Prof. Ophelia K. C. Tsui      

Department of Physics, Boston University

 | Overview | |Research | | People | | Curriculum Vitae | | Publications | | Teaching | Physics Department | Directions |

 

 

News!

○ Ophelia is a featured speaker of 2019 Frontiers in Polymer Science, organized by Elsevier, Budapest, Hungary (May 5-8, 2019).

https://www.elsevier.com/events/conferences/frontiers-in-polymer-science/programme/featured-speakers-merging-polymer-structure-with-dynamics

○ Xuanji’s paper on how to tune the effective viscosity of polymer films by chemical modifications is accepted for publication in Macromolecules. (April 2019).

○ A paper Ophelia collaborates with Prof. Xinping Wang’s group in Zhejiang University of Sci. & Tech. is published in Macromoelcules. (March, 2019)

○ Xuanji successfully defended his thesis. Congratulations, Xuanji! (March 11, 2019)

○ Xuanji and Fei’s paper on the physics of slipping solid has been accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. E Rapid Communications (Jan 2019).

○ Xuanji’s paper on the effective viscosity of UVO treated films and how the result reveals the dynamic properties of the surface mobile layer was published online in Macromolecules (Jan 2019).

○ Fei was selected for the National 1000 Youth Talents Plan if China. Congratulations, Fei! (Jan 2019).

 

 

 

 

 

Group leader

Prof. Ophelia K. C. Tsui
Department of Physics
Boston University
Office: Metcalf Science Center Rm. 215
Lab: Metcalf Science Center Rms. B2 &B3

Tel: 617-358-4669 (off) -5147 (lab)
Fax: 617-353-9393
Email: okctsui@bu.edu

 

 

Dynamics and stability of polymer films and nanocomposites, wetting properties of liquids on inhomogeneous surfaces, AFM nanotribology, nanomechanics, nanolithography

Members

 

 


Xuanji Yu, PhD candidate
Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) Division
Boston University
Email: xuanjiy@bu.edu

 

 

 

Methods for Tuning the Dynamics of Polymer Films

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Collaborators

Prof. Chi Hang Lam
 Department of Physics
 Hong Kong Polytechnic University
 Hung Hom, Kowloon
 HONG KONG.

Prof. Ping Gao
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Hong Kong University of Science & Technology

Prof. Lu-Tao Weng
Materials Characterization and Sample Preparation Facility 
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Hong Kong University of Science & Technology

 

Former Group Members

 

Postdoctoral fellows

Dr. Hongfang Zhang ('99 - '00)
Position afterwards: Associate Professor, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Changchun, Jilin, China.
Email: hfzhang@ns.ciac.jl.cn

 

 

 


Dr. Fengchao Xie ('01 - '03)
Position afterwards: Research group leader, Huanyu Battery Co.  (环宇电源股份有限公司）
Email: fengchao_xie@yahoo.com

 

 

 

 Prof. Heping Zhao ('02 - '03)
Current position : Professor, Physics, Jishou University, Hunan, China.
Email: phhpzhao@vip.sina.com

 

 

 


Prof. Xuemin Lu ('03 - '04)
Current position:  Associate Professor, School of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Email: xueminlu@sjtu.edu.cn

 

 

 

 


Dr. Jones Wan ('04 -'05)
Position afterward: Research Assistant Professor,  Physics Department, Chinese University of Hong Kong.
jwan@phy.cuhk.hk

Prof. Bin Kong ('05-'06)
Current position: Associate Professor, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
lbkong@iccas.ac.cn

 

 

 

Prof. Yoshihisa Fujii
Afterward: Assistant professor, Kyushu University, Japan.
Current position: Associate professor,
Department of Chemistry for Materials, Mie University, Japan.
Email: fujii@chem.mie-u.ac.jp

 

 

 

Prof. Zhaohui Yang
Current position: Professor, Department of Physics, Soochow University, China
Email: polymeryangzhaohui@gmail.com

 

 

 

Felix Fei Chen
Afterward: Postdoc at Northumbria University (Sept, 2016-June 2017),
      Associate Professor, Xi’an Jiaotong University (July, 2017) 
Department of Physics
Boston University
Email: feichen@bu.edu

 

 

 

 

 

Phase transition and morphology of crystalline polymer, x-ray scattering, glass transition of polymer thin films

 

 

 

 

Crystalline polymer, glass transition of polymer thin films, novel methods for liquid crystal alignment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Theoretical studies of electrorheological fluids, Composite media

 

 

 

 

Synthesis and laser-processing of photosensitive materials,  development of liquid crystal devices.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Modeling of liquid crystal alignment on inhomogeneous surfaces and bandgap properties of photonic crystals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Modeling of wetting properties of patterned surfaces

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polymer thin films and interfaces

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polymer films, nanomaterials and carbon nanotube membranes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Dynamics of Polymer Films and Nanocomposites

 

 

Graduate students

 

Oi Chi Tsang‡ (M. Phil., '00)
M. Phil. Thesis: "RDS Study of Relaxation in Mechanically Aligned Polymer Films"
After graduation: Teaching instructor, Physics, HKUST

 


Prof. Binyang Du‡ (Ph. D. of Changchun Institute of Appl. Chem., '02)
Ph. D. Thesis: "Nanomechanical Measurements of Polymer Surface"
Alexander von Humboldt Fellow (2003)
Current position: Associate Professor, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China.
http://mypage.zju.edu.cn/dubinyang/570489.html

 

 

Dr. Baoshe Zhang‡ (Ph.D., '02)
Ph.D. Thesis: "A Study of Substrate-Liquid Crystal Interaction"
After graduation: Postdoctoral fellow, University of Lethbrige, Alberta, Canada.
Current position: Scientific programmer, Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.
 

