Hu, Liangbing
Distinguished University Professor
Director, Center for Materials Innovation
R&D 100 Award (2022, 2021, 2020, 2018)
Fellow of MRS (Class of 2022)
Director, Center for Materials Innovation
R&D 100 Award (2022, 2021, 2020, 2018)
Fellow of MRS (Class of 2022)
Materials Science and Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
2330C Jeong H. Kim Engineering Building
BRIEF BIO
Liangbing Hu received his B.S. in physics from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in 2002, where he worked on colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) materials for three years. He did his Ph.D. (2002-2007) at University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), focusing on carbon-nanotube-based nanoelectronics. In 2006, he co-founded Unidym Inc. and led the development of roll-to-roll printed carbon nanotube films and device integration in touch screens, LCDs, flexible OLDEs, and solar cells. He did his postdoc at Stanford University from 2009 to 2011, where he worked on various energy storage technologies using nanomaterials. Currently, he is a Distinguished University Professor at University of Maryland, College Park. His research group focuses on materials innovations, device integration, and manufacturing, with ongoing research activities on electrified ultrahigh-temperature synthesis, energy storage beyond Li-ion batteries, and novel wood nanotechnologies. Dr. Hu has published >450 research papers (including >10 Science and Nature) and is an inventor with 25 issued patents and 45 patent applications. He co-founded multiple startups based on technologies out of his research group.
EDUCATION
- Ph.D. (2007) in Physics, University of California, Los Angeles
- B.S. (2002) in Physics, University of Science and Technology of China
HONORS AND AWARDS
- Distinguished University Professor (2023)
- R&D 100 Award: Expanded Cellulose Super Ion Conductor (2022)
- Fellow of MRS (2022)
- American Chemical Society Energy & Fuels (ENFL) Research Excellence Award in Electrochemical Energy Storage (2022)
- Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry Nano Technical Award (2022)
- Blavatnik National Award for Young Scientists Finalist (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)
- Nature Spinoff Prize by Nature (2021)
- R&D 100 Award: UHS Rapid Sintering (2021)
- Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Award (2021)
- R&D 100 Award: High Entropy Alloy Catalysts (2020)
- TAPPI Nano Middle Career Award (2019)
- R&D 100 Award: Super Wood: Stronger and Lighter Than Steel (2018)
- ACS Nano Letter Young Investigator (2017)
- Emerging Investigator Award, ACS Division of Energy and Fuel (2016)
- ONR Young Investigator Award (2016)
- Air Force Young Investigator Award (2013)
PATENTS (25 issued and 45 applications)
- L. Hu, C. Wang, "Inverted Battery Devices, and Systems and Methods for Use Thereof", U.S. Patent No. 11,724,024.
- L. Hu, E. D. Wachsman, B. Liu, L. Zhang, S. Xu, D. McOwen, C. Yang, "Lithium Battery", U.S. Patent No. 11,569,527.
- L. Hu, M. Zhu, Y. Li, C. Chen, T. Li, H. Liu, A. Gong, Y. Kuang, "Wood-based Solar Thermal Devices, and Methods for Fabrication and Use Thereof", U.S. Patent No. 11,578,894.
- L. Hu, T. Li, C. Yang, X. Zhang, R. M. Briber, M. Wu, "Ion-conducting Structures, Devices including Ion-conducting Structures, and Methods for Use and Fabrication Thereof", U.S. Patent No. 11,374,255.
- L. Hu, Y. Chen, Y. Yao, "Nanoparticles and Systems and Methods for Synthesizing Nanoparticles Through Thermal Shock", U.S. Patent No. 11,369,929.
- Y. Yao, L. Hu, "Thermal Shock Synthesis of Multielement Nanoparticles", U.S. Patent No. 11,193,191.
- L. Hu, M. Zhu, J. Song, "Stong and Tough Structural Wood Materials, and Methods for Fabricating and Use Thereof", U.S. Patent No. 11,130,256.
