Research interests with selected publication​

​I. Passive thermal management techniques

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Radiative cooling relies on high solar reflectance to reject sunlight and high thermal emittance to dissipate thermal energy to the cold outer space passively. How to develop weathering reliable and scalable materials will be a long-term issue we are facing.

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News: “Cellulose paper for cooling without electricity.”

 

Selected publications and patents

1. Galib, Roisul Hasan†, Yanpei Tian†, Yue Lei, Saichao Dang, Xiaole Li, Arief Yudhanto, Gilles Lubineau, and Qiaoqiang Gan. "Atmospheric-moisture-induced polyacrylate hydrogels for hybrid passive cooling." Nature Communications 14, no. 1 (2023): 6707. † These two authors contribute equally.

2. Tian, Yanpei, Hong Shao, Xiaojie Liu, Fangqi Chen, Yongsheng Li, Changyu Tang, and Yi Zheng. "Superhydrophobic and recyclable cellulose-fiber-based composites for high-efficiency passive radiative cooling." ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 13, no. 19 (2021): 22521-22530.

3. Tian, Yanpei, Xiaojie Liu, Ziqi Wang, Jiansheng Li, Ying Mu, Shiyu Zhou, Fangqi Chen, Marilyn L. Minus, Gang Xiao, and Yi Zheng. "Subambient daytime cooling enabled by hierarchically architected all-inorganic metapaper with enhanced thermal dissipation." Nano Energy 96 (2022): 107085.

4. Tian, Yanpei, Xiaojie Liu, Fangqi Chen, and Yi Zheng. "A facile approach to achieve subambient radiative cooling through aluminum foils and polyethylene bubble wrap." Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 230 (2021): 111286.

5. Tian, Yanpei, Xiaojie Liu, Jiansheng Li, Andrew Caratenuto, Shiyu Zhou, Yichen Deng, Gang Xiao, Marilyn L. Minus, and Yi Zheng. "Scalable, fire-retardant, and spectrally robust melamine-formaldehyde photonic bulk for efficient daytime radiative cooling." Applied Materials Today 24 (2021): 101103.

6. Tian, Yanpei, Xiaojie Liu, Lijia Xie, Shilin Xu, Fangqi Chen, Ying Mu, Yang Liu, Marilyn L. Minus, and Yi Zheng. "Surface Photon‐Engineered Infrared‐Black Metametal Enabled Enhancement of Heat Dissipation." Advanced Functional Materials 32, no. 46 (2022): 2205016.

7. Liu, Xiaojie, Yanpei Tian, Fangqi Chen, Alok Ghanekar, Mauro Antezza, and Yi Zheng. "Continuously variable emission for mechanical deformation induced radiative cooling." Communications Materials 1, no. 1 (2020): 95.

8. Yi Zheng, Yanpei Tian, “Inorganic metapaper for sub-ambient daytime cooling”, US Provisional Patent, 63/286,261, 2021. [Patent filed]

9. Yi Zheng, Yanpei Tian, Xiaojie Liu, YinshengWan, “Fire-retardant and Spectrally Robust Melamine Formaldehyde Photonic Bulk for Efficient Daytime Radiative Cooling”, US Provisional Patent, 63/148,319, 2021. [Patent filed]

10. ​Yi Zheng, Yanpei Tian, Xiaojie Liu, Yinsheng Wan, “Recyclable, Self-cleaning Cellulose-fiber-Composites for Passive Radiative Cooling”, US Provisional Patent, 63/128,941. [Patent filed]

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II. Solar thermal conversion​

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Selective absorptance over a broadband spectrum to maximize solar thermal conversion and suppress radiative thermal dissipation.

Selected publications and patents

1. Tian, Yanpei, Xiaojie Liu, Andrew Caratenuto, Jiansheng Li, Shiyu Zhou, Ran Ran, Fangqi Chen et al. "A new strategy towards spectral selectivity: Selective leaching alloy to achieve selective plasmonic solar absorption and infrared suppression." Nano Energy 92 (2022): 106717.

