Faculty and Staff

Yongxia Zhang

Yongxia Zhang, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

The Institute of Fluorescence,
UMBC,
The Columbus Center,
701 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA

Main Lab: 410-576-5720    
Fax: 410-576-5722
E-mail: Yongxia@umbc.edu

 

Positions and Education:

  • Assistant Professor (2010 –present), Institute of Fluorescence, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD.
  • Research Associate (2006 –2010), Institute of Fluorescence, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute (UMBI), Baltimore, MD.
  • Ph.D. (2003-2006) Chemical & Biological Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL.
  • M.S. (2001 -2003) Chemical Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL.

Affiliations:

  • 2001-2005 Member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
  • 2001-2005 Member of American Chemical Society
  • 2006- present Member of Biophysical Society
  • 2006-present Member of Fluorescence Society

Research Interests:

My research is primarily interested in the studying Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence (MEF) photophysical phenomenon, including design, development and characterization of advanced nanomaterials. The design and synthesis of the materials are mostly based on FDTD (Finite deference time domain) simulation and inorganic colloidal chemistry methods, physical deposition. The synthesized materials are characterized systematically and extensively using a variety of experimental techniques including optical spectroscopy (UV-visible, fluorescence, IR), and microscopy (SEM, AFM, TEM). At the fundamental level, it is hoped to elucidate, with molecular details, key factors, such as particle size, shape, crystal structure that influence the properties and functionalities of the nanomaterials interaction with fluorophore. In the meantime, I am interested in developing cutting edge application technologies such as MEF based sensors and MAMEF (Microwave Accelerated Metal Enhanced Fluorescence) and “power” lysis based bacteria lysis and detection. In addition, my research is focused on Plasmonic Pumped Triplet States (PPTS), which is on the extent of enhanced triplet yields and the subsequent rates of oxygen species (singlet oxygen) production of luminophores/fluorophores in close proximity to plasmonic structures for potential downstream applications in microbiology and medicine.

Specialty Keywords:

Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence (MEF); Surface-Enhanced Fluorescence (SEF); Radiative Decay Engineering (RDE); Metal-Enhanced Chemiluminescence (MEC); Microwave-Accelerated Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence (MAMEF); Surface-Plasmon Coupled Fluorescence / Emission (SPCE and SPCF); Radiating Plasmons; Photophysics of Metals and Fluorophores; Singlet Oxygen.

Publications:

1. Zhang, Y., Aslan, K., Previte, M.J.R. and Geddes, C.D. (2008). Plasmonic engineering of singlet oxygen generation, PNAS, 105 (6), 1798-1802.

2. Zhang, Y., Agreda, P., Kelly, S., Gaydos, C., and Geddes, C. D., (2011). Development of a Microwave-Accelerated Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence 40 seconds, < 100 cfu/ml point of care assay for the detection of Chlamydia Trachomatis. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering - In Press.

3. Bondre, N., Zhang, Y. and Geddes, Chris D., (2011). Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence based Calcium Detection: Greater than 100-fold increase in signal/noise using Fluo-3 or Fluo-4 and Silver Nanostructures. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical - In press.

4. Weisenberg, M, Zhang, Y. and Geddes, C. D., (2010). Metal-Enhanced Chemiluminescence from Chromium, copper, Nickel and Zinc Nanodeposits: Evidence for a second enhancement mechansim in metal-enhanced fluorescence. Applied Physics Letters, 97, 133103.

5. Zhang, Y and Geddes, C.D., (2010). Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence from Thermally Stable Rhodium Nanodeposits, Journal of Materials Chemistry, - 20, 8600-8606

6. Zhang, Y, Mandeng L. N., Bondre N., Dragan, A., and Geddes C .D, (2010), Metal Enhanced Fluorescence from Silver-SiO2 Nanoburger Structures, Langmuir, 26(14), 12371-12376.

7. Kleinman, M. H., Smith, M. D., Kurali, E, Reeser S, Jiang, K., Zhang, Y, Kennedy-Gabb, S. A., Lynch, A. M., and Geddes, Chris D. (2010). An Evaluation of Chemical Photoreactivity and the Relationship To Phototoxicity”, Reg. Tox. Pharmacol.- 58, 224-232

8. Zhang, Y, Padhyay, A., Sevilleja, J., Guerrabt, R. L., and Geddes, C.D. (2010). Interactions of fluorophores with Iron nanoparticles: Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence, Journal of Physical Chemistry C., 114, 7575-7581.

9. Zhang, Y., Dragan, A. and Geddes, C.D. (2010). Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence from Tin Nanostructured Surfaces, Journal of Applied Physics. 197, 024302.

10. Zhang, Y., Dragan, A. and Geddes, C.D. (2009). Broad Wavelength Range Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence using Nickel Nanodeposits, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 113, 15811-15816.

Book Chapters:

1. "Metal-Enhanced Chemiluminescence (MEC)", Yongxia Zhang, Kadir Aslan and Chris D. Geddes in Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence, John Wiley and Sons, New Jersey, 2009, pgs 439-464, ISBN: 978-0-470-22838-8.

2. "Metal-Enhanced Generation of Oxygen Rich species:, Yongxia Zhang, Kadir Aslan and Chris D. Geddes in Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence, John Wiley and Sons, New Jersey, 2009, pgs 277-294, ISBN: 978-0-470-22838-8.

Referee for journal articles:

1. Journal of Fluorescence

2. Plasmonics

3. Journal of Physical Chemistry C

4. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology