/分离材料. These new materials are composed of only relatively light elements (e.g. C, H, B, N, O) that are connected by strong covalent bonds, offering great thermal and chemical stability. To date, 这些多孔材料的制备一般集中在合成具有无序结构的无定形有机聚合物或具有晶体结构的密集排列聚合物. However, these approaches usually yield insoluble polymers, and solution-processable porous materials for certain applications (e.g., membrane fabrication for gas separation) have not yet been realized. In this project, we have explored well-defined, shape-persistent, 三维有机分子(通过高效DCC制备)作为气体吸附和分离的可溶性有机多孔材料. 博彩平台推荐的团队还开发了“笼到框架”策略,使用定义明确的三维笼作为构建块来构建新型有机多孔材料. 博彩平台推荐的“笼到框架”策略可以有效地编码维度(孔径/分布)和功能信息(客人识别), sensing, catalysis, etc.) within the individual cage molecule into the final frameworks, 能够控制它们的孔径/分布和表面积的化学性质.

NANOMATERIALS FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH

纳米医学已成为一个活跃和有前景的研究领域,其重点是利用纳米材料的独特性质来治疗和靶向给药. In searching for nanocages that are compatible with biological systems, 博彩平台推荐发现cop的一个子集是荧光的,可以有效地进入哺乳动物细胞. In this project, 博彩平台推荐的目标是开发新型纳米混合材料,使用3D形状持久的有机分子笼,可以潜在地转化为临床治疗药物的非侵入性递送, 诊断、成像和检测靶向治疗药物在体内和体外的疗效.

ARTIFICIAL PHOTOSYNTHESIS

随着能源需求的持续增长,目前现有的燃料来源是不可再生的, efficiently converting solar energy into electricity and chemical fuels (e.g. H2) is highly desired. 人们在开发高效太阳能电池和人工光合系统方面付出了巨大的研究努力. We are interested in the following two areas in solar energy research: Developing organic or organometallic dye molecules with novel structural motifs for high-efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs); Utilizing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and 3-D cages as the platform for modular construction of nanohybrid light harvesting systems. In both cases, 通过合理的分子设计,改变各组分的结构,优化系统效率. 博彩平台推荐所采用的模块化方法将极大地促进结构-活性关系的研究,并为基于碳纳米管的光活性复合材料的合理设计提供关键知识.

  • Jin, Y.; Wang, Q.; Taynton, P.; Zhang, W. 动态共价化学方法对二维大环,三维分子笼,和聚合物. Acc. Chem. Res201447, 1575-1586.
  • Heat or Water Driven Malleability in a Highly-Recyclable Covalent Network Polymer. Taynton, P.; Yu, K.; Shoemaker, R.; Jin, Y.; Qi, H. J.; Zhang, W. Adv. Mater. 201426, 3938-3942.
  • Template Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles with an Organic Molecular Cage. McCaffrey, R.; Long, H.; Jin, Y.; Sanders, A.; Park, W.; Zhang, W. J. Am. Chem. Soc2014136, 1782-1785.
  • Recent Advances in Dynamic Covalent Chemistry. Jin, Y.; Yu, C.; Denman, R. J.; Zhang, W. Chem. Soc. Rev. 201342, 6634-6654.
  • 无环烯二炔复分解聚合法制备聚二乙炔. Hu, K.; Yang, H.; Zhang, W.; Qin, Y. Chem. Sci20134, 3649-3653.
  • Imine-linked Porous Polymer Frameworks with High Small Gas (H2, CO2, CH4, C2H2) Uptake and CO2/N2 Selectivity. Zhu, Y.; Long, H.; Zhang, W. Chem. Mater201325, 1630-1635.
  • 高活性多齿烷复分解催化剂:配体-活性关系及其在高效合成卟啉基芳乙炔聚合物中的应用. Jyothish, K.; Wang, Q.; Zhang, W. Adv. Synth. Catal2012354, 2073-2078.
  • 微波辅助合成高co2选择性有机笼骨架(OCFs). Jin, Y.; Voss, B. A.; McCaffrey, R.; Baggett, C. T.; Noble, R. D.; Zhang, W. Chem. Sci20123, 874-877.
  • 通过一步炔复合构造的高c70选择性形状持久矩形棱镜. Zhang, C.-X.; Wang, Q.; Long, H.; Zhang, W. J. Am. Chem. Soc2011133, 20995-21001.
  • 迈向高活性和鲁棒性炔元分解催化剂:催化剂设计的最新进展. Jyothish, K.; Zhang, W. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed201150, 8478-8480.
  • Highly CO2-Selective Organic Molecular Cages: What Determines the CO2 Selectivity. Jin, Y.; Voss, B. A.; Jin, A.; Long, H.; Noble, R. D.; Zhang, W. J. Am. Chem. Soc2011133, 6650-6658.
  • 将Podand基序引入炔复分解催化剂设计:一种抗炔聚合的高活性多齿Mo(VI)催化剂. Jyothish, K.; Zhang, W. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed201150, 3435-3438.
  • 无环二烯复合大环化(ADMAC)制备形状-持久性芳烯-乙烯基大环. Jin, Y.; Zhang, A.; Huang, Y.; Zhang, W. Chem. Commun201046, 8258-8260.
  • 一种高选择性吸附CO2 / N2的有机分子笼. Jin, Y.; Voss, B.; Noble, R. D.; Zhang, W. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed201049, 6348-6351.
  • Modular Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes and Fullerenes. Zhang, W.; Sprafke, J. K.; Ma, M.; Tsui, E. Y.; Sydlik, S. A; Rutledge, G. C; Swager, T. M. J. Am. Chem. Soc2009131, 8446.
  • 单壁碳纳米管和富勒烯的二甲基乙酰二羧酸-4-二甲氨基吡啶两性离子功能化方法. Zhang, W.; Swager, T. M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007129, 7714.
  • 形状持久的大环:结构和合成方法从芳纶和乙烯构建块. Zhang, W.; Moore, J. S. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed2006454416.
  • Reaction Pathways Leading to Arylene Ethynylene Macrocycles via Alkyne Metathesis. Zhang, W.; Moore, J. S. J. Am. Chem. Soc2005127, 11863.
  • Arylene Ethynylene Macrocycles Prepared by Precipitation-Driven Alkyne Metathesis. Zhang, W.; Moore, J. S. J. Am. Chem. Soc2004126, 12796.
  • 还原回收法制备高活性三烷氧钼(VI)烷基炔催化剂. Zhang, W.; Kraft, S.; Moore, J. S. J. Am. Chem. Soc2004126, 329.