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 in October 2004 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 was absolutely delighted that he has rejoined the group to work on the low-dimensional chemistry programme. On September 1, 2013 Jason took up a position as lecturer at the University of Strathclyde, in effect going home to Chemical Engineering. It is sad to lose someone so talented, but it is a privilege to see him grow as a scientist (even if he is in an Engineering Department) from his Ph.D. to becoming a successful academic. He has subsequently moved to the University of Birmingham, the University where I started research. As of August 1, 2022 he is Professor Jason, having been awarded a personal chair by a very sensible university.
Professor Zhenyu Zhang University of Birmingham
Publications
M. Mears, Z. J. Zhang, R. C. D. Jackson, Y. Si, T. J. B. Bradford, J. M. Torkelson, and M. Geoghegan "Lateral diffusion of single poly(ethylene oxide) chains on the surfaces of glassy and molten polymer films" J. Chem. Phys. 154 164902 (2021)
Z. J. Zhang, S. Edmondson, M. Mears, J. Madsen, S. P. Armes, G. J. Leggett, and M. Geoghegan "Blob size controls diffusion of free polymer in a chemically identical brush in semidilute solution" Macromolecules 51 6312-17 (2018)
Z. J. Zhang, J. Madsen, N. J. Warren, M. Mears, G. J. Leggett, A. L. Lewis, and M. Geoghegan "Influence of salt on the solution dynamics of a phosphorylcholine-based polyzwitterion" Eur. Polym. J. 87 449-57 (2017)
M. Raftari, Z. J. Zhang, S. R. Carter, G. J. Leggett, and M. Geoghegan "Nanoscale contact mechanics between two grafted polyelectrolyte surfaces" Macromolecules 48 6272-9 (2015)
A. AL-Baradi, M. R. Tomlinson, Z. J. Zhang, and M. Geoghegan "Determination of the molar mass of surface-grafted weak polyelectrolyte brushes using force spectroscopy" Polymer 67 111-117 (2015)
Y. Pen, Z. J. Zhang, A. L. Morales-García, M. Mears, D. S. Tarmey, R. G. Edyvean, S. A. Banwart, and M. Geoghegan "Effect of extracellular polymeric substances on the mechanical properties of Rhodococcus" Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1848 518-26 (2015)
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
Physical Aspects of Polymer Science (PAPS11), Surrey, September 2011
Polymer Physics 2006, Suzhou, China, June 2006