Y.C. Jerry Jean

Curators’ Professor of Chemistry and Physics

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Current Research Interests

Our research interest is in the area of material sciences and physical chemistry. Our research goal is to look for better materials that are important for the current chemical, life science, and electronic industries.

Our research involves three approaches: (1) material preparation and synthesis, (2) chemical, medical, and physical characterization, and (3) theoretical understanding. We are particularly interested in novel materials possessing high technological importance with applications to the chemical and life science industry. Materials of interest include polymers, composites, thin films, membranes, superconductors, nano-structural compounds, non-linear optical polymers, multi-layer polymer coatings, catalysts, organic/polymer crystals, drug-delivery polymers, and cancerous cells.

The major emphasis of our research approach is on the characterization of physical, chemical, biological, and engineering properties of materials. We have focused our instrumental development, specializing in nanoscopic (i.e., in angstrom level), in-situ, non-destructive, non-invasive, and non-conventional investigations. At UMKC, we have developed an innovative nuclear technique, positron annihilation spectroscopy, which involves using the anti-particle of the electron--the positron, and gamma-ray spectroscopy. The unique information from this method includes: local electronic density, momentum density, atomic level defect at ppm -% level, Fermi surface, cavity, free volume, hole, and pore distribution. We also employ other analytical techniques for complete materials characterizations, such as FTIR, DSC, NMR, ESR, SAN, X-rays, AFM, ICP, and SEM instruments. In our quest for better materials, we employ quantum mechanical methods—ab initio and band structure—to understand material properties, to interpret the experimental results and to gather feedback.

Our recent research projects are:

1. Characterizing atomic defect, interface, and surface properties of polymeric coating, and membrane systems (NSF, OSU, CYCU, NSU).
2. Predicting long-term performance from nano-molecular degradation for polymeric systems (NIST).
3. Positron annihilation with cancer (RIF-UMKC).
4. Paint durability and degradations (Chemical Industry).
5. Plastic performance and gas separations (Chemical Industry).
6. Zeolite-based catalysts (Chemical Industry).