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Mingzhao Liu

Senior Scientist, Interface Sciences/Catalysis, Center for Functional Nanomaterials

Brookhaven National Laboratory

Center for Functional Nanomaterials
Bldg. 735
P.O. Box 5000
Upton, NY 11973-5000

(631) 344-2569
mzliu@bnl.gov

Pronouns: he, him, his

Dr. Mingzhao Liu received his bachelor degree from Peking University in 2002 and his doctoral degree from The University of Chicago in 2007, both in chemistry. Following a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University, he joined the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN) of Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) as a Staff Scientist in 2012 and was promoted to Senior Scientist in 2019. Since 2014 Dr. Liu has been appointed as an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering of Stony Brook University.

Expertise

Artificial Photosynthesis
Electrochemistry and Photoelectrochemistry
Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD)
Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD)
X-ray fine structure spectroscopy (XAFS)
Numerical simulation for nanophotonic/plasmonic structures

Research Activities

Current research focuses on thin film materials fabrication for applications in solar energy conversion and quantum information science. For solar energy conversion, the goal is to find a photoelectrode material that utilizes solar radiation with high efficiency while enjoying decent chemical stability against the harsh PEC environment, through an integrated approach of material synthesis, photoelectrochemical studies, theoretical modeling, and advanced optical characterizations. More recently, Dr. Liu has joined the Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage (C²QA), to lead a subthrust in correlating material properties with superconducting qubit device characterization. Other interests include the experimental/theoretical studies of nanophotonic/plasmonic nanostructures for improving light absorption in solar energy devices and applications in chemical/biochemical sensing.

Education

B.S.: Peking University, 2002
PhD: The University of Chicago, 2007
- James Franck Institute. Advisor: Prof. Philippe Guyot-Sionnest
- Dissertation: Localized Surface Plasmon of Quasi-One-Dimensional Metallic Nanostructures

Professional Appointments

Postdoctoral Fellow: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University (2008-2011)
Staff Scientist, Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory (2012 - Present)
Adjunction Professor, Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Stony Brook University (2014 - Present)

Selected Publications

Liu M, Black CT (2024) Performance analysis of superconductor-constriction-superconductor transmon qubits. Physical Review A 110:. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.110.012427
Zhou C, Mun J, Yao J, et al (2024) Ultrathin Magnesium-Based Coating as an Efficient Oxygen Barrier for Superconducting Circuit Materials. Advanced Materials. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202310280
Mun J, Sushko PV, Brass E, et al (2023) Probing Oxidation-Driven Amorphized Surfaces in a Ta(110) Film for Superconducting Qubit. ACS Nano 18:1126–1136. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.3c10740
Hilbrands AM, Zhang S, Zhou C, et al (2023) Impact of Varying the Photoanode/Catalyst Interfacial Composition on Solar Water Oxidation: The Case of BiVO4(010)/FeOOH Photoanodes. Journal of the American Chemical Society 145:23639–23650. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c07722
Li R, Jiang X, Zhou C, et al (2023) Deciphering phase evolution in complex metal oxide thin films via high-throughput materials synthesis and characterization. Nanotechnology 34:125701. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6528/acad09
Zhou C, Zhang L, Tong X, Liu M (2021) Temperature Effect on Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting: A Model Study Based on BiVO4 Photoanodes. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 13:61227–61236. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.1c19623
Lee D, Wang W, Zhou C, Tong X, Liu M, Galli G, Choi K-S (2021) The impact of surface composition on the interfacial energetics and photoelectrochemical properties of BiVO4. Nature Energy 6:287–294. doi: 10.1038/s41560-021-00777-x
Qu X, Yan D, Li R, Cen J, Zhou C, Zhang W, Lu D, Attenkofer K, Stacchiola DJ, Hybertsen MS, Stavitski E, Liu M (2021) Resolving the Evolution of Atomic Layer-Deposited Thin-Film Growth by Continuous In Situ X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy. Chemistry of Materials 33:1740–1751. doi: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.0c04547
Zhou C, Sanders-Bellis Z, Smart TJ, Zhang W, Zhang L, Ping Y, Liu M (2020) Interstitial Lithium Doping in BiVO4 Thin Film Photoanode for Enhanced Solar Water Splitting Activity. Chemistry of Materials 32:6401–6409. doi: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.0c01481
Sun S, Yang S, Xin HL, Nykypanchuk D, Liu M, Zhang H, Gang O (2020) Valence-programmable nanoparticle architectures. Nature Communications. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-16157-0
Yan D, Topsakal M, Selcuk S, Lyons JL, Zhang W, Wu Q, Waluyo I, Stavitski E, Attenkofer K, Yoo S, Hybertsen MS, Lu D, Stacchiola DJ, Liu M (2019) Ultrathin Amorphous Titania on Nanowires: Optimization of Conformal Growth and Elucidation of Atomic-Scale Motifs. Nano Letters 19:3457–3463. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.8b04888
Zhang W, Yan D, Tong X, Liu M (2018) Ultrathin Lutetium Oxide Film as an Epitaxial Hole-Blocking Layer for Crystalline Bismuth Vanadate Water Splitting Photoanodes. Advanced Functional Materials 28:1705512. doi: 10.1002/adfm.201705512
Zhang W, Wu F, Li J, Yan D, Tao J, Ping Y, Liu M (2018) Unconventional Relation between Charge Transport and Photocurrent via Boosting Small Polaron Hopping for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting. ACS Energy Letters 3:2232–2239. doi: 10.1021/acsenergylett.8b01445
Yan D, Zhang W, Cen J, Stavitski E, Sadowski JT, Vescovo E, Walter A, Attenkofer K, Stacchiola DJ, Liu M (2017) Near band edge photoluminescence of ZnO nanowires: Optimization via surface engineering. Applied Physics Letters 111:231901. doi: 10.1063/1.5001043
Tian C, Cordeiro MAL, Lhermitte J, Xin HL, Shani L, Liu M, Ma C, Yeshurun Y, DiMarzio D, Gang O (2017) Supra-Nanoparticle Functional Assemblies through Programmable Stacking. ACS Nano 11:7036–7048. doi: 10.1021/acsnano.7b02671
Liu M, Lyons JL, Yan D, Hybertsen MS (2015) Semiconductor-Based Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting at the Limit of Very Wide Depletion Region. Advanced Functional Materials 26:219–225. doi: 10.1002/adfm.201503692
Liu M, Nam C-Y, Black CT, Kamcev J, Zhang L (2013) Enhancing Water Splitting Activity and Chemical Stability of Zinc Oxide Nanowire Photoanodes with Ultrathin Titania Shells. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 117:13396–13402. doi: 10.1021/jp404032p
Liu M, Pelton M, Guyot-Sionnest P (2009) Reduced damping of surface plasmons at low temperatures. Physical Review B. doi: 10.1103/physrevb.79.035418
Liu M, Lee T-W, Gray SK, Guyot-Sionnest P, Pelton M (2009) Excitation of Dark Plasmons in Metal Nanoparticles by a Localized Emitter. Physical Review Letters. doi: 10.1103/physrevlett.102.107401
Liu M, Guyot-Sionnest P (2005) Mechanism of Silver(I)-Assisted Growth of Gold Nanorods and Bipyramids. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 109:22192–22200. doi: 10.1021/jp054808n