About
Professor Jin Z. Zhang is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He leads the Zhang Lab, which focuses on innovating new technology in the fields of energy and sensing. The lab comprises graduate and undergraduate students, affiliate researchers, adjunct faculty, and a diverse group of alumni who have gone on to various scientific and engineering careers. Professor Zhang's work is situated within a collaborative academic environment that supports research and development in chemistry and related disciplines, contributing to advancements in energy and sensing technologies.
Research topics
- Materials science
- Nanotechnology
- Chemistry
- Composite material
- Crystallography
- Optoelectronics
- Inorganic chemistry
- Ophthalmology
- Medicine
- Endocrinology
- Cancer research
- Organic chemistry
- Engineering
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Chemical engineering
- Internal medicine
- Biology
- Physical chemistry
Selected publications
Tutorial: Transient Absorption Spectroscopy for Probing Ultrafast Dynamics
ACS Physical Chemistry Au · 2026-05-20
articleOpen accessSenior authorCorrespondingTransient absorption spectroscopy (TAS) is an indispensable technique for directly tracking chemical and physical dynamics on ultrafast time scales. This Tutorial covers the basic principles behind TAS and illustrates with examples its application in probing and understanding ultrafast photophysical and photochemical processes in chemistry, physics, biochemistry, and materials science. We also discuss how TAS data are analyzed mathematically and kinetically to gain physical and mechanistic insights into complex dynamic processes. By providing practical guidance from experimental design to quantitative kinetic modeling, this Tutorial aims to equip researchers with the foundational knowledge to effectively utilize TAS for ultrafast studies of different processes in molecules and materials.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters · 2025-03-25 · 2 citations
articleSenior authorCorrespondingCsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dot (PQD) films enriched with 208Pb (I = 0) or 207Pb (I = 1/2) isotope were used to study the effect of nuclear spin on the photoexcited carrier spin relaxation using circularly polarized femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy at 293 and 77 K. At 293 K, the short carrier spin relaxation lifetimes of 208Pb-enriched PQDs (2.0 ps) and natPb PQDs (0.70 ps) indicate that electron–phonon interactions dominate. At 77 K, the 207Pb-enriched PQD carrier spin relaxation lifetime was not detectible within the instrumental limit (<0.30 ps). However, the carrier spin relaxation lifetime increased to 5.0 ps for natPb PQDs and 170 ps for 208Pb-enriched PQDs. The dramatic increase in the 208Pb-enriched PQD carrier spin relaxation lifetime suggests that decreasing the concentration of 207Pb in the PQDs can reduce spin decoherence from nuclear spin–carrier spin coupling and enhance the lifetime.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters · 2025-06-01 · 3 citations
articleSenior authorCorrespondingTemperature dependent carrier spin relaxation dynamics of CH3NH3PbBr3 (MAPbBr3) and CsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) have been studied at room temperature (RT), 150 K, and 77 K using spin selective femtosecond transient absorption (fs-TA) spectroscopy. Results reveal minimal temperature dependence in the MAPbBr3 PQDs with a lifetime of 2.2 ps. In contrast, the CsPbBr3 PQDs show strong temperature dependence, with the carrier spin lifetime increasing from RT (2.0 ps) to 150 K (11 ps) and to 77 K (57 ps). This behavior suggests the two PQD systems exhibit different carrier spin relaxation mechanisms. The dominant mechanism in CsPbBr3 PQDs is attributed to the Eliot–Yafet (EY) mechanism, modulated primarily by an electron–phonon interaction that is reduced at cryogenic temperatures. In contrast, for the MAPbBr3 PQDs the D’yakonov–Perel (DP) mechanism is dominant, likely due to broken inversion symmetry associated with the presence of MA, which induces a dynamical Rashba effect at finite temperature.