- L. Hu, E. D. Wachsman, Y. Gong, K. Fu, W. Luo, C. Wang, "Metal Alloy Layers on Substrates, Methods of Making Same, and Uses Thereof", U.S. Patent No. 11,043,696.
- L. Hu, Z. Fang, H. Zhu, "Scalable, Highly Transparent Paper with Microsized Fiber", U.S. Patent No. 10,982,390.
- L. Hu, X. Han, E. D. Wachsman, Y. Mo, "Interfacial Layers for Solid-state Batteries and Methods of Making Same", U.S. Patent No. 10,971,761.
- L. Hu, F. Chen, A. Gong, "Membranes and Methods of Use Thereof", U.S. Patent No. 10,940,444.
- A. C. Kozen, M. A. Schroeder, G. W. Rubloff, L. Hu, M. Noked, S. Lee, "Protection Layers for Metal Anodes", U.S. Patent No. 10,826,065.
- E. D. Wachsman, L. Hu, V. Thangadurai, "Ion Conducting Batteries with Solid State Electrolyte Materials", U.S. Patent No. 10,622,666.
- L. Hu, Z. Fang, H. Zhu, "Super Clear Cellulose Paper", U.S. Patent No. 10,480,126.
- L. Hu, Y. Yao, T. Li, "Transparent Hybrid Substrates, Devices Employing such Substrates, and Methods for Fabrication and Use Thereof", U.S. Patent No. 10,411,222.
- L. Hu, J. Choi, Y. Yangy, Y. Cui, "Conductive Fibrous Materials", U.S. Patent No. 9,138,965.
- S. Jeong, L. Hu, Y. Cui, "Method for Forming a Nano-textured Substrate", U.S. Patent No. 8,999,857.
- L. Cui, Y. Cui, L. Hu, "Nanotube-based Nanomaterial Membrane", U.S. Patent No. 8,974,967.
- Y. Yang, L. Hu, Y. Cui, S. Jeong, "Transparent Electrochemical Energy Storage Devices", U.S. Patent No. 8,956,757.
- Y. Cui, H. Wu, L. Hu, "Electrodes with Electrospun Fibers", U.S. Patent No. 8,940,194.
- L. Hu, D. Hecht, J. Jue, G. Gruner, "Compliant and Nonplanar Nanostructure Films", U.S. Patent No. 8,815,346.
- Y. Park, G. Gruner, L. Hu, "Transparent and Conductive Nanostructure-film Pixel Electrode and Method of Making the Same", U.S. Patent No. 8,785,939.
- L. Hu, G. Gruner, "Touch Screen Devices Employing Nanostructure Networks", U.S. Patent No. 8,390,589.
- G. Gruner, D. Hecht, L. Hu, "Method of Producing a Graphene Film as Transparent and Electrically Conducting Material", U.S. Patent No. 7,785,557.
- G. Gruner, L. Hu, D. Hecht, "Graphene Film as Transparent and Electrically Conducting Material", U.S. Patent No. 7,449,133.
Professor Hu teaches "Nanotechnology for Energy: Principles, Materials and Devices" at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Professor Hu is also active in mentoring and outreach activities, including serving as an advisor to a Gemstone honors program team, hosting visits from high school students in Women In Engineering's LEAD Academy summer program, a partnership with Wheaton High School to create summer internships and new science lessons, and talking to visitors of all ages about materials science at Maryland Day.
