Guangwen Zhou, a mechanical engineer from the Binghamton University, has received the young researchers’ award from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The researcher with curiosity for chemistry and surface structure at nuclear level has been working on oxidation and reduction reactions. His research is anticipated to lead ways for the manufacture of durable appliances as well as eco-friendly production processes.
The researcher has received over $400,000 and a five year grant from the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program of NSF to sustain his research. Zhou has designs to produce reaction models to cut down the size of metal oxides such as copper oxides at the atomic level and connect them to the models for reactions of larger-scope. His research will make use of advanced in-situ microscopy techniques to study the atomic level reactions concurrently. He is also making use of scanning electron microscopes and transmission electron microscopes available at the Analytical and Diagnostics Laboratory of Binghamton and joins forces with researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and Brookhaven National Laboratory in his research.
The research when completed will allow the production of electric devices at lower level temperatures; can be used in practical usages for materials processing associated to thin films, gas sensing, heterogeneous catalysis and fuel reactions. As a part of the project, Zhou is planning to formulate an electron microscope with a virtual transmission feature.