EMIT Lab

Research

Emergent Materials and Intelligent TEM (EMIT) Lab aims to advance the synthesis, characterization, and analysis of emergent functional materials via developing AI-driven combinational toolkit. Our research focuses on three interconnected areas:

1. Intelligent Synthesis: We develop automated robotic systems for high-throughput chemical synthesis and automated sample preparation for structural and functional characterization. Synthetic routes are dynamically optimized in real time based on AI-guided analysis of characterization data.

2. Intelligent Characterization: We develop intelligent transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques, including novel hardware for liquid-cell TEM and advanced data analysis algorithms for in situ and 4D TEM. These innovations enable us to uncover the fundamental structure-property relationships at the atomic scale..

3. Artificial Intelligence: We leverage AI techniques to design hierarchical materials, predict their structures and properties, and develop intelligent algorithms for analyzing complex characterization datasets, particularly from in situ and high-throughput experiments.

TEAM

Principal Investigator

Dr. Yu Wang 王宇   |  
Professor, School of Emergent Soft Matter, South China University of Technology

Postdoc Researchers

Zhihao Li 李之豪   |  
PhD from Xiamen Univ
Catassembly and DFT Calculations

Ph.D. Students

Yansong Jiang 姜岩松   |  
MSc from Jilin Univ
Nanocrystals and Applications

Xiang Zhou 周翔   |  
MSc from Shanxi Univ
TEM and Hybrid Materials

Xuehai Huang 黄雪海   |  
BSc from Tiangong Univ
Artificial Intelligence and TEM

Xianhang Huang 黄锨航   |  
MSc from SCUT
Catalysis and In-situ Characterizations

Hong Li 李宏   |  
MSc from Lanzhou Jiaotong Univ
Nanocrystals and Applications

Hang Zhang 张航   |  
MSc from Taiyuan Univ of Tech
Catalysis and In-situ Characterizations

Master Students and Research Assistants

Kefan Yang 杨可凡   |  
BSc from Dalian Univ of Tech
Emergent Materials

Huirong Liu 刘慧荣   |  
BSc from South China Univ of Tech
Emergent Materials

Yingyao Li 李滢耀   |  
BSc from Guangzhou Univ
Emergent Materials

Junjie Lin 林俊杰   |  
BSc from Central South Univ
AI for Science

Luyu Chen 陈露雨   |  
North China Univ of Sci Tech
Catalysis and In situ Characterizations

Shengnan Cheng 程胜南   |  
Wuhan Univ of Sci Tech
Nanocrystals and Applications

Yu Huang 黄瑜   |  
BSc from SCUT
AI for Science

Yeqing Liu 刘晔青   |  
BSc from Sichuan Univ
Catalysis and In situ Characterizations

Zhenda He 何镇达   |  
School of Emergent Soft Matter 2021

Xinyi Pan 潘忻宜   |  
School of Emergent Soft Matter 2021

Wenxin Chang 常文馨   |  
School of Emergent Soft Matter 2021

Yang Zhang 张阳   |  
Department of Physics 2021

Yintong Liu 刘胤彤   |  
School of Emergent Soft Matter 2022

Shengmin Zhou 周盛旻   |  
School of Emergent Soft Matter 2023

Alumni

Publications

[31] Y. Jiang#, W. Chang#, Z. Li#, X. Zhou, P. Zhang, X. Huang, X. Pan, Z. He, Y. Wang*, Z. Tian
Synergistic Aggregation-Induced Emissive Linkers in Metal–Organic Frameworks for Ultrasensitive and Quantitative Visual Sensing.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. Au, 2025, jacsau.5c00092.

[30] C. Chen, L. Cao, Y. Liu, Z. Li, Z. Li, G. Zhou, D. Zhang*, X. Huang, Y. Wang*, G. Li, L. Liu, Y. Yuan, Y. Zhang, Q. Wang, Y. Chen, Z. Shi, Q. Fang, Z. Huang*, Z. Lai*, and Y. Han*
Investigating a Seemingly Simple Imine-Linked Covalent Organic Framework Structure.
J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2024, 146, 35504.

[29] Y. Meng, M. Wang, J. Wang, X. Huang, X. Zhou, M. Sajid, Z. Xie, R. Luo, Z. Zhu, Z. Zhang, N. Khan, Y. Wang*, Z. Li*, and W. Chen*
Robust bilayer solid electrolyte interphase for Zn electrode with high utilization and efficiency.
Nat. Commun., 2024, 15, 8431. 

[28] X. Liu, X. Yan*, Y. Liu, H. Qu, Y. Wang, J. Wang, Q. Guo, H. Lei, X. Li, F. Bian, X. Cao, R. Zhang, Y. Wang, M. Huang, Z. Lin, E. W. Meijer, T. Aida, X. Kong*, and S. Z.D. Cheng*
Self-assembled soft alloy with Frank–Kasper phases beyond metals.
Nat. Mater., 2024, 23, 570.