UMD Copper Ink Startup Receives Strategic Investment from E Ink
The investment will support the development of scalable copper inks for display materials and next-gen printed electronics.Novel Reactive Ink Prints Into Everlasting Copper
UMD professor develops new method to process oxidation and corrosion resistant copper.UMD prominently showcased at ARPA-E summit
16 booths and 3 tech demos highlightedNew Genetically Engineered Wood Can Store Carbon and Reduce Emissions
UMD Researchers Edited Poplar Tree Genes to Produce Chemical-Free, Sustainable Structural Wood ProductsShellfish Waste Engineered to Preserve Produce for Healthier, Longer Shelf Life
A multidisciplinary research effort unveiled a biocompatible food preservation technology to remove pesticides from produce, extend shelf life.“Build Our Future” grants include two MEI2 energy companies
$2.3M in State Grants Awarded to University of Maryland-Affiliated ProjectsIchiro Takeuchi Elected Fellow of the Materials Research Society
The professor becomes the second in the department to earn this lifetime distinction.‘Flash Heating’ Technology Preserves Food at No Nutritional Cost
An interdisciplinary study among engineers and food scientists revealed a new food preservation technology that could improve quality and nutrition value.Groundbreaking Plasma Innovation Shines as Invention of the Year
Maryland Engineers Take Home Top Prize at 2024 Innovate MarylandCelebrating Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American Engineers
The impact made by APIDA engineers—at the Clark School, and on our country and world—improves our community and field in numerous and significant ways.Seven Current and Former Maryland MSE Students to Attend 73rd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting
The scholars will travel to Lindau, Germany in late June for a week-long discussion spanning the future of physics.Liangbing Hu and Eric Wachsman Graced UMD’s Innovation Gateway
Hu and Wachsman became the only UMD faculty featured together with outstanding alumni inventors and entrepreneurs.Reflecting on 20 Years of Excellence and Innovation
Materials Science and Engineering celebrated its anniversary on November 7, 2023.A Facile and Accessible Plasma Hotter Than the Surface of The Sun
Maryland and Princeton professors invented a new ultra-hot plasma capable of melting everything on the planet to synthesize new materials.UMD Researchers’ ‘Cooling Glass’ Blasts Building Heat Into Space
New Coating Can Be Applied to Various Exterior Surfaces to Reduce AC Use, Fight Climate ChangeAt the White House: Professor Liangbing Hu Showcases More Sustainable, Steel-Strength “Super Wood”
Hu’s Super Wood Among 40 Great Innovations Offering Scalable Solutions to Societal ChallengesLiangbing Hu Is Key PI of New Energy Earthshot Research Center
The new Oak Ridge National Laboratory Energy Earthshot Research Center aims to develop sustainable chemical processes.MSE Research Featured on National News Network
Ichiro Takeuchi and Liangbing Hu discuss research innovations at The Circuit News.Hu Develops New Lithium Extraction Technique with Princeton Researchers
This new technology co-developed by Princeton University and University of Maryland could reduce necessary land and time for operations.UMD's 40th Annual Convocation Honors Engineering Staff, Faculty
The University of Maryland's 40th annual Convocation will honor 33 faculty and staff—including four from the A. James Clark School of Engineering—for their contributions to education, research, and the campus community.Hu Develops Eco-Friendly Process for Natural Bamboo Composite
The new bioadhesion strategy would pave the way for more structural applications.Maryland MSE Scholars Named to Faculty Positions
Maryland MSE scholars join UC Irvine and Purdue as facultyHu, Ulukus, DeVoe Recognized with UMD Distinguished Honors
Three Maryland Engineering professors—Liangbing Hu, Sennur Ulukus, and Don DeVoe—are among the 16 University of Maryland faculty members recognized this year as Distinguished University Professors and Distinguished Scholar-Teachers.Battery Recycling
Battery Recycling: Scientists Develop Swift, Scalable, and Eco-friendly Process for Upcycling Degraded GraphiteElectrified Plastic Recycling Toward A Sustainable Future
Multi-institutional study published in NatureSelected Publications from NanoCenter's AIM Lab and FabLab
