Area(s) of Research
Dr. Xia’s research focuses on developing advanced functional nanomaterials and applying them to technologically important applications such as medical diagnostics, bio-/chemical sensing, and food safety and quality management. In basic research, he carefully engineers nanostructures with precisely controlled sizes, shapes, and chemical compositions by manipulating the thermodynamic and/or kinetic parameters during nanocrystal synthesis. He is interested in understanding fundamental nanocrystal growth and the structure-property relationships. In applied research, he is committed to addressing challenge issues of current sensing techniques in biomedicine and food industry by taking advantage of the unique properties of nanomaterials. The ultimate goal is to develop highly sensitive, reliable, and low-cost sensing technologies that are suitable for industrial uses.
Publications
Selected publications:
- Xi, Z.; Wei, K.; Wang, Q.; Kim, M.J.; Sun, S.; Fung, V.; Xia, X.* Nickel–platinum nanoparticles as peroxidase mimics with a record high catalytic efficiency. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2021, 143, 2660–2664. (It was selected as one of the journal cover stories, and reported by UCF Today)
- Gao, Z.; Shao, S.; Gao, W.; Tang, D.; Tang, D.; Zou, S.; Kim, M. J.; Xia, X.* Morphology-invariant metallic nanoparticles with tunable plasmonic properties. ACS Nano, 2021, 15, 2428–2438.
- Xi, Z.; Cheng, X.; Gao, Z.; Wang, M.; Cai, T.; Muzzio, M.; Davidson, E.; Chen, O.; Jung, Y.; Sun, S.; Xu, Y.; Xia, X.* Strain effect in palladium nanostructures as nanozymes. Nano Letters, 2020, 20, 272–277.
- Gao, Z.; Ye, H.; Wang, Q.; Kim, M.; Tang, D.; Xi, Z.; Wei, Z.; Shao, S.; Xia, X.* Template regeneration in galvanic replacement: A route to highly diverse hollow nanostructures. ACS Nano, 2020, 14, 791–801. (It was reported by UCF Today, ScienceDaily, and Phys.org etc.)
- Xi, Z.; Ye, H.; Xia, X.* Engineered noble-metal nanostructures for in vitro diagnostics. Chemistry of Materials, 2018, 30, 8391–8414. (Invited perspective for the “Up and Coming” series)
- Gao, Z.; Tao, J.; Tang, D.; Habibi, S.; Minerick, A.; Tang, D.; Xia, X.* Platinum decorated gold nanoparticles with dual functionalities for ultrasensitive in vitro Nano Letters, 2017, 17, 5572–5579. (It was highlighted by the NSF Science360 News as a top story)
- Gao, Z.; Liu, G.G.; Ye, H.; Rauschendorfer, R.; Tang, D.; Xia, X.* Facile colorimetric detection of silver ions with picomolar sensitivity. Analytical Chemistry, 2017, 89, 3622–3629.
- Ye, H.; Yang, K.; Tao, J.; Liu, Y.; Zhang, Q.; Habibi, S.; Nie, Z.; Xia, X.* An enzyme-free signal amplification technique for ultrasensitive colorimetric assay of disease biomarkers. ACS Nano, 2017, 11, 2052–2059.
- Ye, H.; Wang, Q.; Catalano, M.; Lu, N.; Vermeylen, J.; Kim, M. J.; Liu, Y.; Sun, Y.; Xia, X.* Ru nanoframes with an fcc structure and enhanced catalytic properties. Nano Letters, 2016, 16, 2812–2817. (It was highlighted by C&EN News in the issue of March 28, 2016 and U.S. DOE Office of Science on April 4, 2016)
- Xia, X.;* Zhang, J.; Lu, N.; Kim, M. J.; Ghale, K.; Xu, Y.; Mckenzie, E.; Liu, J.; Ye, H. Pd-Ir core-shell nanocubes: A type of highly efficient and versatile peroxidase mimic. ACS Nano, 2015, 9, 9994–10004. (It was highlighted by U.S. DOE office of science and U.S. CDC in Sept. 2015)
- Xia, X.; Figueroa-Cosme, L.; Tao, J.; Peng, H.-C.; Niu, G.; Zhu, Y.; Xia, Y. Facile synthesis of iridium nanocrystals with well-controlled facets using seed-mediated growth. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2014, 136, 10878–10881.