[27] Y. Meng, M. Wang, K. Li, Z. Zhu, Z. Liu, T. Jiang, X. Zheng, K. Zhang, W. Wang, Q. Peng, Z. Xie, Y. Wang, and W. Chen*
Reversible, dendrite-free, high-capacity aluminum metal anode enabled by aluminophilic interface layer.
Nano Lett., 2023, 23, 2295.

[26] Y. Xie, J. Wang, B. Savitzky, Z. Chen, Y. Wang, S. Betzler, K. Bustillo, K. Persson, Y. Cui, L. Wang, C. Ophus*, P. Ercius*, and H. Zheng*
Spatially resolved structural order in low-temperature liquid electrolyte.
Sci. Adv., 2023, 9, eadc9721.

[25] Y. Wang,# Z. Song,# J. Wan, S. Betzler, Y. Xie, C. Ophus, K. Bustillo, P. Ercius, L. Wang, and H. Zheng∗
Strong structural and electronic coupling in metavalent PbS moiré superlattices.
J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2022, 144, 23474.

[24] Z. Song,# Y. Wang,# H. Zheng, P. Narang,* and L. Wang*
Deep quantum-dot arrays in moiré superlattices of non-van der Waals materials.
J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2022, 144, 14657. 

[23] Q. Zhang,# Z. Song,# Y. Wang,# Y. Nie, J. Wan, K. Bustillo, P. Ercius, L. Wang, L. Sun, and H. Zheng*
Swap motion–directed twinning of nanocrystals.
Sci. Adv., 2022, 8, eabp9970.

[22] Y. Liu, Tong Liu, X. Yan, Q. Guo, H. Lei, Z. Huang, R. Zhang, Y. Wang, J. Wang, F. Liu, F. Bian, E.W. Meijer, T. Aida, M. Huang*, and Stephen Z.D. Cheng*
Expanding quasiperiodicity in soft matter: Supramolecular decagonal quasicrystals by binary giant molecule blends.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2022, 119, e2115304119.
 

Prior to joining SCUT (2021.08)

[21] J. Jiang, Y. Wang, L. Jin, C-H Hsu, S. Zhang, J. Mao, W. Yin, T. Li, B. Ni, Z. Su, J. Huang, C. Wesdemiotis, K. Yue, W. Zhang*, and S. Z. D. Cheng*.
Modularly constructed polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-based giant molecules for unconventional nanostructure fabrication.
ACS Appl. Nano Mater., 2020, 3, 2952.
 

[20] Y. Wang,† X. Peng,† A. Abelson, P. Xiao, C. Qian, L. Yu, C. Ophus, P. Ercius, L-W. Wang, M. Law, and H. Zheng*.
Dynamic deformability of individual PbSe nanocrystals during superlattice phase transitions.
Sci. Adv., 2019, 5, eaaw5623
Highlighted by Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.

[19] H. L. Zhang,† Y. Wang,† H. Zhang,† X. Liu,† A. Lee, Q. Huang, F. Wang J. Chao, H. Liu, J. Li, J. Shi, X. Zuo, L. Wang, L. Wang, X. Y. Cao, C. Bustamante, Z. Q. Tian*, and C. H. Fan*.
Programming chain-growth co-polymerization of DNA hairpin tiles for in-vitro hierarchical supramolecular organization.
Nat. Commun., 2019, 10, 1006
 

[18] Y. Wang,† Y. Sun,† P. Shi, X. Lin, P. Zhang, H. Fang, P. Peng, Z. Q. Tian, and X. Cao*.
Chaperone-like chiral cages for catalyzing enantioselective supramolecular polymerization.
Chem. Sci., 2019, 10, 8076
Selected as Front Cover, Editor’s Pick of the Week, and 2019 Chemical Science HOT Article Collection.
Highlighted by RSC news as “Coaching catalysis”.

[17] Y. Wang, X. Peng, A. Abelson, B. Zhang, P. Ercius, L-W. Wang, M. Law, and H. Zheng*.
Atomic-resolution in situ observation of the necking phenomenon during oriented attachment of PbSe nanocrystals
Nano Res., 2019, 12, 2549
 

[16] Z. Su, C. Hsu, Z. Gong, X. Feng, J. Huang, R. Zhang, Y. Wang, J. Mao, C. Wesdemiotis, T. Li, S. Seifert, W. Zhang, T. Aida, M. Huang*, and S. Z.D. Cheng*.
Identification of a Frank–Kasper Z phase from shape amphiphile self-assembly.
Nat. Chem., 2019, 11, 899.
 

[15] R. Lu, X. Yan, L. Zhu, L. Yang, H. Qu, X. Wang, M. Luo, Y. Wang, R. Chen, X. Wang, Y. Lan, J. Pei, W. Weng, H. Xia, and X. Cao*.
Unveiling how intramolecular stacking modes of covalently linked dimers dictate photoswitching properties.
Nat. Commun., 2019, 10, 5480.
 

[14] Q. Zhang, G. Gao, Y. Shen, X. Peng, J. Shangguan, Y. Wang, H. Dong, K. Bustillo, L. Wang, L. Sun, and H. Zheng*.
Anomalous shape evolution of Ag₂O₂ nanocrystals modulated by surface adsorbates during electron beam etching.
Nano Lett., 2019, 19, 591.
 

