Prof. Xu Zhengtao

After BS (1996) at Peking University, Xu had a plan for organic chemistry, but ended up with a PhD from Cornell on coordination networks (MOFs). After postdoc at IBM and faculty appointments at George Washington University—as life would have it–Xu started anew in Hong Kong (2005), became a professor in 2015, and relocated to Singapore in 2022. Our work at IMRE/A*STAR carries forth the interest in catalytic and (super)conductive frameworks, closely integrating molecular design/synthesis and the study of porous framework materials (MOF, COF and open cage compounds. We are spearheading three forefront directions: 1) crystalline carbon frameworks (CCMs); 2) sulfur-functionalized metal-organic frameworks (SMOFs); 3) superconductive coordination polymers. In these three areas, the key properties of stability and reactivity are organically united in the open framework medium, such that the powerful sulfur functions and highly conjugated graphene motifs are driving deep innovations across catalysis, semiconductors, sensors, heavy metal removal, energy conversion/storage and superprotonic conductor and superconductor technologies.