Jingfan Wei

Ph.D. candidate in Polymer Science (expected May 2027) with 6+ years of hands-on experience in the design, synthesis, and multi-technique characterization of hybrid nanomaterials and nanoscale interfaces. Seeking a Scientist position applying nanoparticle surface chemistry, high-resolution microscopy with quantitative image analysis, and molecular-recognition characterization to the development of solid-state single-molecule sensing and molecular diagnostic platforms.

Graduate Research Assistant - The University of Akron - Akron, OH

(2022-08)

Advisor: Dr.

Tianbo

Liu. Design, Synthesis, and Controlled Self-Assembly of Rigid Hybrid Amphiphiles into Nanostructures

• Designed and synthesized a series of rigid hybrid amphiphiles by multi-step organic synthesis, systematically varying linker length and side-chain length as design handles for nanostructure control.
• Fabricated self-assembled nanostructures with precise morphological control and characterized them by TEM, cryo-TEM, SEM, AFM, SAXS, and DLS; interpreted combined imaging and scattering data to quantify size distribution, morphology, and internal organization.
• Determined assembly density from sedimentation coefficients (s) and hydrodynamic radii (Rₕ) measured by AUC, then integrated density with SAXS and UV-vis data to resolve intra-assembly molecular packing and the conformation of constituent molecules within the assemblies.
• Established structure–property relationships linking macromolecular architecture to the resulting nanostructure, providing predictive design rules for building blocks; results published as two first-author papers.
• Established reference sedimentation coefficients for the monomeric and dimeric states of two structurally distinct macroions (A and B) by AUC sedimentation velocity, testing whether self-recognition originates at the earliest oligomeric stage of assembly.
• Overcame near-degenerate s values of the AA and BB dimers — indistinguishable by single-wavelength detection — by independently implementing multiwavelength AUC, exploiting distinct UV-vis absorbance profiles to deconvolute co-sedimenting species by spectral signature in addition to hydrodynamic behavior.
• Determined the wavelength dependence of the apparent dimer s value in mixed A/B solutions and demonstrated that the population comprises exclusively homo-dimers with no detectable hetero-dimer, establishing that molecular self-recognition is encoded at the dimer stage rather than emerging during subsequent assembly growth.
• Designed and executed a multi-variable DOE study — varying plasma power, gas composition, pressure, and exposure time — to identify process conditions achieving high decomposition yield, high selectivity, and low energy consumption.
• Performed real-time, in-situ monitoring and compositional analysis of gas-phase products by IR coupled with GC-MS, and elucidated degradation mechanisms from the product evolution sequence.
• Built a Python data-processing and visualization pipeline to correlate multivariate process parameters (plasma voltage, pulse duration, background gas flow rate) with degradation selectivity and yield; work published in Applied Catalysis O: Open.

Ph.D. Candidate - Polymer Science - The University of Akron (2022-08 - 2027-05)

M.S. - Polymer Science - The University of Akron (2021-08 - 2022-05)

B.E. - Polymer Science and Engineering - Qingdao University of Science and Technology (2017-09 - 2021-06)