Dr. Zhihai Li's CV - Temple University

CURRICULUM VITAE Dr. Zhihai Li
PERSONAL AND CONTACT INFORMATION
Family name: Li, First name: Zhihai; Tel: +1 215 204 2368
Department of Chemistry, Temple University Fax: +1 480 965 9530
Philadelphia, PA, 19122 e-mail: zhihaili@temple.edu
EDUCATION
2003—2007 Department of Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Germany; Degree: Ph.D.
(chemistry) Supervisors: Prof. Ulrich Simon, Prof. Thomas Wandlowski
1994—1997 Department of Chemistry, Jilin University, China; Degree: M.S. (chemistry)
1990—1994 Department of Chemistry, Jilin University, China; Degree: B.S. (polymer)
EXPERIENCE AND RESEARCH BACKGROUND
2002—2003 Research assistant, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science (Prof.
Li-Jun Wan),
Research topic:
Cyclic voltammetry and in situ STM study on the self-assembled adlayers of 8-hydroquinoline at
Au/electrolyte interfaces.
2003—2007 Ph.D. candidate and research assistant, Institute of Bio- and Nano-systems,
Research Center Juelich, Germany; (Prof. Thomas Wandlowski),
Research topics:
(1) Underpotential deposition (UPD) of Cu on Au (111) using electrochemical STM and cyclic
voltammetry.
(2) Supramolecular nanostructures of a series of aromatic carboxylic acids at electrified
electrode/electrolyte interfaces employing electrochemical STM. The molecular and atomic
resolution STM images reveal the role of electrode potential and H-bonds on the formation
of distinctly different adlayers at aqueous interfaces.
(3) Single molecule conductance of redox-active viologens using electrochemical STM. We
discovered redox controlled conductance of target molecules and further studied the
electrolyte-gated electron transfer properties by scanning tunneling spectroscopy.
2007—2009 Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Bio- and Nanosystems, Research Center Juelich,
and University of Bern, Switzerland (Prof. Thomas Wandlowski),
Research topics:
(1) Electrochemical STM investigations of a series of redox-active (viologens, ferrocenes,
perylenes) and functional molecules.
(2) STM and AFM study on the self-assembled structures and interfacial electron transfer
properties of custom-designed Au nanoclusters on Au(111) and boron nitride nanomeshes.
2009—2010 Postdoctoral Research Associate, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University (Prof.
Nongjian Tao),
Research topics:
Studied the single molecule conductance of a series of custom-designed molecules (coronene
derivatives) and gate-effect of redox-active low-band gap perylene molecules using
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CURRICULUM VITAE Dr. Zhihai Li
electrochemical STM and STM-based break junctions.
2010—present Research Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Temple University,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Leader of Scanning Probe and Single Molecule Team in Borguet
Laboratory
Research topics:
1) Determining, for the first time, charge transport pathway through porphyrin molecules using
STM break junction techniques. Demonstrated the ability to distinguish structural isomers at
single molecule level. (Published in The Journal of American Chemical Society 2011)
2) Investigated electron transport through highly conjugated single porphyrin wires which
exhibit a dual conductance and follow a quasi-linear relationship, suggesting an ohmic
molecular conductor behavior (Published in Nano Letters.)
3) Discovered a type of new electron transport through molecules identified by the infrequent
small current steps due to the partially broken molecule-electrode bonds. This work is creative
in that it demonstrates that the break junction technique can be applied to identify the
fingerprint feature of the multiple dentate coordination.
4) Explored electron transfer and tunneling characteristics of porphyrins using electrochemical
scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) in combination with electrochemical techniques.
5) Train and direct students on electrochemistry, electrochemical STM, ambient STM, and
scanning tunneling spectroscopy studies.
HONORS AND AWARDS
K. C. Wong Educational Foundation Research Fellowship/Award, Hong Kong, 2010.
Fellowship, Research Center Juelich, Helmholtz Association, Germany, 2003, 2004.
