Zhang Zhenyu is from Henan in China. He arrived in the UK from Zhengzhou Institute of Light Industry where he did his first degree in Chemical Engineering. After having achieved a distinction in the joint Birmingham/Aston University Polymer Science and Engineering Masters degree he decided to come to Sheffield to start his Ph.D. studies. We call Zhenyu "Jason", because we can pronounce that. Jason was part of the Cell-Mineral Interface consortium, and is interested in the adsorption and adhesion of extra-cellular polymers to model mineral surfaces. Molecular adhesion measurements were made using atomic force microscopy (specifically, a molecular force probe, with which he is photographed here), and adsorption measurements using a Quartz Crystal Microbalance. On Tuesday July 29, 2008 Jason successfully defended his thesis before his examiners, Dr Terry McMaster (University of Bristol) and Dr Jamie Hobbs (University of Sheffield). I am absolutely delighted that he has rejoined the group to work on the low-dimensional chemistry programme.
Email: z.zhang_AT_sheffield.ac.uk
Publications
Z. Zhang, Y. Pen, R. G. Edyvean, S. A. Banwart, R. M. Dalgliesh, and M. Geoghegan "Adhesive and conformational behaviour of mycolic acid monolayers" Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1798 1829-39 (2010).
P. Burgos, Z. Zhang, R. Golestanian, G. J. Leggett, and M. Geoghegan “Directed single molecule diffusion triggered by surface energy gradients” ACS Nano 3 3235-43 (2009).
M. Geoghegan, J. S. Andrews, C. A. Biggs, K. E. Eboigbodin, D. R. Elliott, S. Rolfe, J. Scholes, J. J. Ojeda, M. E. Romero-González, R. G. J. Edyvean, L. Swanson, R. Rutkaite, R. Fernando, Y. Pen, Z. Zhang, and S. A. Banwart “The polymer physics and chemistry of microbial cell attachment and adhesion” Faraday Discuss. 139 85-103 (2008).
Z. Zhang, M. R. Tomlinson, R. Golestanian, and M. Geoghegan “The interfacial behaviour of single poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) chains as a function of pH” Nanotechnology 19 035505 (2008).
Oral presentations
American Physical Society March meeting, Baltimore, USA, March 2013
Polymer Physics Group Biennial Meeting, Surrey, September 2011
Polymer Physics 2006, Suzhou, China, June 2006