2. Tian, Yanpei, Lijuan Qian, Xiaojie Liu, Alok Ghanekar, Jun Liu, Thomas Thundat, Gang Xiao, and Yi Zheng. "High-temperature and abrasion-resistant metal-insulator-metal metamaterials." Materials Today Energy 21 (2021): 100725.

3. Tian, Yanpei, Xiaojie Liu, Alok Ghanekar, Fangqi Chen, Andrew Caratenuto, and Yi Zheng. "Blackbody-cavity ideal absorbers for solar energy harvesting." Scientific Reports 10, no. 1 (2020): 20304.

4. Tian, Yanpei, Xiaojie Liu, Fangqi Chen, and Yi Zheng. "Harvesting energy from sun, outer space, and soil." Scientific Reports 10, no. 1 (2020): 20903.

5. Tian, Yanpei, Xiaojie Liu, Fangqi Chen, and Yi Zheng. "Perfect grating-Mie-metamaterial based spectrally selective solar absorbers." OSA Continuum 2, no. 11 (2019): 3223-3239.

6. Tian, Yanpei, Alok Ghanekar, Lijuan Qian, Matthew Ricci, Xiaojie Liu, Gang Xiao, Otto Gregory, and Yi Zheng. "Near-infrared optics of nanoparticles embedded silica thin films." Optics Express 27, no. 4 (2019): A148-A157.

7. Tian, Yanpei, and Yi Zheng. "Method for producing plasmonic-nanostructure spectrally selective solar absorber having high solar absorptance, low thermal emittance, and high thermal stability." U.S. Patent Application 18/070,742, filed June 1, 2023. 

III.Solar evaporation

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Selected publications and patents

1. Tian, Yanpei, Xiaojie Liu, Jiansheng Li, Yichen Deng, Joseph A. DeGiorgis, Shiyu Zhou, Andrew Caratenuto et al. "Farm-waste-derived recyclable photothermal evaporator." Cell Reports Physical Science 2, no. 9 (2021).

2. Tian, Yanpei, Xiaojie Liu, Shilin Xu, Jiansheng Li, Andrew Caratenuto, Ying Mu, Ziqi Wang et al. "Recyclable and efficient ocean biomass-derived hydrogel photothermal evaporator for thermally-localized solar desalination." Desalination 523 (2022): 115449.

3. Tian, Yanpei, Xiaojie Liu, Ziqi Wang, Andrew Caratenuto, Fangqi Chen, Yinsheng Wan, and Yi Zheng. "Carbonized cattle manure-based photothermal evaporator with hierarchically bimodal pores for solar desalination in high-salinity brines." Desalination 520 (2021): 115345.

4. Zheng, Yi, Ralph Ahlgren, Xiaojie Liu, Yanpei Tian, Mohamed Sonbaty, and Khushnood Ahmad Qazi. "Solar-driven evaporation device for desalination system." U.S. Patent Application 18/041,130, filed August 24, 2023.

5. Yi Zheng, Yanpei Tian, Xiaojie Liu, “Agricultural Manure and Biomass-derived Photothermal Evaporator for Efficient and Robust Solar Desalination”, US Provisional Patent, 63/159,215, 2021.

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To be continued...

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Collaborators​ (research starts from working together)

Yi Zheng (Ph.D. advisor, NEU), Qiaoqiang Gan (KAUST), Gang Xiao (Brown), Yinsheng Wan (Providence College), Thomas Thundat (University at Buffalo), Jun Liu (University at Buffalo), Marilyn L. Minus (NEU), Ming Su (NEU), Mauro Antezza (University of Montpellier), Shuang Cui (UT, Dallas), Xiaojie Liu (Purdue), Alok Ghanekar (USC), Fangqi Chen (UMichigan), Yang Liu (NEU).

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Device built