AREAS OF EXPERTISE

·        Thermodynamic of nanoparticles in solution

·        Nano-measurement & standardization

·        Bio-nano interaction

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Research experience

2014 –            Associate Professor, National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology

Accurate measurement and quantitative analysis on functional interfaces of nanostructures

2011 – 2014   Marie Curie Research Fellow, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge

Collaborator: Prof Nigel Slater, FREng; Dr David Fairen-Jimenez

Project A: Fabrication of large loading capacity,stimuli-responsive and release-controlled drug delivery nanodevices.

Project B: Cytotoxicity of functionalised nanomaterials with cancerous cell line.

2011               Visiting Scholar, Department of Chemical and Bioengineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA Collaborator: Prof Christopher Jones, Dr Linda Al-Hmoud

Ordered mesoporous ceria based copper catalyst for C-N bond forming reactions.

2008 – 2011   Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Chemistry, University College Cork, Ireland

(Strategy Research Cluster – BioNanoInteract)

Collaborator: Prof Kenneth Dawson, Prof Michael Morris

Project A: Engineered nanoparticles for biomedical applications.

Project B: Synthesis of dual-modal fluorescent nanoparticles.

Supervision experience

2013 -             Supervisor for PhD student, CEB, University of Cambridge

Student: Mr Tian Tian, Project: Nanoscale Metal-organic Frameworks for Targeted Drug Delivery.

2012              Supervisor and demonstrator for CEB-BUCT Summer School, University of Cambridge

Resulted in a bronze medal awarded for the supervised group

2011                Supervisor for PhD student, Georgia Institute of Technology

Student: Ms Linda Al-Hmoud, Project: Ordered mesoporous ceria based copper catalyst for C-N bond forming reactions.

2009-2010     Supervisors for PhD students, University College Cork

Student: Mr Atul Thorat, Project: Synthesis of dual-modal fluorescent nanoparticles.

2006-2007     Tutorials for first year undergraduates on Chemical Practical, UCC

Industrial experience

1997 – 1999   Chemical Engineer, Inner Mongolia Mengxi Hi-Tech Materials Co., Ltd, Ordos, China

EDUCATION

2004 – 2008   PhD Materials Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University College Cork (UCC) (Supervised by Prof Michael Morris)

Project: Nanostructured and porous oxides: novel strategies to synthesis and new structures.

·      Found out free O^2-/O₂^2- anion in solution under extreme dry conditions

·      Developed a general strategy to synthesize metal oxide nanomaterials at room temperature

1999 – 2002   MSc Chemical Technology, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Project: Formation mechanism and growth model of multi-phase composite ceramics with equiaxed grains.

1993 – 1997   BEng 1^st Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Technology

Project: Preparation of high-temperature adhesive from recycled polystyrene.

AWARDS

·        Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship for Career Development European Commission, 2011

·        PhD Scholarship for non-EU students, UCC, Ireland (2004-2007)

·        Outstanding Undergraduate Studentship, IMUT, China (1994-1996)

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Editor

Nanoscience and Nanometrology (Science Publishing Group)

Science Journal of Chemistry (Science Publishing Group)

Researches in Health and Nutrition (Science and Engineering Publishing Company)

Selection Panel Member

British Council Researcher Links

Project reviewer

Cancer Research UK

Referee

J. Phys. Chem. C

J. Colloid Interface Sci.

Mater. Res. Bull.

Micropor. Mesopor. Mater.

J. Solid State Chem.

Environmental Sci. Technol.

Mater. Chem. Phys.

Powder Technol.

J. Nanoparticle Res.

Nanoscale Res. Lett.

Nanomater. Nanotechnol.

Bioinorg. Chem. Appl.

Int. J. Biotechnol. Molecul. Bio. Res.

