Joshua Lai Email and Phone Number

Available Upon Request

Available Upon Request

Supervised by Dr. Ken C.-F. LeungFunded by the Hong Kong University Grants Committee (UGC) and Research Grants Council (RGC)• Attempted synthesis of novel multipods of iron oxides by exploring the phases (also known as polymorphs) of alpha- and beta-FeOOH by varying different experimental conditions, such as the pH of bulk, aging time, temperature, stirring rate...etc.• Synthesis and characterization of Schiff base functionalized MCM-41, MCM-48R/S, and dendritic-type (as reported) mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) for the passive drug release of cinnamaldehyde to evaluate its innate efficacy (as previously suggested by collaborators at HKU)• Synthesis and characterization of improved dendritic hematite (alpha-Fe₂O₃) micro-particles, derived from Prussian red, for the heterogeneous photo-Fenton oxidation of different azo-type textile dyes as model pollutants for water treatment applications• Supervision, training and teaching of an undergraduate research student• Managed laboratory activities (booking SEM-EDX and routine safety checks)Performed beyond my own duties and responsibilities: • Conducted Miller indexing via the dichotomy method, 𝘋𝘐𝘊𝘝𝘖𝘓06, and Rietveld refinement using power diffraction (𝘱XRD) pattern from novel organic crystals • Performed structural and morphological studies for others in the group• Assisted in progress of manuscript editing for a postdoctoral fellow, resulting in the publication of "Self-Assembled Naphthalimide-Substituted Porphyrin Nanowires for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution" in the journal of ACS Applied Nano Materials (DOI: 10.1021/acsanm.0c01353)

Supervised by Dr. Ken C.-F. LeungFunded by Innovation & Technology Fund (ITF) from the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of People's Republic of China• Reviewed, compiled, designed and provided a variety of organic-free, thermally stable and corrosion resistant formulations to a particular coating-based company in the Asian Pacific• Conducted industry requested analytical tasks of Whitford's coatings via the isolation and purification of individual chemical components to be analyzed by TGA, FTIR, SEM-EDX, and ¹H NMR• Conducted literature reviews on sonochemistry as well as acoustic spectroscopy as crucial backgrounds in evaluating the performance of ultrasound-responsive drug delivery systems (DDS)• Prepared, maintained and calibrated ICP-MS for the analysis of acid digested Au-NPs isolated from tissues obtained in animal studies (conducted via connections with PhD students at CUHK)Performed beyond what the job entails: • Gathered, compiled and provided information for our design of Dr. Ken C.-F. Leung's Organic-Inorganic Supramolecular & Hybrid Nanomaterials Research Group website, now hosted by WiX• Collaborated in calculating the TON & TOF of some nanoflower-like heterogeneous catalysts• Assisted in manuscript editing for another colleague (now published in Nature Communications)

Supervised by Dr. Dieter W. TrauFunded by Proof-of-Concept (POC) Grant of "Lab-in-a-Tip" - Novel Approach for Mobile and Rapid One-Step Photometry from National Research Foundation (NRF) of Singapore• Designed, constructed and optimized streptavidin-based bioassays, using redox-sensitive conjugates, e.g. with R-S-S-R', as the cleavage site, for the POC in optical measurements• Reviewed a wide selection of "hosts" and "guests", namely avidin, streptavidin, traptavidin, biocytin and biotin, as well as biotin quantification methods (e.g. binding displacement assays) for the evaluation of feasibility through experimentation design considerations and other limitations• Participated in the conceptualization of using Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) as the mechanism behind the enzyme activity assays ideal for time-dependent multiplexed measurements• Calculated the FRET efficiency and critical distance (R₀) of all possible combinations of AlexaFluor®, the cyanine-based fluorescent probes, for the selection of a suitable donar-to-acceptor FRET pair• Conducted an exhaustive literature review, providing a brief historic timeline, on the topic of allosteric modulations (as in both "homo-" and "hetero-"trophic allostery), including statistical thermodynamic models, which enabled the development of "smart" biotechnological applications • Attempted to challenge pre-assumptions via a preliminary investigation into the homotrophic and heterotrophic allostery of streptavidin, among which Hill and Cheng-Prusoff equations were used

Worked with Dr. Tim MooreFunded by Environment Canada• Designated scientist for the operations of GC-FID, GC-ECD, and CO₂ gas analyzer, which require preparing, maintaining, calibrating, and trouble-shooting as technical problems arise• Worked with a diverse group of scientists and assisted them in providing reasonable and sufficient data for their own respective projects of investigation into environmental problems• Analyzed over 4000 vials of greenhouse gas samples from fieldwork • Prepared analytical spreadsheets using data collected from the GCsPerformed beyond what the job entails: • Collaborated in the experiments on methanotrophs incubated in mineral soil from graves• Participated in the research of hyperspectral imaging in the Mer Bleue conservation area

Supervised by Dr. Parisa A. Ariya• Synthesized magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles via Massart's co-precipitation method with N₂ purging• Co-designed and optimized a methodology, via gas transfer in 𝘷𝘢𝘤𝘶𝘰 (10E-2 torrs) through the Schlenk line, to study the interaction between mercury (Hg⁰) vapor and Fe₃O₄ nano-particulates • Maintained and calibrated GC-MS, as the analytical instrument, to measure Hg⁰ via the m/z ratio• Trouble-shooted GC-MS by using C₆H₆, as an internal standard, for Hg⁰ as the analyte of interest• Provided the empirical data for model fitting using Langmuir isotherms, as conceptualized, to study the thermodynamic parameters at the solid-to-gas interface between Fe₃O₄ and Hg⁰ • Participated in group discussions with PhD students and postdoctoral fellows, e.g. non-ideal gas law is unnecessary to study Hg⁰ vapor provided that studies were conducted at ambient conditions• Convinced group members in a meeting with novel results to suggest physi-sorption between Hg⁰ and Fe₃O₄ via a hysteresis relation as examined under the influence of temperature modulations

Supervised by Dr. Jimmy C. Yu• Participated in the preparation and characterization of supraparamagnetic magnetite (Fe₃O₄) microparticles with tunable grain and particle sizes via a one-step hydrothermal method (DOI: 10.1021/cm901618m) as the magnetic core for further modifications, and subsequent applications• Assisted in the preparation and purification of the desired organic supra-molecules for electronic applications in particular to one project designed by a CUHK graduate student at the time