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Boxin Zhao
Assistant Professor
Office: E6 1006
Phone: 519-888-4567 ext. 38666
Email: zhaob@uwaterloo.ca
Degrees: BEng,
Central South University, China; MEng, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing; PhD, McMaster University
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Research Interests
- Bionanomaterials and “soft” interfaces
- Biomimetic adhesion, bio-integrated devices
- Nanoparticles synthesis, functionalization and dispersion, nanocomposites
- Polymers, interfacial phenomena and surface chemistry
- Advanced coating and adhesive bonding technology
A major theme of my research has been the adhesion and associated micro-mechanical properties of such soft materials as (synthetic and biological) polymers, sticky fluids and biological tissues, in particular, under micro and nano meter confinements. In contrast to the interfacial behavior of pure liquids and solids which have been extensively studied in the past century and are well described by the classic thermodynamics and contact mechanics (Hertz, JKR and DMT) theories, these soft materials and/or surfaces have much more complex behavior and are less understood, but play essential roles in the development of micro and nano technology, and biomedical engineering. My research combines novel experimental setup with biomimetic approaches and micro/nano tribological measurements to characterize these complex systems, and to discover new coating and adhesion strategies and approaches that can be incorporated and translated into materials and manufacturing processes for robust and responsive bonding.
Selected References
- Hamed Shahsavan and Boxin Zhao, "Conformal Adhesion Enhancement on Biomimetic Microstructured Surfaces ", Langmuir, 27(12), 7732 - 7742, 2011
- Boxin Zhao, Hyock Ju Kwon, "Adhesion of Polymers in Paper Products from the Macroscopic to Nanoscopic Levels - an Overview", Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology, 25, 557-579, 2011
- Boxin Zhao, Noshir Pesika, Hongbo Zeng, Zhengsong Wei, Yunfei Chen, Kellar Autumn, Kimberly Turner, and Jacob Israelachvili, "Role of Tilted Adhesion Fibrils (setae) in the Adhesion and Locomotion of Gecko-like Systems", J. Phys. Chem. B, 113( 12), 3615 - 3621, 2009
- Boxin Zhao, Hongbo Zeng, Yu Tian and Jacob Israelachvili, “Adhesion and detachment mechanisms of sugar surfaces from the solid (glassy) to liquid (viscous) states”, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 103(52):19624-19629, 2006
- Boxin Zhao, Noshir Pesika, Kenny J. Rosenberg, Yu Tian, Hongbo Zeng, Patricia McGuiggan, Kellar Autumn and Jacob Israelachvili, “Adhesion and friction force coupling of gecko setal arrays: implications for structured adhesive surfaces”, Langmuir 24, 1517-1524, 2008
- George Greene, Bruno Zappone, Boxin Zhao, Olle Soderm, Daniel Topgaard, Gabriel Rata, and Jacob Israelachvili, "Changes in Pore Morphology and Fluid Transport in Compressed Articular Cartilage and the Implications for Joint Lubrication", Biomaterials, 29( 33), 4455 - 4462, 2008
- Hongbo Zeng, Boxin Zhao, Yu Tian, Matthew Tirrell, Gary Leal and Jacob Israelachvili, “Transient surface patterns during the adhesion and coalescence of thin liquid films”, Soft Matters 3:88-93, 2007
- Yu Tian, Noshir Pesika, Hongbo Zeng, Kenny Rosenberg, Boxin Zhao, Patricia McGuiggan, Kellar Autumn, and Jacob Israelachvili, "Adhesion and Friction in Gecko Toe Attachment and Detachment", Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 103( 51), 9320 - 9325, 2006
- Boxin Zhao, Lulu Bursztyn and Robert Pelton, "A Simple Approach for Quantifying the Thermodynamic Potential of Polymer-Polymer Adhesion", J. Adhesion, 82( 2), 121 - 133, 2006
