My research interests in Materials Chemistry focus on the design of nanomaterials for biomedicines, catalysis and the environment. There are four types of nanomaterials have been developed in my research programme; functionalized magnetic nanoparticles, nanoporous inorganic-organic hybrids, nanostructured inorganic oxides and natural polymer nanomaterials. Areas of application include carbon capture and storage, enzyme immobilization, heterogeneous catalysis, environmental remediation, gene delivery, imaging, drug storage, antibacteria and hyperthermia. Current research projects: 1. Nanomaterials for Carbon Capture and Storage (funded by EPSRC/SFC) – two PhD students have been appointed to carry out two 3½ years project on developing (i) inorganic-organic hybrid nanoporous materials and (ii) natural polymer nanomaterials for carbon dioxide adsorption, separation and storage. This is part of the nation-wide Carbon Capture and Storage Consortium. 2. Fluorescent Magnetic Nanoparticles for Tissue Engineering (collaboration with Edinburgh) – a collaboration work between School of Medicine, Edinburgh (Grigore Richitor) and Engineering (Pierre Bagnaninchi) to study the use of fluorescent magnetic nanoparticle in tissue engineering and bone regeneration. 3. Multifunctional Magnetic Nanoparticles for Imaging and Gene Delivery (collaboration with Liverpool/Keele) – an ongoing research collaboration with Matt Rosseinsky FRS and Divya Chari to study nervous system regeneration will continue. The research work is based on a multifunctional magnetic nanoparticle system with a combined bimodal imaging and gene delivery property. 4. Nanoporous Gold Particles as a New Material for Electrochemistry (collaboration with CNSR, Bordeaux) – a collaboration with the Analytical Chemistry group in Bordeaux for the development of nanoporous gold particles as a coating materials for electrode. Application is on the detection of biomolecules of low concentration in complex matrices. 5. Nanoparticles Formation using Ultra Mixing (collaboration with Liverpool) – this is to utilize the UMPF facilities at Liverpool for the large-scale production of nanoparticles. Originally a Master project, nanoparticles of natural polymers have been prepared by several mixing method including the use of UMPF.

2010 to date: Lecturer, Chemical Engineering, Heriot-Watt University 2008-2010: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dept of Chemistry, University of Liverpool 2004-2007: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Inst of Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele University 2002-2003: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Greenwich 1999-2002: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dept of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews 1995-1998: PhD, University of Huddersfield 1994-1995: MSc, University of Salford 1990-1993: BSc, University of Hong Kong