Advisor: Thomas P. RussellThesis: Architecture-directed Interfacial Assemblies of Block Copolymers• Developed quantitative methods to monitor the kinetics of in-situ reaction of block copolymers upon conversion at the water-oil interface using real-time interfacial tensiometry.• Developed star block copolymer and random bottlebrush copolymer as an efficient compatibilizer to promote adhesion, with in-depth investigation on the interfacial conformation and the architecture confinements.• Revealed architecture dependence on the orientation of star and bottlebrush block copolymer in thin films, which enables applying block copolymer for nanotemplate and nanolithography.• Developed large-scale nano porous films through the interfacial assembly of star block copolymer at fluids interfaceSkills: X-ray/Neutron Scattering · X-ray/Neutron Reflectometry · Ellipsometry · Light Scattering · Atomic Force Microscope · Fluorescence Microscope · Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) · Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) · Optical Microscopy · Wafer Cleaning · UV Ozone · Spin Coating · Contact Angle · Pendant Drop Tensiometry · Origin (Software) · Microsoft Excel · Polyphenol and Polydopamine Synthesis · Mass Spectrometry · X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) · IR Spectroscopy · ATR-FTIR · GPC · Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) · Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) · KLA Filmetrics F20 · IGOR Pro · SAXS · Powder X-ray Diffraction · Laser Cutting · 3-D Printing · Compression Molding · Asymmetric Double Cantilever Beam (ADCB) test · Bending Modulus Measurements

Teaching assistant of Atomic Force Microscopy, Umass central facility (design experiments, assist facility users to collect, process, and interpret data, develop new applications, train new users, and maintain the facility)

Give lectures on Atomic Force Microscopy to first-year graduate students.

•Characterized and developed new polymeric materials (plastic, composite, coating, adhesive, and color) for product development at different stages, including R&D, quality & reliability and mass production, conducting mechanical, thermal, chemical, and environmental tests, following ASTM and Spec in Apple, with written reports for lab requesters.• Performed failure analysis on cosmetic polymer through manufacturing process.•Evaluated prototype coating materials for cosmetic and surface durability properties.•Led the investigation on failure mechanism of prototype coating materials through root cause analysis, and innovated paint formulation and quality tests successfully applying finding to various Apple products.•Developed a method to quantify surface cracks, and deliver SOP to different teams.• Performed residual stress analysis on polymer from injection molding at different processing conditions using optical, thermal and environmental tests.•Engaged in cross-functional collaboration with PD, FEA, FA, PPO, Battery, and ET teams, as well as materials vendors.

Advisor: Yiwen Li• Synthesized natural polyphenol and polydopamine nanoparticles, with the characterization of their morphologies and the antioxidant properties. • Synthesized giant surfactants based on polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) via click chemistry and the esterification reaction.