Contact Dr Zhaorong Huang

Areas of expertise

  • Instrumentation, Sensors and Measurement Science
  • Manufacturing of Functional Materials
  • Nanotechnology
  • Sensor Technologies
  • Structures and Materials

Background


Dr Zhaorong Huang obtained his MSc in Physics from Beijing University and PhD in condensed matter physics. He worked mainly on the structural characterisation of materials using transmission and scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy techniques on subjects such as quasicrystals, reforming catalysts, and pyroelectric materials before joining Cranfield University in 1996. 

He became a Senior Research Fellow in 2001 and since then has developed his research interests on the development of functional materials and devices. 

He leads a group working on the application of functional materials, and nanotechnology, especially on the following areas: metal nanowires for transparent conductive electrodes, thermoelectric materials, thermoelectric promotion of catalysis, piezoelectric materials and devices; functional nanowires, functionalization of carbon composites.


Current activities

Dr Zhaorong Huang is a Senior Research Fellow in Functional Materials Physics.

He is the course director for the MSc course Applied Nanotechnology. Supervised PhD and MSc students from China, India, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, USA, EU and UK.

His current research interests and activities are:

  • Piezoelectric actuators and ferroelectric thin films
  • Pyroelectric materials and devices
  • Electrochemical promotion of catalysis
  • Functionalization of carbon composites
  • Transparent conductive electrodes
  • Thermoelectric materials and Thermoelectric Promotion of Catalysis
  • Structural characterisation of materials by using XRD, SEM, TEM and FIB techniques
  • Energy harvesting using piezoelectric and thermoelectric materials

Clients

  • EPSRC
  • Leverhulme Trust 
  • Innovate UK
  • MOD
  • QinetiQ
  • DuPont
  • EU Framework Programme
  • TDK
  • MBDA
  • HEL limited
  • Exergy Limited
  • Advanced Materials Technology
  • Energenics Europe Ltd
  • European Thermodynamics Ltd

Publications

Articles In Journals

Conference Papers

Books

  • Huang Z & Leighton G (2014) Interferometry for Piezoelectric Materials and Thin Films. In: Characterisation of Ferroelectric Bulk Materials and Thin Films, London: Springer, p. 87-113, ed. 1.