Highlighting recent research performed at the NanoCenter AIM Lab and FabLab.Insulwood for better sound and thermal insulation
Insulwood for better sound and thermal insulationTen Maryland MSE Faculty Members Ranked in Top 2% of World Scientists
Elsevier releases updated science-wide databaseA New Antimicrobial Cotton Textile with Cu ions in Nanofibers
New Research Published in NatureUMD Scientists Develop Wood-MOF for Greater Sustainability
Metal-organic Framework will support many environmental applicationsInventWood and UMD Receive $20M ARPA-E SCALEUP Award
UMD exceeds $100M in ARPA-E fundingUMD Scientists Achieve Ultrahigh-Temperature Melt Printing
Direct metal melt printing towards additive manufacturing of multi-principal element alloysUMD, Princeton, PPPL, and ANL receive $4.5M for Low Carbon Manufacturing
The research team will explore electrified ammonia synthesisMaryland Engineers Get Cracking on Sustainability with Crab Shell-based Battery
Biodegradable electrolyte could lessen pollution burden of electric vehiclesDr. Liangbing Hu Winner of R&D 100 Award
Expanded Cellulose Super Ion Conductor HonoredLiangbing Hu Named Finalist for 2022 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists
Hu has become a sustainable materials leader by creating novel wood-based technologies to replace energy-intensive structural materials.Electrified Heating Towards Green Methane Conversion and Ammonia Synthesis
Multi-institutional study published in Nature.Converting Biowaste into Hydroxide Exchange Membrane
Exoskeletons of shellfish provide a cheap, eco-friendly alternative to other HEM fuel cells currently on the market.Radical scavengers improve the durability of electrocatalysts
Study, published in Nature Energy, demonstrates prolonged catalyst durability.MSE Prof. Liangbing Hu Granted $5.6M in DOE ARPA-E Funding
Funds offered by the ARPA-E project will go towards the development of clean energy technology.Engineering a Multi-Element Atomic Arrangement
A novel disorder-to-order transition strategy for ordered nanoparticles published in Science Advances.Nine Maryland Engineers Recognized as Being "One in 1,000"
Clark School researchers among the "who's who" of influential researchers, according to Clarivate.Bamboo fibers offer strong, ‘green’ manufacturing alternative
Study published in Nature Sustainability.Wood That Can Cut Like Steel, Be Molded Like Plastic or Build Batteries?
Maryland engineers discover more new dimensions of an ancient material.UMD-Led Team Wins NSF Award for Rapid Materials Design
The collaborative team receives $1.8 million in funding to develop an integrated framework to drive the rapid design of novel materials for batteries and fuel cells.Moldable Wood from Water ‘Shock’ Process
A UMD research team has developed a strong yet incredibly flexible wood material that could be used in construction, automotives, and beyond.Expanded Wood Fiber for High-Performance Solid-State Paper Batteries
UMD research group invented the first high-performance solid-state paper batteries by a new molecular scale engineering method.Liangbing Hu’s HighT-Tech Wins 2021 Spinoff Prize
Prize conferred to UMD start-up for innovative catalysis development.Three Engineers Among 2021-2022 Distinguished Scholar-Teachers
Abshire, Fisher and Hu honored for outstanding success in scholarly accomplishment and excellence in teaching.Convocation to Shine Spotlight on Faculty, Staff Accomplishments
Six Clark School faculty and staff will be honored at UMD's 38th annual Convocation on Sept. 15, 2021.Maryland Engineering ranked #12 public undergraduate program in the country
For the third consecutive year, the Clark School's rises in U.S. News & World Report ranking.Liangbing Hu Named Finalist for 2021 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists
The winners of the $250K prize will be announced on July 20.Liangbing Hu Named 2021/2022 Distinguished Scholar-Teacher
Hu has been recognized for his outstanding contributions to both research and teaching.Maryland Scientists Synthesize Metallic Glass Nanoparticles via High Temperature Thermal Shock
Study published online in Nature on March 31.Liangbing Hu Elected to the Class of 2021 MRS Fellows
Hu is the first UMD scholar to receive this honor.Plastic Alternative Made 100% of Wood
Study on strong, biodegradable and recyclable bioplastic published in Nature Sustainability.Could Nanocellulose Save Us?
