Chenhui Zhu

Chenhui Zhu received his B.Sc. from the University of Science and Technology of China and his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Colorado Boulder. He subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago. He is currently a Staff Scientist at the Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

My primary research interest lies in developing and applying advanced synchrotron X-ray scattering techniques for cutting-edge materials science. This includes:

• Designing novel in situ, multimodal tools to monitor energy materials during processing and under real operating conditions
• Exploring resonant soft and tender X-ray scattering to uncover chemical bonding, molecular orientation, and chirality in soft and hybrid materials
• Pioneering smarter, accelerated pathways for materials discovery and optimization by integrating robotics, automation, and machine learning/AI

Please see my google scholar profile

In Situ Multimodal Sample Environments

1. In-situ Spin Coater for Multimodal Grazing Incidence X-ray Scattering Studies, A. H. Coffey, J. Slack, E. Cornell, L. L. Yang, K. Anderson, K. Wang, L. Dou, C. Zhu, Rev. Sci. Instrum., (2023).

Resonant X-ray Scattering/Bond-Molecular Orientation Ordering

1. “Probing and Controlling Liquid Crystal Helical Nanofilament”, C. Zhu, et al, Nano Letters 15, 3420 (2015).
2. “Resonant Carbon K-Edge Soft X-Ray Scattering from Helical Molecular Reorientation (Twist Bend Nematic Phase)”, C. Zhu, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 116, 147803 (2016).
3. “Structure of 3-D Nanoscale-pitch Helical Phases: Blue Phases and Twist Bend Nematic”, M. Salamonczyk, et al., Soft Matter,  13, 6694 (2017) (Cover).
4. “Molecular Packing in Double Gyroid Cubic Phases Revealed via Resonant Soft X-ray Scattering“, Y. Cao, et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 027801 (2020).

Coherent X-ray Scattering and Imaging

1. “Study of Electrode Surface Dynamics Using Coherent Surface X-Ray Scattering“, H. You, et al., Electrochimica Acta, 82, 570 (2012).
2. “Ptychographic X-ray Imaging of Surfaces on Crystal Truncation Rod”, C. Zhu, et al., Applied Physics Letters, 106, 101604 (2015).

Liquid Crystals, Molecular Rotors, Nanoparticle Self-assembly, Metal Organic Framework (MOF/COF),

1. “Topological Ferroelectric Bistability in a Polarization-Modulated Orthogonal Smectic Liquid Crystal”, C. Zhu, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 134, 9681 (2012);; “Spontaneous Ferroelectric Order in a Bent-Core Smectic Liquid Crystal of Fluid Orthorhombic Layers”, R. A. Reddy, C. Zhu, et al., Science 332, 72 (2011).
2. “Structure of a Monolayer of Molecular Rotors on Aqueous Subphase from Grazing-incidence X-ray Diffraction“, J. Kaleta, et al., PNAS, (2018). DOI: pnas.1712789115
3. “Structural Diversity in Binary Superlattices Self-assembled from Polymer-grafted Nanocrystals”, X. Ye, et al, Nature Communications 6, 11052 (2015).
4. “Ordered and Oriented MOFs on Plasmonic Silver Nanocrystals”, Y. Zhao, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 137, 2199 (2015);; “Weaving of Organic Threads into a Crystalline Covalent Organic Framework”, Y. Liu, et al.,  Science 351, 365 (2016).