Faculty

Zheng Fan, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Mechanical Engineering Technology

Office 399, College of Technology Building

Phone 713-743-6978

Fax 713-743-4032

Email fanzheng [at] central.uh.edu

Website Fan Research Lab

Curriculum Vitae

Education

Postdoctoral Scholar in Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Jul. 2015 - Jul. 2018
Ph.D. in Electrical & Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, Aug. 2009 - May. 2015
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 2009

Other Appointments

Coordinator of the Mechanical Engineering Technology Graduate Program

Research Interests

Nanorobotics, Nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), Mechatronics, Electrochemistry, Nanobiomedical devices, Perovskite solar cells, etc.

Patents

PN1. Service robot autonomous navigation method based on deformable topological map, CN
Patent CN 101619985 B, 2011
Author: Z. Fan, Q. X. Cao, Z. Liu, W. H. Luo.
PN2. Automatic tracking and navigation system of intelligent aid type walking robots, CN
Patent CN101549498 B, 2010
Author: Z. Fan, Q. X. Cao, L. Zhang, W. H. Luo.

Awards & Honors

2015 - 1st place of the Fitch H. Beach Award for Outstanding Graduate Researcher of the College of Engineering, MSU ($2000)
2015 - Award for Outstanding Graduate Achievement (Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, MSU) ($1500)
2014 - April, Finalist of the Best Student Paper on the IEEE International Conference on Nano/Micro Engineered and Molecular Systems (IEEE-NEMS 2014) in Hawaii, USA
2013 - November, Student travel scholarship to attend the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems 2013 (IROS
2013) in Tokyo, Japan ($1000)
2013 - August, Travel award to attend the 13th IEEE International Conference on Nanotechnology (IEEE-NANO 2013) in Beijing, China
2011 - September, Student travel scholarship to attend the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems 2011 (IROS
2011) in San Francisco, USA ($1000)
2011 - August, Best Application Paper Award from International Conference on Manipulation, Measurement and Manufacturing on the Nanoscale (3M-NANO2011) ($1000)

Book Chapters

BC1. L. X. Dong, X. Y. Tao, Z. Fan, X. D. Cui, L. Zhang, X. B. Zhang, B. J. Nelson, M. Hamdi, A. Ferreira, and X. D. Fan. "Nanorobotic Mass Transport," in NanoRobotics: Current Approaches and Techniques. Eds. C. Mavroidis and A. Ferreira: Springer, 2012.
BC2. L. X. Dong, X. Y. Tao, Z. Fan, L. Zhang, X. B. Zhang, and B. J. Nelson. "Nanorobotic Spot Welding," in Encyclopedia of Nanotechnology. Eds. B. Bharat: Springer, 2012.