The building blocks of plants may taper our dependency on fossil fuels.CREB Kicks Off 2021 with Meeting to Discuss Future of Battery Research
The virtual meeting aimed to bolster battery technology under extreme conditions.10 Maryland MSE Faculty Members Ranked in Top 2% of World Scientists
Report prepared by Stanford University experts.Scientists Design and Synthesize Denary Oxide Nanoparticles as Highly Stable Catalysts
Multi-Institutional research study made the January 2021 cover of Nature Catalysis.Hollow, Multi-Metallic Nanoparticles Offer Novel Strategy for Synthesis of Highly Efficient Catalysis
Multi-institutional study makes cover of Advanced Materials.UMD-Harvard team wins ARPA-E award for Transformational Energy Technology
Team to develop ultrahigh temperature coatings for jet engines and electricity-generation gas turbinesPrinted Solid-State Batteries
Printable, high-performance solid-state electrolyte films for next generation Li batteries.Tian Li and Chengwei Wang Receive MRS 2020 Postdoctoral Awards
Both researchers will be honored at a virtual ceremony in late November.Symptoms all in your head—or in your gut? Maybe a little of both.
UMD researchers are building an ingestible capsule that can monitor and model gut microbiome serotonin activity and help demystify the “gut-brain axis.”Better than sponge: Elastic Wood
Liangbing Hu research group continues to make headlines with their out of the (timber) box thinking.'Speedy Ceramics' Method Receives 2020 ARPA-E Award
Project led by Liangbing Hu received $1M to develop pipe renovation technology.MSE Researcher Chengwei Wang Receives MRS Postdoctoral Award
Wang will be honored during an event coordinated with the 2020 Virtual MRS Spring/Fall Meeting later this year.Natural Patterns of Wood Shine Through in 'Aesthetic Wood'
Glass-like wood insulates heat, is tough, blocks UV and has wood-grain patternWood Cathode Architecture Continues to Make Headlines
Lingbing Hu's study on high-capacity, long-life Li-CO2 battery reported in BBC.Hafezi, Hu Named Blavatnik Finalists for Second Straight Year
For the second year in a row, two Clark School faculty members have been named Finalists of the Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists.MSE Ph.D. Candidate Receives NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Dylan Kirsch, on track to complete his Ph.D. in 2022, is focused on high-performing thermoelectrics.New, Superfast Method for Ceramic Manufacturing Could Open Door to AI-driven Materials Discovery
MSE research published on May 2020 cover of Science.New, superfast method for ceramic manufacturing could open door to AI-driven materials discovery
UMD engineers have reinvented a 26,000-year-old manufacturing process into an innovative approach to fabricating ceramic materials.Maryland Engineers Open Door to Big New Library of Tiny Nanoparticles
A new study published in Science Advances expands the landscape of nanomaterials, and what we can do with them.Micro-reactor Produces Quality Nanoparticles
Research team led by Liangbing Hu publishes study in Materials Today.UMD Launches Center for Materials Innovation
Research center, led by Liangbing Hu, will use innovative materials development to solve the world’s most pressing problems.Computer-designed nanoparticles could speed us toward hydrogen economy
Mixing the unmixable, scientists create efficient catalyst for hydrogen energy extractionMSE Ranked #23 by U.S. News and World Report
UMD’s Materials Science and Engineering Department hits #23 in U.S. graduate school rankings – its highest ranking yet.Tian Li to Receive Materials Research Society Postdoctoral Award
Li will be honored at the 2020 MRS Spring Meeting in April.Thin Wood Film Amplifies Speaker Technology
UMD study published in Nature Communications.Emily Hitz Named by Nature as One of Five Early Career Researchers in Materials Science
Hitz is an MSE Ph.D. student, advised by Liangbing Hu, conducting research on solid-state batteries.MEI² Scientists Named Highly Cited Researchers in 2019
Hu and Wang identified by Web of ScienceHigh Temperature Thermal Shocks Increase Stability of Single Atom Catalysts
Multi-institutional study published in Nature Nanotechnology August 12.