ACADEMIC SERVICES/ACTIVITIES
Member, American Chemical Society
Member, Royal Society of Chemistry
Independent invited reviewer/referee for journals:
1. Electrochimica Acta (ISE)
2. The Journal of Physical Chemistry (ACS)
3. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (Journal of Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC))
4. ChemComm. (RSC)
5. J of Phys. D: Applied Physics
6. Fuel Processing Technology
7. Soft Matter (RSC)
8. Journal of Materials Chemistry (RSC)
9. New Journal of Chemistry (RSC)
10. CrystEngComm (RSC)
11. Nanoscale (RSC)
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CURRICULUM VITAE Dr. Zhihai Li
12. Dalton Transactions (RSC)
13. Lab on a Chip (RSC)
14. Review of Scientific Instruments
PUBLICATIONS
In peer-reviewed journals
1. Li, Z.; Borguet, E. Determining Charge Transfer Pathways through Single
Porphyrin Molecules Using STM Break Junctions JOURNAL OF THE
AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 134, 63-66, 2010.
2. Li, Z.; Park, T-H.; Rawson, J.; Therien, M. J.; Borguet, E. Quasi-Ohmic Single
Molecule Charge Transport through Highly Conjugated meso-to-meso
Ethyne-Bridged Porphyrin Wires doi:10.1021/nl2043216, 2012.
3. Li, Z.; Borguet, E. Linear length dependence of electron transport in
porphyrins with a range of anchoring groups in preparation.
4. Li, Z.*; Diez-Perez, I.*; Li, J.; Zhang, C.; Yang, X.; Zang, L.; Dai, Y.; Feng,
X.; Muellen, K.; Tao, N.J. Gate-controlled Electron Transport in Coronenes As
A Bottom-up Approach Towards Graphene Transistors NATURE
COMMUNICATION (*equal contribution) DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1029,
2010.
5. Li, Z.; Liu, Y.; Mertens, S.; Pobelov, I.; Wandlowski, Th. From Redox Gating
to Quantized Charging JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL
SOCIETY. 132, 8187, 2010.
6. Liu, B.; Ran, Y.; Li, Z.; Liu, S.-X.; Jia, C.; Decurtins, S.; Wandlowsk, Th. A
Scanning Probe Microscopy Study of Annulated Redox-Active Molecules at a
Liquid/Solid Interface: The Overruling of the Alkyl Chain Paradigm CHEM.
EUR. J. 16, 5008, 2010.
7. Li, Z.; Wandlowski, Th. Structure Formation and Annealing of Isophthalic
Acid at the Electrochemical Au(111)/Electrolyte Interface J. PHYS. CHEM. C,
113, 7821, 2009.
8. Su, G. J.; Li, Z.; Aguilar-Sanchez, R. Phase Transition of Two-Dimensional
Chiral Supramolecular Nanostructure tuned by Electrochemical Potential
ANAL. CHEM. 81, 8741, 2009.
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CURRICULUM VITAE Dr. Zhihai Li
9. Pobelov, I.; Li, Z.; Wandlowski, Th. Electrolyte Gating in Redox-active
Tunneling Junctions - An Electrochemical STM Approach JOURNAL OF THE
AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, 130, 16045, 2008.
10. Li, C.; Mishchenko, A.; Li, Z.; Pobelov, I.; Wandlowski, Th.; Li, X.Q.;
Würthner, F.; Bagrets, A.; Evers, F. Electrochemical Gate-controlled Electron
Transport of Redox-active Single Perylene Molecular Junctions J. PHYS.:
CONDENS. MATTER, 20, 374122, 2008.
11. Han, B.; Li, Z.; Li, C.; Pobelov, I.; Su, G. J.; Aguilar-Sanchez, R.;
Wandlowski, Th. From Self-Assembly to Charge Transport with Single
Molecules - An Electrochemical Approach TOP. CURR. CHEM., 287, 181,
2009.
12. Li, Z.; Pobelov, I.; Han, B.; Wandlowski, Th.; Błaszczyk, A.; Mayor, M.
Conductance of Redox-active Single Molecular Junctions: An Electrochemical
Approach NANOTECHNOLOGY, 18, 044018, 2007.
13. Li, Z. Self-assembly and Local Functionality at Au/Electrolyte Interfaces:
An in situ Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Approach doctoral dissertation,
ISBN: 978-3-89336-482-4, Forschungzentrum Juelich GmbH, 2007.