Organisation and administration

Chairman of Chinese Society of Chemical Engineering at Cambridge, 2011-2013

Conference chairman for Vaccine Delivery Systems for the Future, Stevenage, UK, 2013

Organiser of The 18th Joint Annual Conference of CSCST-SCl-UK, Cambridge, UK, 2011

Committee member of the Chinese Society of Chemical Science and Technology in the UK (CSCST-UK), 2011-present

PUBLICATIONS

Akram, S., Wang, Z., Chen, L., Wang, Q., Shen, G., Han, N., Chen, Y.,Ge, G., Low-temperature efficient degradation of ethyl acetate catalyzed by lattice-doped CeO2–CoOx nanocomposites. Catal Commun, 2016, 73, 123-127

Zhang, D.H.; Chen, L.; Ge, G.L. A green approach for efficient p-nitrophenol hydrogenation catalyzed by a Pd-based nanocatalyst, Catal Commun, 2015, 66, 95-99

Chen, Y. F.; Bao, Y.; Chen, L.; Yan, Y. D.; Yu, Z. P. Structure and optical property of composites based on ternary Zn_1-xCd_xO nanoparticles dispersed in octosilicate. Mater Sci Eng B 2015, 195, 30-37

Rahme, K.; Chen, L.; Hobbs, R. G.; Morris, M. A.; O'Driscoll, C.; Holmes, J. D. PEGylated gold nanoparticles: polymer quantification as a function of PEG lengthsand nanoparticle dimensions RSC Adv 2013, 3, 6085.

Li, Z. L.; Xu, J.; O'Byrne, J. P.; Chen, L.; Wang, K. X.; Morris, M. A.; Holmes, J. D. Freestanding bucky paper with high strength from multi-wall carbon nanotubes Mater Chem Phys 2012, 135, 921.

Chen, L.*; Rahme, K.; Holmes, J. D.; Morris, M. A.; Slater, N. K. H.* Non-solvolytic synthesis of aqueous soluble TiO2 nanoparticles and real-time dynamic measurements of the nanoparticle formation Nanoscale Res Lett 2012, 7, 297.

Xu, J.; Chen, L.; Mathewson, A.; Razeeb, K. M. Ultra-long metal nanowire arrays on solid substrate with strong bonding Nanoscale Res Lett 2011, 6, 525.

Ramirez-Garcia, S.; Chen, L.; Morris, M. A.; Dawson, K. A. A new methodology for studying nanoparticle interactions in biological systems: Dispersing titania in biocompatible media using chemical stabilisers Nanoscale 2011, 3, 4617.

Chen, L.*; Xu, J.; Zhang, W. H.; Holmes, J. D.; Morris, M. A.* Syntheses of complex mesoporous silicas using mixtures of nonionic block copolymer surfactants: Understanding formation of different structures using solubility parameters J Colloid Interf Sci 2011, 353, 169.

Chen, L.; Holmes, J. D.; Ramirez-Garcia, S.; Morris, A. A. Facile Synthesis of Monodisperse ZnO Nanocrystals by Direct Liquid Phase Precipitation J Nanomater 2011, 2011, 853832.

Chen, L.*; Zhang, W. H.; Xu, J.; Tanner, D. A.; Morris, M. A.* Mesopore constrictions derived from the substitutionally co-packed SBA-15 Micropor Mesopor Mat 2010, 129, 179.

Chen, L.* ; Xu, J.; Holmes, J. D.; Morris, M. A.* A Facile Route to ZnO Nanoparticle Superlattices: Synthesis, Functionalization, and Self-Assembly J Phys Chem C 2010, 114, 2003.

Chen, L.; Fleming, P.; Morris, V.; Holmes, J. D.; Morris, M. A. Size-Related Lattice Parameter Changes and Surface Defects in Ceria Nanocrystals J Phys Chem C 2010, 114, 12909.

Chen, L.; Xu, J.; Tanner, D. A.; Phelan, R.; Van der Meulen, M.; Holmes, J. D.; Morris, M. A. One-Step Synthesis of Stoichiometrically Defined Metal Oxide Nanoparticles at Room Temperature Chem-Eur J 2009, 15, 440. (Cover story)

Chen, L.; Tanner, D. A.; Xu, J.; Holmes, J. D.; Morris, M. A. Facile Synthesis of Oxygen Nanogenerators Nanosci Nanotech Let 2009, 1, 47.

Chen, L.; Xu, J.; Fleming, P.; Holmes, J. D.; Morris, M. A. Dynamic stable nanostructured metal oxide fractal films grown on flat substrates J Phys Chem C 2008, 112, 14286. (Cover story)