We are interested in a wide range of problems, including reactivity and mechanisms (molecular information), thermal, optical and mechanical properties of materials (materials properties) as well as sensors and additive manufacturing (functions and applications), etc. Our vision is that these problems are interconnected in a triangular fashion as outlined on the left, and this triangle also illustrates how we tackle problems. For example, the performance of an intrinsic self-healing polymer (functions & applications) is impacted by both the molecular weight and the dynamics of the bonding (molecular information) as well as the thermal and mechanical properties of the materials (materials properties); meanwhile, the molecular weight and the dynamics of the bonding also impact the mechanical properties of the materials.
In the lab, we seek to understand the interplay between molecular information and material properties and how they synergistically contribute to the functions and applications by applying our strengths in synthetic organic and polymer chemistry, mechanistic studies, spectroscopic characterization, thermal and mechanical testing, and imaging. We believe our interdisciplinary research will bring new insights and discoveries that are potentially impactful to the scientific community and the society.