 

 



Dr. Fuk Kay Lee (M. Phil., '01, Ph.D., '05)
Recipient of the Academic Achievements Award, HKUST (2000)
M. Phil. Thesis: "Study of Strong Localization Effects in Quantum Interference Nanostructures"
Ph.D. Thesis: "Control of Liquid Crystal Alignment by Inhomogeneous Substrates"
Position afterwards: Research Scientist, Applied Physics, Hong Kong Polytechnic Univ., Hong Kong.
fukylee@gmail.com

 

 

Dr. Xue Yun Zhang (M. Phil., '05)
M. Phil. Thesis: "Polymer Thin Film Dewetting: Fundamentals and Applications"
Position afterward: Ph.D. student, Chemical Engineering, HKUST
xyzhang@ust.hk
Current position: Research engineer, Vesta Technology R&D, Singapore.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Yong Jian Wang (Ph.D., '06)
Ph.D. Thesis: "Dewetting Instability of Polymer Thin Film"
Position afterward: Postdoctoral Fellow, Physics, HKUST.

 

 

Dr. Andrew Clough (Ph.D., '13)
Ph.D. Thesis:  "Exploring Ways to Control the Properties of Polymer Thin Films"
Position afterward: Postdoc, Okalahoma State University, Stillwater, OK.
Current position: Lecturer, California Polytechnic State University

 

 

 

Dr. Ranxing Nancy Li (Ph.D., '13)
Ph.D. Thesis: "The Influence of Interface and Solvent Quality on the Dynamics of Polymer Films"
Position afterward: Shell Oil Company.
Email: nancyli@bu.edu 

 

Dr. Dongdong Peng, (PhD., ’13)
Ph.D. Thesis: "Study of Polymer Thin Films Using Atomic Force Microscopy"
Position afterward: Cggveritas
Email: ddpeng@buphy.bu.edu

 

 


Kun Geng, (PhD., ’16)
Ph.D. Thesis: "Dynamic Studies of Nano-Confined Polymer Thin Films"
After graduation: Analog Devices

 

‡ co-advised student

 

 

Technicians

Mr. Walter C. M. Ho ('17 -)
Department of Physics, HKUST
Email: phwalter@ust.hk

 

Ms. Carrie W. Y. Law ('02 - '06)
Current position: Senior Technical Officer, Materials and Characterization Facility, HKUST
Email: duchovny@ust.hk

 

Mr. Jacob Y. L. Ho ('99 - '02)
Current position: Senior Technical Officer, Electronic & Computer Engineering Department, HKUST
Email: eejacob@ust.hk

 

Undergraduates

 

Raymond Zhou (Physics major, BU, 2010-11)
Project: "Wetting Properties of Polymer Brushes"

 

 

  

Lela Todorova (B. Sc., Physics, BU, '08)
Project: "Surface Structure of Confined Polymers"

After graduation: Physicist, Massachusetts General Hospital

 

 

Kim Man Siu (B. Sc., Math, HKUST, '02)
Project: "Dewetting of Polymer Films"

 

 



Rui Ma (B. Sc., Phys, HKUST, '03)
Project : "Liquid Crystal Alignment by Inhomogeneous Substrate Patterning"

 

 

 

 

Jeffrey C. W. Lee (B. Sc., Phys, HKUST, '04)
Project: "Patterning of Photoalignment film by Optical Projection Method"

 

 

 

Xu Li (Exchange student, Spring '05)
Project: "Formation of Inhomogeneous Liquid Crystal Alignment Layer"
 

 

 

 

 

High School Students

 2016 (July-Aug):

 

 Seth Liyanage
Albemarle High School, Charlottesville, VA

Afterward: Stanford

 

 

2012 (July-Aug):

Lawrence Arney (Lars)
Randolph School, Huntsville, AL

 

 

 

2011 (July-Aug):

Katherine Jiang
Lynbrook High School, San Jose, CA

Afterward: Caltech

 

 

 

2010 (July-Aug):

Rebecca Engelke
Newton North High School, Newtonville, MA

 

 

 

 

2009 (July-Aug):

Jacob Rubash
Andover High School, Andover, MN

 

 

 

 

2008 (July-Aug):

Rebecca Masel (July-Aug 2008)
The Tatnall School, Wilmington, DE

 

 

 

 

2007 (July-Aug):

Elliott Grieco (Marine Academy of Science & Technology)
Project: "Surface Tension of Polymer Ultra Thin Films"

 

 

 

2005:

Shun Yin Wong (Ying Wa College, HK)
Wing Mei Dickinson Lee (Christian Alliance S. C. Chan Memorial College, HK)
Chun Yu Tse (Christian Alliance S. C. Chan Memorial College, HK)
Kwan Tai Ivan Shiu (St. Louis School, HK)

First Prize Winners of the 2005 Physics Research Experience for the Sixth Form Students
Project: "Choreography with Rubens Flame Tube"

Click here to download the video of our tube in action (4.7 MB).                                            

 

 

2004:

Tsz Hei Chan (St. Francis Xavier's College, HK)
Wai Yee Ho (SKH Tsang Shiu Tim Secondary School, HK)
Yau Shing Ng (Wong Shiu Chi Secondary School, HK)
 Chiu Fai Tang (HKTA Tang Hin Memorial Secondary School, HK)

First Prize Winners of the 2004 Physics Research Experience for the Sixth Form Students
Project: "Physics and Construction of Smoke Cannon"

Yee

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last revised on 7/8/2015.