Yunxiang Gao

Yunxiang Gao
Yunxiang Gao, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

Education

  • Ph.D., Ohio University, 2010
  • M.S., University of Science and Technology of China, 2006
  • B.S., Inner Mongolia University, 2002

Research Interests

The Gao group focuses on interdisciplinary research at the interface of polymers and nanomaterials to meet critical needs in biomedical applications, energy conversion, sustainable agriculture, and soft robotics. By building soft materials ranging from biodegradable block-co-polymers, liquid crystalline polymers, hydrogels, elastomers, and their hybrid composites with various carbon, metal, metal oxide nanostructures such as: carbon nanotubes, graphene, silver nanowires, we develop cutting-edge novel materials incorporated with various functionalities. The research projects include:

  • Novel agricultural nanocomposites for water retention and sustainable fertilizing
  • Smart cell culture scaffold for tissue engineering applications
  • Soft robotics based on stimuli-responsive artificial muscles
  • Carbon nanomaterials for energy conversion

For more information, please visit our Group Website.

Teaching Interests

Physical Chemistry and General Chemistry

Selected Research Publications

[Agricultural Nanocomposites]

  • Direct intertube cross-linking of carbon nanotubes at room temperature. Gao, Y.; Chen, H.; Chen, L. Nano Letters, 16 (10), 6541-6547, 2016.

[Nanomaterials for Energy Conversion]

  • Hole-punching for enhancing electrocatalytic activities of 2D graphene electrodes: Less is more. Gao, Y.; Zhang, L.; Xia, Z.; Li, C.M.; Dai L. The Journal of Chemical Physics 153 (7), 074701, 2020
  • Hole and electron extraction layers based on graphene oxide derivatives for high-performance bulk heterojunction solar cells. Liu, J.; Xue, Y.; Gao, Y.; Yu, D.; Durstock, M.; Dai, L. Advanced Materials, 24, 2227, 2012

[Polymers for Biomedical Applications]

  • 3D Porous Liquid Crystal Elastomer Foams Supporting Long‐term Neuronal Cultures. T. Mori, R. Cukelj, M. Prévôt, S. Ustunel, A. Story, Y. Gao, K. Diabre; J.A. McDonough, E. J. Freeman, E. Hegmann. Macromolecular Rapid Communications 41, 1900585, 2020
  • Carbon nano-allotrope/magnetic nanoparticle hybrid nanomaterials as T2 contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging applications. Gao, Y.  Journal of Functional Biomaterials, 9(1), 16, 2018
  • Biocompatible 3D liquid crystal elastomer cell scaffolds and foams with primary and secondary porous architecture. Gao, Y.; Mori, T.; Manning, S.; Zhao, Y.; Nielsen, A. D.; Neshat, A.; Sharma, A.; Mahnen, C. J.; Everson, H. R.; Crotty, S.; Clements, R. J.; Malcuit, C.; Hegmann, E.   ACS Macro Letters, 5, 14. 2016.
  • Non-viral nanoparticle delivers small interfering RNA to macrophages in vitro and in vivo. Zhang, M.; Gao, Y.; Caja, K.; Zhao, B.; Kim, J.  PLoS One Mar 23; 10(3): e0118472, 2015
  • Development of Y-shaped peptide for constructing nanoparticle systems targeting tumor-associated macrophages in vitro and in vivo. Yan, L.; Gao Y. (co-first author); Pierce, R.; Dai, L.; Kim, J.; Zhang, M.  Material Research Express, 1, 025007/1, 2014

[Polymers for Self-assembly]

  • Versatile control of multiphase laminar flow for in-channel microfabrication. Gao, Y.; Chen, L.  Lab on a Chip, 8, 1695-1699, 2008
  • Double hydrophilic block copolymer controlled growth and self-assembly of CaCO3 multilayered structures at air/water interface. Gao, Y.; Yu, S.H.; Guo, X.H.  Langmuir 22(14), 6125-6129, 2006