Origin of Intrinsic Chirality in Cysteine‐Passivated Metal Halide Perovskite Nanoclusters
ChemPhysChem · 2025-04-22 · 2 citations
articleOpen accessSenior authorCorrespondingLigand-assisted perovskite nanoclusters (PNCs) have been synthesized using oleylamine and L- or D-cysteine as confirmed based on their characteristic electronic absorption bands around 430 nm based on ultraviolet-visible spectra. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra show distinct chiroptical bands in the 430-440 nm region, revealing the chirality of the PNCs. Interestingly, the sign of the CD signal is always negative, independent of the chirality for L- or D-cystine. This 430-440 nm CD band is tentatively attributed to the formation of new chiral stereocenters within the PNCs with an uneven ratio of two enantiomers induced by the asymmetric liquid-liquid interface from the solvent and antisolvent used during synthesis.
Journal of Science Advanced Materials and Devices · 2025-11-16
articleOpen accessCorrespondingFlower-like BiOBr x I 1-x solid solutions with varying Br/I ratios were successfully prepared via a facile precipitation method. The photocatalytic performance was evaluated by degrading representative pollutants, including tetracycline (TC), oxytetracycline (OTC), and rhodamine B dye (RhB). All solid solutions exhibited enhanced activity compared to pure BiOBr and BiOI, and BiOBr 0.5 I 0.5 demonstrated the highest degradation efficiencies of 81.7 %, 76.4 %, and 98.5 % for TC, OTC, and RhB within 30 min, respectively. The formation of a solid solution altered the band structure and provided multiple active sites for photocatalytic reaction, thus accelerating the separation of charge carriers. Moreover, the main active species were revealed through capture experiments and electron spin resonance tests.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters · 2025-10-25 · 1 citations
articleSenior authorlayered double perovskite nanocrystals were synthesized via a hot injection method and cast into thin films. Their crystal structure and particle morphology were determined by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). UV-vis electronic absorption spectra show a high-energy band (HEB) peaking at 541 nm (2.29 eV) and a low-energy band (LEB) appearing as a shoulder at 649 nm (1.91 eV) at room temperature (RT). At 77 K, the peak of the HEB red shifts to 561 nm (2.21 eV) while the LEB is enhanced and red shifts to 692 nm (1.79 eV). Temperature-dependent femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS) was utilized to probe the exciton dynamics of the nanocrystal films and reveals several dynamic processes attributed to hot electron cooling, relaxation into triplet states, and electron-hole recombination. A detailed kinetic model was proposed to simulate these processes and gain deeper insight into temperature-dependent exciton dynamics.
Synthesis and Chiroptical Properties of Chiral Lead Halide Molecular Clusters
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters · 2025-03-07
articleSenior authorChiral lead halide molecular clusters (MCs) consisting of PbBr2, neutral achiral butylamine (BTYA), and chiral methylbenzylamine [(R/S)-MBA] with unique chiral optical properties in both the solution and solid states have been synthesized using ligand-assisted reprecipitation and depositing, separately. Ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) electronic absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectra show the first electronic absorption band and sharp blue emission band of the chiral MCs that peaked at 404 and 412 nm, respectively, in both solution and films. The emission asymmetry factor |glum| of the chiral MCs is 1.04 × 10–3 in solution and 2.01 × 10–3 in the film state at room temperature, indicating excellent circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) properties. This pronounced asymmetry is attributed to the chiral transfer from the chiral ligand to the BTYA-capped PbBr2 framework due to the chiral MBA ligand coordination with Pb2+. The samples exhibited excellent ambient stability for over 1 month, primarily due to strong BTYA–PbBr2 coordination. The MCs maintained their structure and CPL properties in the solid state, which is important for photonic applications.
