EDUCATION:

Ph.D., 1998         Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin
                             Dissertation: Molecular Architecture and Properties on Gold Surfaces
                                       Supervisor: Professors James K. Whitesell and Eric V. Anslyn

B.S., 1991                    Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

EXPERIENCE:       
                        1999 to 2000            Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Southern California, University of         
                                                            Washington, Supervisor: Professor Larry R. Dalton

                        1993 to 1998            Research Assistant, Teaching Assistant, Department of Chemistry and     
                                                            Biochemistry/UT

1992 to 1993            Research Assistant, Department of Medicinal Chemistry

RESEARCH INTERESTS:                                    

                       Self-assembly; Thin Film; Interfacial Phenomena; Organic Synthesis; Surface Reactions;

Liquid Crystals; Non-linear Optics; Light-harvesting Dendrimers; Polymeric Materials;

Light-emitting Diodes; Nano-materials. 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

§         Synthesized novel antitumor drugs based on molecular modeling calculations

§         Designed and synthesized organic chromophores with non-linear optical properties

§         Synthesized photosensitive molecules and coupled them onto functionalized gold surfaces in optical wave guide development (surface reaction)

§         Derivatized gold surfaces with electro-active molecules and determined its properties by electrochemical and Atomic Force Microscopy(AFM) methods

§         Designed, synthesized and characterized novel liquid crystals

§         Developed light-harvesting dendrimers 

SKILLS:

§         Organic synthesis and analysis (NMR, GC, HPLC, GPC, UV-Vis, FTIR, molecular modeling),

§         Surface Characterization (ATR-FTIR, electrochemistry, ellipsometry, contact angle),

§         Thorough knowledge in areas of self-assembled monolayers, non-linear optics, polymers, dendrimers and liquid crystals,

§         Other skills include using TGA, DSC;

§         Knowledge in AFM, SIMS, XPS, photolithography, nano-materials. 

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:

Member of American Chemical Society,

Division: Colloid and Surface Division/Polymer Chemistry 

PUBLICATIONS:

1. Molecular construction on functionalized gold surface and its application. Whitesell, J. K.; Chai, Z.  Book of Abstracts, 214 th ACS National Meeting, Las Vegas, NV, September 7-11 (1997).

2. In Situ Monitoring of Diffuse Double Layer Structure Changes of Electrochemically Addressable Self-Assembled Monolayers with an Atomic Force Microscope.  Hu, K.; Chai, Z.; Whitesell, J. K.; Bard, A. J. Langmuir 1999, 15, 3343.

3. High Birefringence Bis-tolane Liquid Crystals for Display Application; Wu, S. T.; Hsu, C. S.; Shyu, K. F.; Chuang, Y. Y.; Cheng, H. B.; Chai, Z.; Dalton, L. R.  SID Tech. Digest 1999, 30, 706.

4. Book Review: Organic Coatings for Corrosion Control. ACS Symposium.  Chai, Z. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121, 1626.

5. Synthesis, Surface Coupling, and Surface Photocleavage of a New o-Nitrobenzyl Photolabile Linker. Whitesell, J. K.; Chai, Z.  (submitted)

6. On the Ferrocene Orientation and Electrochemical Stability in short SAMs with Large and Small Headgroups. Whitesell, J. K.; Chai, Z.; Minton, M. A. (submitted)

7. NLO Properties of Chromophores Modified with Fluorinated Dendrimers. Casmier, D.; Chai, Z.; Londergan, T.; Zhang, C.; Dalton, L. R. (submitted)