HONG, Liang

Associate Professor

PhD (Chem. Eng.) SUNY, 1996
BSc (Chem.) Xiamen, 1982

Contact information
Blk E5, 4 Engineering Drive 4, #02-22, Singapore 117576
Tel: (65) 6516 5029    Fax: (65) 6779 1936
Email: chehongl@nus.edu.sg

25% joint appointment with Institute of Materials Research and Engineering

RESEARCH

Preparation of Functional Ceramic Fine Powders and Thin Films

Metallo-organic complexes are synthesised as the precursors for functional ceramics. The techniques of the self-sustained combustion and the emulsion template processes are employed to prepare ceramic fine powders. The research interest is in the correlation between the chemical effects of the precursors and the structural features of the powders finally produced. Spin-coating and dip-coating techniques are employed to fabricate ceramic thin films. Stable solutions consisting of metallo-organic complexes and suitable solvents are formulated for depositing thin ceramic films on appropriate supports using the spin-coating technique. Preparation of colloidal suspensions of functional ceramic fine particles is carried out in order to achieve a dense thin ceramic membrane on a porous and asymmetric support by means of dip-coating and sintering. In order to conquer possible defects and microcracks, research is centred on the fabrication of ceramic-metal composite films.

Preparation of the completely dense ceramic membranes made of oxygen-defective perovskite oxides is an objective of our current investigation.

Synthesis of Functional Polymers

Research interests include the synthesis of the following three types of functional polymers: (1) Surface-functionalised polymer latexes: polymer latexes with core-shell or core-branch or hollow morphology are synthesised as chemically reactive and ionically conductive colloids. (2) Porous polymer microspheres as adsorbents and selective ion-exchange resins: porous polymer microspheres with adjustable pore sizes, internal surface areas and surface-pendant groups are developed as adsorbents of organic hazards. Anionic ion-exchange resins are synthesised with the emphasis on tailoring the chemical structures of the bound cationic or co-ordination sites. (3) Elevated-temperature conductive proton polymer membranes: a new type of proton conducting membrane has been recently achieved by compounding an acidic latex with an amphiphilic polymer blend.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

L. Hong, X. Chen and F. Guo, "Fabrication of Dense La0.05Sr0.95CoO3-x Thin Film on Porous MgO and CeO2 Substrates", Thin Solid Films, 389, 27 (2001).

L. Hong and N.-P. Chen, "Proton Conducting Polymer Membrane Based on Sulfonated Polystyrene Microspheres and an Amphiphilic Polymer Blend", Journal of Polymer Science and Polymer Physics, 38, 1530 (2000).

L. Hong, F. Guo and J. Y. Lin, "From Chelating Precursors to La0.05Sr0.95CoO3-y Oxide", Materials Research Bulletin, 34, 12 (1999).

L. Hong, Y.-J. Zhou, N.-P. Chen and K. Li, "Association of Nafion with Polypyrrole Nanoparticles in a Hydrophilic Polymer Network: Effects on Proton Transport", Journal of Colloid Interface and Science, 67, 1891 (1999).