Journal Articles

JP1 Z. Fan, X. Hai, Y. Wang, Z. P. Zhao, H. Cheng, S. Lee, Z. Lin, G. Wang, Z. Y. Feng, W. A. Goddard, Y. Huang, X. F. Duan, Layer-by-Layer Degradation of Methylammonium Lead Tri-iodide Perovskites two-dimensional nanostructure. Joule: Cell press. DOI: 10.1016/j.joule.2017.08.005, 2017.
JP2 J. Zhu, Y. Shan, T. Wang, H. T. Sun, Z. P. Zhao, L. Mei, Z. Fan, Z. Xu, I. Shakir, Y. Huang, B. G. Lu, X. F. Duan, A hyperaccumulation pathway to three-dimensional hierarchical porous nanocomposites for highly robust high-power electrodes. Nat. Commun. 7, 13432, 2016. (impact factor: 11.33)
JP3 Z. P. Zhao, M. Feng, J. H. Zhou, Z. Y. Liu, M. F. Li, Z. Fan, O. Tsen, J. W. Miao, X. F. Duan, Y. Huang, Composition tunable ternary pt-ni-co octahedra for optimized oxygen reduction activity. Chem. Commun. 52, 11215-11218, 2016. (impact factor: 6.57)
JP4 X. D. Duan, C. Wang, Z. Fan, G. L. Hao, L. Z. Kou, U. Halim, H. L. Li, X. P. Wu, Y. C. Wang, J. H. Jiang, A. L. Pan, Y. Huang, R. Q. Yu, and X. F. Duan, "Synthesis of WS2xSe2-2x Alloy Nanosheets with Composition-Tunable Electronic Properties," Nano Letters, vol. 16, no. 11, pp. 264-269, Dec 2015. (impact factor: 13.59)
JP5 Z. Fan, X. Y. Tao, G. Dharuman, L. X. Dong and X. D. Li, "Modeling and Simulation of An Ultrasensitive Electron Tunneling Position/Force Nanosensor," RSC Adv, DOI: 10.1039/C5RA23781E, Nov 2015. (impact factor: 3.84)
JP6 X. Y. Tao*, Z. Fan*, B. J. Nelson, G. Dharuman, W. Zhang, L. X. Dong and X. D. Li, "Internal electron tunneling enabled ultrasensitive position/force peapod sensors," Nano Letters, vol. 15, no. 11, pp. 7281-7287, Nov 2015. (* Equal contribution) (impact factor: 13.59)
JP7 Z. Fan, X. Y. Tao, X. D. Fan, X. B. Zhang, and L. X. Dong, "Nanotube Fountain Pen: Towards 3D manufacturing of metallic nanostructures," Carbon, 2015, doi:10.1016/j.carbon.2015.01.043. (impact factor: 6.16)
JP8 Z. Fan, X. Y. Tao, X. D. Fan, X. D. Li, and L. X. Dong, "Sliding probe methods for in situ nanorobotic characterization of individual nanostructures," IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 2015, doi: 10.1109/TRO.2014.236733. (impact factor: 2.65)
JP9 Z. Fan, X. D. Fan, A. Li, and L. X. Dong, "In situ Forming, Characterization, and Transduction of Nanowire Memristors," Nanoscale, vol. 5, pp. 12310 - 12315, 2013. (impact factor: 6.74)
JP10 J. Du, Y. C. Yang, Z. Fan, Y. Xia, X. J. Cheng, Y. P. Gan, H. Hang, L. X. Dong, X. D. Li W. K. Zhang, and X. Y. Tao, "Biotemplating fabrication of NbC nanowire arrays on the bamboo substrate with remarkable mechanical/electrical properties," Journal of Alloys and Compounds, vol. 560, pp. 142-146, 2013. (impact factor: 2.16)
JP11 Z. Fan, X. Y. Tao, X. D. Cui, X. D. Fan, X. B. Zhang, and L. X. Dong, "Metal-filled carbon nanotube based Optical Nanoantennas: Bubbling, Reshaping, and in situ Characterization," Nanoscale, vol. 4, pp. 5673-5679, 2012. (impact factor: 6.74)
JP12 F. B. Rao, H. Almumen, Z. Fan, W. Li, and L. X. Dong, "Inter-sheet-effect-inspired graphene sensors: Design, fabrication and characterization," Nanotechnology, vol. 23, art. no. 105501, 2012. (impact factor: 3.84)
JP13 X. Y. Tao, J. Du, Y. P. Li, Y. C. Yang, Z. Fan, Y. P. Gan, H. Huang, W. K. Zhang, L. X. Dong, and X. D. Li, "TaC nanowire/activated carbon microfiber hybrid structures from bamboo fibers," Advanced Energy Materials, vol. 1, pp. 534-539, 2011. (impact factor: 14.38)
JP14 Z. Fan, Q. X. Cao, Y. Yang, and C. Y. Li, "Automatically generation of topological map for mobile robot," J . Huazhong Univ. of Sci. & Tech., vol. 36, Sup. 1, 2008.

