Zuo Lab Tour

My research goal as a materials scientist and engineer is to discover new physics and chemistry in functional solids. More specifically, I am interested in the structure of functional materials, especially their atomic arrangements and bonding. My interest in structure was developed largely based on its fundamental role in materials and their functions; whether the function served is structural, electrical, magnetic, thermal, and optical or a combination of these, properties of materials ultimately relate to their structure. Here at University of Illinois, we are developing new electron-beam techniques for the determination of complex structures. I, also with my research group, am applying these techniques to discover structure-property relationships in a number of materials, including supported nanoparticles and nanocrystals with applications in energy production and environmental protection, complex oxides and semiconductor thin films.