14. Su, G. J.; Aguilar-Sanchez, R.; Li, Z.; Pobelov, I.; Homberger, M.; Simon,
U.; Wandlowski, Th. Scanning Tunneling Microscopy / Spectroscopy Studies
of ω–(4’-methyl-biphenyl-4-yl) alkanethiols on Au(111), CHEM. PHYS.
CHEM. 8 (7), 1037, 2007.
15. Han, B.; Li, Z.; Wandlowski, Th. Błaszczyk, A.; Mayor, M.
Potential-induced Redox Switching in Viologen Self-assembled Monolayers:
An ATR-SEIRAS Approach J. PHYS. CHEM. C, 111(37), 13855, 2007.
16. Han, B.; Li, Z.; Wandlowski, Th. Adsorption and Self-assembly of
Aromatic Carboxylic Acids on Au/Electrolyte Interfaces ANAL. & BIOANAL.
CHEM., 388 (1), 121, 2007.
17. Li, Z.; Han, B.; Mészáros, G.; Wandlowski, Th.; Błaszczyk, A.; Mayor, M.
Two-dimensional Assembly and Local Redox-activity of Molecular Hybrid
Structures in an Electrochemical Environment FARADAY DISCUSSIONS,
131, 121, 2006.
18. Li, Z.; Pobelov, I.; Han, B.; Wandlowski, Th. Błaszczyk, A.; Mayor, M. An
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CURRICULUM VITAE Dr. Zhihai Li
electrochemical approach to address electron transport in tailored molecular
junctions Elektrochemische Grundlagenforschung und deren Anwendung in
der Elektroanalytik: 7. Grundlagensymposium der Fachgruppe Angewandte
Elktrochemie, 71-77, 2006.
19. Li, Z.; Han, B.; Wan, L. J.; Wandlowski, Th. Supramolecular
Nanostructures of 1,3,5-Benzene-tricarboxylic Acid at Electrified
Au(111)/0.05 M H2SO4 Interfaces: An in situ Scanning Tunneling Microscopy
Study LANGMUIR, 21 (15): 6915, 2005.
20. Han, B.; Li, Z.; Pronkin, S.; Wandlowski, Th. In situ ATR-SEIRAS Study of
Adsorption and Phase Formation of Trimesic Acid on Au(111-25 nm) Film
Electrodes CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY, 82 (10): 1481, 2004.
21. Tong, SL.; Yan, Y; Li, Z.; Zheng, G. The synthesis of star style
metalloporphyrin CHEMICAL RESEARCH IN CHINESE UNIVERSITIES,
13 (4): 299, 1997.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS (TALKS AND POSTERS)
(1) Poster: N. Gabor, Z. Li, Th. Wandlowski “Distance tunneling measurements of solid/liquid
interfaces” 6 th International Symposium of the Volkswagen-Stiftung on Intra- and
Intermolecular Transfer, Koeln, Germany; October 29 th - November 1 st , 2003.
(2) Poster: Z. Li, B. Han, Th. Wandlowski, “Building supramolecular nanostructures at electrified
solid/liquid interfaces – an in situ STM study” Modern Trends in Interfacial Electrochemistry –
Theory meets Experiment -1 st Euregio Workshop and 68 th - AGEF Seminar; Kerkrade,
Netherlands; May 6 th - 7 th , 2004.
(3) Poster: Han, Bo, Li, Zhihai, Wandlowski, Thomas, “Two-dimensional supramolecular
assemblies of trimesic acid on potential-controlled Au(hkl)/electrolyte interfaces” 103.
Hauptversammlung der Deutschen Bunsen-Gesellschaft fuer Physikalische Chemie e. V;
Dresden, Germany; May 20 th - 22 th , 2004.
(4) Talk: Zhihai Li, “An EC-STM study of supramolecular nanostructures at Au(111)/0.05 M H2SO4
interfaces” Institute Seminar of ISG3, Research Center Juelich, Juelich, Germany, July 5 th , 2004.
(5) Poster: Z. Li, B. Han, G.-J. Su, L.-J. Wan and Th. Wandlowski, “Two-dimensional
supramolecular assemblies of trimesic acid on potential-controlled Au(hkl)/electrolyte
interfaces” ICEI – International Conference on Electrified Interfaces; Spa, Belgium; July 11 th -
16 th , 2004.
