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During my first meet with polymers in high school, I was surprised by the magic powers of combining their simple building blocks in different sequences to create the diverse materials that we consider integral to our daily life. I found there were infinite possibilities in the miraculous "polymer world". Maybe one day I could create a super-great polymer material for the world. This dream gradually became my interest in polymer.
I started my academic journey at Xi'an Jiaotong University. Driven by my interest in polymers, I have thought deeply about what I have learned in the courses about them. When I first learned the Q-e scheme of Alfred and Price in Polymer Chemistry course, I noticed that this scheme failed to consider the steric effects of substituent groups, so the calculated reactivity ratios showed considerable inaccuracy. This imperfection excited my interest in revising the scheme to get a more reliable one. I added a new parameter, representing the steric effects of substituent groups, into the original scheme. The values of new parameters were calculated based on the data of reactivity ratios in publications. My revised Q-e scheme has proven more reliable. The calculated results of the revised Q-e scheme matched better with the experimental data than the original one. In order to share my fruit and put it into a practical application, I developed a software program based on the revised scheme with other students, which could predict reactivity ratios of comonomers in free radical vinyl copolymerizations. Our work won the first prizes in the "Challenge Cup" Scientific and Technological Contest at Xi'an Jiaotong University and in Shannxi Province respectively and the third prize in the national final contest. My efforts and the awards not only intensified my interest in polymers but also gave me an opportunity to pursue advanced studies.
My studies at Tsinghua University provided a multi-faceted approach to polymer science. My first research at was my senior thesis. I synthesized poly(ethylene oxide) end-capped with terpyridine Eu(III) complexes and studied the fluorescence properties of this polymer-metal complex sensitizer. During my senior thesis I have exposed myself to a new research area, supramolecular chemistry, and realized that interactions, atoms and structures in polymer science were far more various than what I learned and understood before. My study and research in supramolecular chemistry have not only enlarged my horizons, but also gave me a deeper understanding of polymers. In particular, the study in the self-organization driven by non-covalent interactions equipped me the knowledge foundation for my following research.
Now my current postgraduate research focuses on the self-assembly of the multiblock fluorinated polyurethane (MBFPU). I have designed and improved the synthesis strategies to obtain the target polymers and characterized the self-assembled nanostructure of the MBFPU with TEM, SEM, AFM, DLS and other techniques. To invest the inner structure of the nanoparticles, I have took total 2300 electron microscope photos, and found that the nanoparticles were multicore. In this project, I have combined a broad range of knowledge and rigorous logic thinking to reach a conclusive explanation of the microscopic mechanism of the self-assembly. The first paper about my work has been under review at Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry.
I have faced many transitions in my life. When I graduated from Xi'an Jiaotong University, I transited from an undergraduate student who specialized in metals to research polymer. Although my experiences in research have prepared me for future studies, I am more interested in practical application. Now I hope to transition from basic science to applied science and closer to my dream from high school: making a fantasy material for the world. After six years of study, my dream has become more and more detailed. Materials are always the bottlenecks for progress in aerospace, automobile and defense industries. I am passionate about advanced engineering materials that are crucial for the success of modern industrialization. Polymer composites are a good approach to addressing the issue because of their excellent mechanical properties combined with other useful properties such as electrical and thermal conductivity. In particular, I am interested in polymer nanocomposites reinforced with graphene and carbon nanotubes. These nanocomposites could take full advantage of the unique structure and properties of graphene and carbon nanotubes for electronic applications. Even though polymer nanocomposites have been studied for decades, there is still much space for the improvement. Many technical barriers involving structure control, dispersion of fillers in the polymer matrix, interfacial interaction between components are still crucial challenges for wide applications of polymer nanocomposite. However, it is the challenges that make it worthy for me to pursue a Ph.D. degree in this area.
My interests are an excellent fit for USC composites center that focuses on the design, manufacture, and behavior of composites and composite structures. I would like to become an expert in industry to make changes in the manufacture of polymer in the future. The research projects of USC composites center, sponsored by industrial collaborations, offer me an opportunity to know more about the needs and the development in industry and train me to resolve the practical issues, a top priority for me. For these reasons, I am eager about the possibility of continuing my research and education at USC composites center.
