Research

Xiaodong Zou’s research projects cover several research topics, including Electron crystallography and advanced TEM, X-ray and neutron crystallography, Materials for energy, Materials for health. They are summarized below.

For full information about our research projects, please refer to our group page and project pages, link in the column on the right.

Electron crystallography and analytical TEM

Revealing atomic structures, charge states and molecular interactions in macromolecules by microcrystal electron diffraction. Swedish Research Council (VR), 2020-2030.

Electron crystallographic methods to probe 3D atomic structures and charge states in macromolecules.

Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (Wallenberg Scholars), 2020-2024.

Knowing the 3D atomic structures is crucial for understanding the functions of biological macromolecules. Many proteins are involved in redox processes and charge-transfer reactions, which are performed by accommodating different electronic and charged states. Obtaining both the geometric structure and charge states is thus central to understanding the chemical processes and mechanisms in.

Nanoporous materials: from synthesis and structure to catalysis

Subproject: Accurate atomic structures from nano- and micrometer-sized crystals by electron crystallography

Swedish Research Council (VR), 2017-2022.

This is part of my VR project that aims at developing new strategies and methods for data collection using continuous rotation electron diffraction (cRED), and makeing the structure determination as fast, feasible and accurate as by X-ray crystallography. The new methods will be applied on various zeolites and metal-organic frameworks. We aim to locate hydrogen atoms and determine the oxidation states of atoms, which are not achievable by X-ray diffraction.

Structure characterization of nanoporous materials

ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Co. 2017-2021.

X-ray and neutron crystallography

Nanoporous materials: from synthesis and structure to catalysis; Subproject: Fundamental understanding of reaction mechanisms in organic transformations using porous materials as catalyst supports.

Swedish Research Council (VR), 2017-2022.

This is part of my VR project that aims at developing synchrotron-based in-situ/operando powder X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy to identify active catalytic species during organic synthesis using a custom-built in-situ reactor. We will gain new insights on the reaction mechanisms and use them to improve the catalysts and optimize the catalytic reactions. We will introduce synchrotron-based in-situ/operando techniques to the organic chemistry community for developing new catalysts for organic synthesis.

Materials for energy

Nanoporous materials: from synthesis and structure to catalysis;

Subproject: Rational design and synthesis of novel zeolites

The Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet, VR), 2017-2022.

This is part of my VR project that aims at developing new approaches for rational design and synthesis of novel zeolites based on common structural features. This will revolutionize the zeolite synthesis from current trial-and-error to targeted synthesis.

Catalytic Composites for Sustainable Synthesis (CATSS);

Subproject: Characterization, modeling and understanding of the catalytic materials

Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (KAW), 2017-2022.

The aim of this project is to develop novel multifunctional catalytic composites that use two of the most abundant and sustainable feedstocks, carbon dioxide and water, for organic synthesis.

Materials for health

Access to potent medical drugs (APIs) through crystallization enabled by ionic liquids (ILs);

Subproject: Crystallization from ILs – Techniques and Process Monitoring Tools.

Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (KAW) 2020-2024. About the project in Swedish