- Xia, X.; Xie, S.; Liu, M.; Peng, H.-C.; Lu, N.; Wang, J.; Kim, M. J.; Xia, Y. On the role of surface diffusion in determining the shape or morphology of noble-metal nanocrystals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA (PNAS), 2013, 110, 6669– (Highlighted in C&EN News, April 15, 2013, and many other news media)
- Xia, X.; Choi, S. I.; Herron, J. A.; Lu, N.; Scaranto, J.; Peng, H.-C.; Wang, J.; Mavrikakis, M.; Kim, M. J.; Xia, Y. Facile synthesis of Pd right bipyramids and their use as seeds for overgrowth and as catalysts for formic acid oxidation. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2013, 135, 15706–15709.
- Xia, X.; Wang, Y.; Ruditskiy, A.; Xia, Y. Galvanic replacement: A simple and versatile route to metal nanostructures with tunable and well-controlled. Advanced Materials, 2013, 25, 6313–6333 (for the 25th anniversary issue of Advanced Materials)
- Xia, X.; Xia, Y. Symmetry breaking during seeded growth of nanocrystals. Nano Letters, 2012, 12, 6038–
- Xia, X.; Zeng, J.; Otejen, L. K.; Li, Q.; Xia, Y. Quantitative analysis of the role played by poly(vinylpyrrolidone) in seed-mediated growth of silver nanocrystals. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2012, 134, 1793–
Highlights
Current Funding:
- Xia, X. (PI), “CAREER: Engineering bimetallic nanostructures as peroxidase mimics for diagnostic applications”, Agency: Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program, Division of Chemistry, NSF (Award# 1651307). Amount: $457,783. Duration: 01/2017–01/2022.
- Xia, X. (PI); Zou, S.; Kim, M. J. (co-PIs), “A General and Robust Route to Highly Diverse Hollow Nanostructures with New Properties”. SSMC Program, Division of Materials Research, NSF (Award# 2004546). Amount: $475,000. Duration: 06/2020–05/2023.
- Xia, X. (PI); Rao, Q. (co-PI), “Simple and Sensitive Immunodetection of Animal-Derived Adulterants in Foods Using Catalytic Nanoparticles”. Nanotechnology Program, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), USDA (Award# 2020-67021-31257). Amount: $490,000. Duration: 09/2020–08/2023.
- Xia, X. (PI), “Collaborative research: An enzyme-free amplification technique for ultrasensitive ELISA of disease biomarkers”. Biosensing Program, CEBT Division, NSF (Award# 1804525). Amount: $212,425. Duration: 09/2018–08/2021.
- Khondaker S. (PI), Gesquiere, A.; Xia, X. (co-PI, 20% credit); Banerjee, P.; Tetard, L (co-PIs), “MRI: Acquisition of a Confocal and Tip-Enhanced Raman and Photoluminescence Microscope”, Agency: Division of Materials Research, NSF (Award# 1920050). Amount: $424,900. Duration: 09/2019–08/2021.
Awards & Honors:
2018 Emerging Investigator, Journal of Materials Chemistry B, Royal Society of Chemistry
2017 NSF CAREER Award, National Science Foundation (NSF)
2017 Research Excellence Fund Award, Michigan Technological University
Awards
2023 UCF Teaching Incentive Program award, UCF
2023 UCF Research Incentive Award, UCF
2022 Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award, College of Sciences, UCF
2021 Scialog Fellow, Research Corporation for Science Advancement
2020 Outstanding Chemist, Orlando Section, American Chemical Society (ACS)
2018 Emerging Investigator, Journal of Materials Chemistry B, Royal Society of Chemistry
2017 NSF CAREER Award