Conference Proceedings

IC1 Z. Fan, M. Yu, X. Y. Tao, R. Shanmugam, X. Fan, W. Lai., and L. X. Dong, " In situ Investigation of Nanoelectrochemical Systems," in Proc. of the 14th IEEE Conf Nanotechnology (IEEE-NANO 2014), Aug. 18-21, 2014, Toronto, Canada.
IC2 Z. Fan, M. Yu, G. Dharuman, X. Fan, and L. X. Dong, " Nanorobotic End-effectors: Design, Fabrication, and in situ Characterization," in Proc. of the 9th Annual IEEE International Conference on Nano/Micro Engineered and Molecular Systems (IEEENEMS 2014), April. 13-16, 2014, Waikiki Beach, Hawaii, USA. (Best student paper finalist)
IC3 Z. Fan, X. Fan, A. Li, and L. X. Dong, "Nanorobotic in situ characterization of Nanowire Memristors and "Memsensing"," in Proc. of IEEE/RSJ 2013 International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS2013), Nov. 3-7, 2013, Tokyo, Japan.
IC4 G. Dharuman, Z. Fan, and L. X. Dong, "An Inter-Segment Tunneling Nanoscale Force Sensor: Modeling and Simulation," in Proc. of the 13th IEEE Conf Nanotechnology (IEEE-NANO 2013), Aug. 5-8, 2013, Beijing, China.
IC5 Z. K. Weng, L. X. Dong, M. Yu, F. B. Rao, Z. Fan, and Z. B. Wang, "Carbon Nanogears and Nanotori Via Combustion Flames," in Proc. of the 13th IEEE Conf Nanotechnology (IEEE-NANO 2013), Aug. 5-8, 2013, Beijing, China.
IC6 Z. Fan, X. D. Fan, A. Li, and L. X. Dong, "Resistive Switching in Copper Oxide Nanowire-based Memristors," in Proc. of the 12th IEEE Conf Nanotechnology (IEEENANO 2012), Aug. 20-23, 2012, Bermingham, U. K.
IC7 Z. Fan, X. Y. Tao, X. B. Zhang, and L. X. Dong, "Nanorobotic Mass Transport," in Proc. of the 12th IEEE Conf Nanotechnology (IEEE-NANO 2012), Aug. 20-23, 2012, Bermingham, U. K.
IC8 Z. Fan and L. X. Dong, "Nanotube fountain pen," in 13th Robotics & remote Systems for Hazardous Environments (ANS EPRRSD), 2011, Knoxville, Tennessee.
IC9 Z. Fan, X. Y. Tao, X. Li, and L. X. Dong, "Multipoint sliding probe methods for in situ electrical transport property characterization of individual nanostructures," in Proc. of IEEE/RSJ 2011 International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS2011), Oct. 7-12, 2011, pp. 1705-1710, San Francisco, California.
IC10 F. B. Rao, H. Almumen, Z. Fan, W. Li, and L. X. Dong, "Towards Batch Fabrication of Graphene Sensors Based on Inter-layer Effects," in Proc.of the 1st 3M-NANO (International Conference on Manipulation, Measurement and Manufacturing on the Nanoscale), Aug.29-Sep. 2, 2011, Changchun, China.(Best application paper award)
IC11 Z. Fan, X. Y. Tao, X. B. Zhang, and L. X. Dong, "Towards nanotube fountain pen," in Proc. of the 11th IEEE Conf Nanotechnology (IEEE-NANO 2011), Aug.15-19, 2011, pp. 596-599, Portland, Oregan. (This paper has been highlighted by the local newspaper during IEEE-NANO 2011: Innovation you don't have to see to believe, Brandon Blakeley, The Oregonian, pp. B1-B2, August 16, 2011)
IC12 Z. Fan, X. Y. Tao, X. D. Cui, X. D. Fan, X. B. Zhang, and L. X. Dong, "Electromigration-based deposition enabled by nanorobotic manipulation inside a transmission electron microscope," in Proc. of the 2011 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA 2011), May. 9-13, 2011, pp. 2686-2691, Shanghai, China.
IC13 F. B. Rao, Z. Fan, L. X. Dong, and W. Li, Molecular Nanosensors based on the Intersheet Tunneling Effect of a Bilayer Graphene, Proc. of 2010 IEEE Int'l Conf. on Nano/Molecular Medicine & Engineering (Nanomed2010), Hong Kong, Dec. 5-8, 2010.
IC14 X. Cui, Z. Fan, X. Y. Tao, W. Zhang, D. Erni, X. Fan, X. Zhang, and L. X. Dong, "Sphere-on-pillar optical nano-antennas," in Proc. of the 2010 IEEE Nanotechnology Materials and Devices Conference (IEEE-NMDC2010), Aug.18-20, 2010, pp. 171-176, Monterey, California.
IC15 Z. Fan, X. Y. Tao, Y. P. Li, Y. C. Yang, J. Du, W. K. Zhang, H. Huang, Y. P. Gan, X. D. Li, and L. X. Dong, "In situ electrical property characterization of individual nanostructures using a sliding probe inside a transmission electron microscope," in Proc. of the 2010 IEEE Nanotechnology Materials and Devices Conference (IEEENMDC2010), Aug.18-20, 2010, pp. 149-152, Monterey, California.
IC16 Z. Fan, X. Y. Tao, X. D. Cui, X. D. Fan, X. B. Zhang, and L. X. Dong, "Shaping the nanostructures from electromigration-based deposition," in Proc. of the 2010 IEEE Nanotechnology Materials and Devices Conference (IEEE-NMDC2010), Aug.18-20, 2010, pp. 22-25, Monterey, California.
IC17 Z. Fan, X. Y. Tao, X. D. Cui, X. D. Fan, and L. X. Dong, "Spheres on pillars: Nanobubbling based on attogram mass delivery from metal-filled nanotubes," in Proc. of the 10th IEEE Conf Nanotechnology (IEEE-NANO 2010), Aug.18-20, 2010, pp. 649- 654, Seoul, Korea.