Small · 2025-07-17 · 2 citations
articleOpen accessCorrespondingAbstract To endure extreme conditions, silica fiber aerogels are expected to maintain ultralow thermal conductivity at high temperatures. However, the weak infrared extinction capacity of SiO 2 fiber aerogels fails to effectively suppress thermal radiation, resulting in high thermal conductivity at high temperatures. Here, SiO 2 ‐air‐SiC fibers with high extinction shells, air interlayer, and amorphous core are fabricated by low‐pressure carbothermal reduction. Owing to low pressure conditions that reduce Gibbs free energy of the reaction and increase the diffusion rate of the gas molecules, the reaction can occur in seconds. With the mitigation of thermal radiation by the incorporation of SiC shell with high extinction capacity and the weakening of gas‐phase heat conduction in air interlayer generated by reaction below the mean free path of gas (70 nm), the aerogel shows ultralow thermal conductivity in a wide temperature range (the thermal conductivity at 1000 °C is 0.108 W m −1 K −1 ). Meanwhile, the ultra‐fast reaction rate ensures the amorphous structure of silica core, which can maintain the flexibility of the aerogel by triggering the shear band (up to 80% elastic compressive strain and bending recovery property). The combination of high‐temperature thermal insulation and high flexibility shows good potential for thermal insulation applications under extreme conditions.
ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2025-11-24
articleWhen a quantum dot (QD) is excited by an incident laser, the spatial separation of the electron and hole within the exciton can be leveraged in various applications, including solar cells and catalytic chemical reactions. The lifetime of the exciton in a QD is influenced by several factors, such as its size, shape, and composition. When an excited quantum dot is placed near a metallic nanoparticle (MNP), its lifetime can be significantly altered due to the strong coupling between the QD and the MNPs. Typically, this strong coupling leads to a reduction in the QD lifetime due to energy transfer from the QD to the MNPs. Using a theoretical model, we demonstrate that when both the QD and MNP are excited simultaneously, the mutual energy transfer between them can substantially extend the lifetime of the QD. Under certain conditions, the calculated decay rate of the QD can approach zero. We anticipate that this extended exciton lifetime could enhance catalytic efficiency, where prolonged charge separation of the exciton is desirable.
ChemNanoMat · 2025-07-04
articleSenior authorCorrespondingMn 2+ doping of CsPbBr 3 perovskite magic‐sized clusters (PMSCs) has been reported previously, where PMSCs with first excitonic absorption and photoluminescence (PL) around 425 nm were reported originally, followed by Mn 2+ ‐doped PMSCs with host absorption and PL around 400 nm. There, the observed 25 nm blueshift was attributed to smaller PMSCs or the Cl − ions introduced by MnCl 2 as dopant precursor. However, subsequent studies suggest that the 400 nm band may instead be due to ligand‐assisted metal halide molecular clusters (MHMCs), which lack the A component of perovskite. This raises the question whether the originally claimed Mn 2+ ‐doped PMSCs are actually MHMCs. To unambiguously address this issue, Mn 2+ ‐doped CH 3 NH 3 PbBr 3 PMSCs were synthesized with PL at both 440 nm, attributed to the PMSC, and at 600 nm, attributed to Mn 2+ . Blueshifting of the host absorption and PL bands due to Cl − codoping is avoided by selecting MnBr 2 as dopant precursor rather than MnCl 2 . Dopant incorporation into PMSCs is further supported by PL excitation, time‐resolved PL, and electron paramagnetic resonance studies. This work provides direct and strong evidence of successful Mn 2 + doping in PMSCs.
Recent grants
NSF · $491k · 2019–2023
Chemical Control of Spin and Carrier Dynamics in 2D Hybrid Metal Halide Double Perovskites
NSF · $526k · 2022–2026
NSF · $285k · 2023–2027
NIH · $459k · 2006
Frequent coauthors
- 65 shared
Adam Schwartzberg
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- 44 shared
Yat Li
MAX IV Laboratory
- 41 shared
Damon A. Wheeler
University of California, Santa Cruz
- 40 shared
Binbin Luo
Fudan University
- 37 shared
Ying‐Chih Pu
National University of Tainan
- 35 shared
Abraham Wolcott
San Jose State University
- 33 shared
Claire Gu
University of California, Santa Cruz
- 33 shared
Ke Xu
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