[13] X. X. Peng, A. Abelson, Y. Wang, C. Qian, J. Shangguan, Q. Zhang, L. Yu, Z. W. Yin, W. Zheng, K. C. Bustillo, X. Guo, H. G. Liao, S. G. Sun, M. Law, and H. M. Zheng*.
In situ TEM study of the degradation of PbSe nanocrystals in air.
Chem. Mater., 2019, 31, 190.
 

[12] Y. Wang,† H. X. Fang,† I. Tranca, H. Qu, X. C. Wang, A. J. Markvoort*, Z. Q. Tian, and X. Y. Cao*.
Elucidation of the origin of chiral amplification in discrete molecular polyhedra.
Nat. Commun., 2018, 9, 488 

[11] Z. A. Nan, Y. Wang*, Z. X. Chen, S. F. Yuan, Z. Q. Tian, and Q. M. Wang*.
Catalyzed assembly of hollow silver-sulfide cluster through self-releasable anion template.
Commun. Chem. 2018, 1, 99.
 

[10] X. C. Wang, P. X. Peng, W. Xuan, Y. Wang, Y. B. Zhuang, Z. Q. Tian, and X. C. Cao*.
Narcissistic chiral self-sorting of molecular face-rotating polyhedra.
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2018, 16, 34.
 

[9] H. Qu, Y. Wang*, Z. H. Li, X. C. Wang, H. X. Fang, Z. Q. Tian, and X. Y. Cao*.
Molecular face-rotating cube with emergent chiral and fluorescence properties.
J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2017, 139, 18142.

[8] Y. Wang, H. X. Fang, W. Zhang, Y. B. Zhuang, Z. Q. Tian, and X. Y. Cao*.
Interconversion of molecular face-rotating polyhedra through turning inside out.
Chem. Commun., 2017, 53, 8956
 

[7] Y. Wang, Y. B. Sun, X. B. Ding, J. H. Liang, X. Y. Cao, and Z. Q. Tian*.
A combined electro- and photo-chemical approach to repeatedly fabricate 2D molecular assemblies.
Electrochim. Acta., 2017, 246, 823.
 

[6] Z. W. Lin, J. Sun, Y.B. Zhou, Y. Wang, H. Xu, X. Yang, H. Su, H.G. Cui, T. Aida, W. Zhang*, and S. Z.D. Cheng*.
A noncrystallization approach toward uniform thylakoids-like 2D “nano-coins” and their grana-like 3D suprastructures.
J. Am. Soc. Chem., 2017, 139, 5883.
 

[5] X. C. Wang,† Y. Wang,† H. Y. Yang, H. X. Fang, R. X. Chen, Y. B. Sun, N. F. Zheng, K. Tan, X. Lu, Z. Q. Tian, and X. Y. Cao*.
Assembled molecular face-rotating polyhedra to transfer chirality from two to three dimensions.
Nat. Commun., 2016, 7, 12469.
 

[4] L. Q. Xie, T. Y. Zhang, L. Chen, N. Guo, Y. Wang, G. K. Liu, J. R. Wang, J. Z. Zhou, J. W. Yan, Y. X. Zhao, B. W. Mao*, and Z. Q. Tian.
Organic–inorganic interactions of single crystalline organolead halide perovskites studied by Raman spectroscopy.
Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2016, 18, 18112.
 

[3] H. X. Lin, L. Chen, D. Y. Liu, Z. C. Lei, Y. Wang, X. S. Zheng, B. Ren, Z. X. Xie, Galen D. Stucky*, and Z. Q. Tian*.
Constructing two-dimensional nanoparticle arrays on layered materials inspired by atomic epitaxial growth.
J. Am. Soc. Chem., 2015, 137, 2828.
 

[2] Y. Wang, H. X. Lin, L. Chen, S. Y. Ding, Z. C. Lei, D. Y. Liu, X. Y. Cao*, H. J. Liang, Y. B. Jiang, and Z. Q. Tian*.
What molecular assembly can learn from catalytic chemistry.
Chem. Soc. Rev., 2014, 43, 399.
 

[1] Y. Wang, H. X. Lin, S. Y. Ding, D. Y. Liu, L. Chen, Z. C. Lei, F. R. Fan, and Z. Q. Tian*.
Some thoughts about controllable assembly (I) — From catalysis to catassembly.
关于可控组装的一些思考(一)——从催化到催组装
Sci. Sin. Chim., 2012, 4, 525; 中国科学:化学, 2012, 4, 525.

Funding

Positions

Postdoctoral Researcher
We are always looking for talented postdoctoral fellows interested in our integrated research field. All postdocs receive internationally competitive financial support packages and superior benefits from local governments. Please contact EMIT Lab PI with your cover letter, CV, and representative publications. 

Graduate Students
We have vacancies for both Ph.D. students and Master students. You can contact EMIT Lab PI even before getting your postgraduate recommendation or entrance examination.

Undergraduate Students
Undergraduates are welcome to join our group meeting, and we have some interesting projects suitable for you! Just shoot us an email or come to the office directly!

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