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CURRICULUM VITAE Dr. Zhihai Li
(6) Poster: Z. Li, B. Han, M. Mayor, N.J. Tao, Th. Wandlowski, “Two-dimensional assembly and
local redox-activity of molecular hybrid structures in electrochemical environment”
Nanoelectronics Day 2005; Juelich, Germany; February 9 th - 11 th , 2005.
(7) Poster: Z. Li, B. Han, Marcel Mayor, Th. Wandlowski, “Single molecular conductivity at
electrochemical interfaces – an attempt to correlate adlayer structure and functionality”
Faraday Discussions 131: Molecular Wires and Nanoscale Conductors; University of
Manchester, UK; August 31 th - September 2 nd , 2005.
(8) Poster: Z. Li, I. Pobelov, B. Han, Marcel Mayor, Th. Wandlowski, “Single molecule conductivity
of redox-active viologens by forming molecular bridge junctions in an in situ STM configuration”
1 st International Workshop on Electrical Functionality in Nanoarchitectures; Kerkrade,
Netherlands; Nov. 24 th - 25 th , 2005.
(9) Talk: Zhihai Li, “An Electrochemical approach to single junction conductivities of
Au/viologen/Au” The Seminar of ISG3/4, Research Center Juelich, Juelich, Germany, May 15 th ,
2006.
(10) Talk: Zhihai Li, “An electrochemical approach towards single molecule electron transfer”
2nd Euregio Workshop and 86 th – AGEF Seminar “Nanoscale and Bio-Electrochemistry”;
Kerkrade, Netherlands; May 22 nd - 23 rd , 2006.
(11) Talk: Zhihai Li, “Structure and reactivity of supramolecular nanostructures at solid/liquid
interfaces – An in situ STM approach” The Seminar of RWTH Aachen University, Germany, July
4 th , 2006.
(12) Poster: Z. Li; B. Han; M. Mayor; Th. Wandlowski, “Single molecule conductance and
tunneling properties of redox-active viologen derivatives in an electrochemical environment”
Nanoelectronics Days, RWTH Aachen University; Oct. 11 th -13 th , 2006.
(13) Poster: Z. Li; B. Han; I. Pobelov; M. Mayor; Th. Wandlowski, “Two-dimensional assembly
and single molecule conductance of redox-active viologen in an electrochemical environment”
International Symposium SFB 624: Complex Molecular Architectures on Surfaces, Bonn; Oct.
12 th , 2006.
(14) Poster: Z. Li; B. Han; Th. Wandlowski, “Self-assembled nanostructures of aromatic
carboxylic acids at solid/electrolyte interfaces” International Symposium SFB 624: Templates in
Chemistry, Bonn; Sept. 13 th -14 th , 2007.
(15) Poster: Z. Li; Y. Liu; S. Mertens; I. Pobelov; Th. Wandlowski “Probe the nano-world with
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CURRICULUM VITAE Dr. Zhihai Li
electrochemical scanning tunnelling microscopy” CUSO -REGIO-Summer School: Quo vadis
electron – from radicals to ET Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland, Aug. 31 st - Sept. 4 th , 2008.
(16) Poster: Z. Li; Y. Liu; S. Mertens; I. Pobelov; Th. Wandlowski “Unusual transition between
tunneling resonance and quantum charging” CUSO -REGIO-Summer School: Quo vadis electron
– from radicals to ET Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland, Aug. 31 st - Sept. 4 th , 2008.
(17) Talk: Zhihai Li, “Probing single molecules: from supramolecular nanoarchitectures to redox
gating and quantized charging” 18 th International Vacuum Congress (IVC-18) and International
Conference on Nanoscience and Technology (ICN+T 2010) Beijing, China, (absence due to
personal reasons) August 23 th - 27 th , 2010.
(18) Poster: Zhihai Li; Eric Borguet; “Two-dimensional nano-fabrication and electron transport
through functional molecules using STM and breaking junction” Nano/Bio Interface Center
Symposium: Local Probes at the Frontiers of Energy Systems and Biotechnology, Philadelphia;
Oct. 26 th -27 th , 20112011.
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