Mohammad Amdad Ali

Education

• B.S. Chemistry, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh (2008)
• M.S. Advanced Materials Engineering, Kookmin University, South Korea (2010)
• Ph.D. Materials Chemistry, University of Queensland, Australia (2015)

Academic Positions

• 2019 – Present MRL Staff, Illinois Materials Research Lab, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• 2015 – 2019 Postdoctoral Research Associate, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• 2012 – 2015 Graduate Research Assistant, Centre for Organic Photonics & Electronics, University of Queensland, Australia
• 2011 – 2012 Lecturer in Chemistry, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Bangladesh
• 2008 – 2010 Graduate Research Assistant, Center for Materials and Processes of Self-Assembly, Kookmin University, South Korea

Research Statement

My research interests are focused on the things that happen at interfaces between molecules and how molecules pack into thin films. I have extensive experience to probe and model the diffusion of small molecules or ions within thin films and elucidate the diffusion coefficient. I mostly work with stimuli-responsive soft materials (e.g. polymers, colloids, and gels) system. To gain spatial correlations between local structure and material properties, I perform various characterization techniques, such as spectroscopic (ellipsometry, UV-Vis, Raman, FTIR, DRIFTS, ATR, fluorescence), x-ray analysis (XPS, XRD, XRF, SAXS), thermal analysis (TGA, DSC), light scattering (zetasizer) and mechanical analysis (DMA, rheology). This structure-property relationship of materials is crucial to guide the design of emergent soft materials.

Patents

• P. V. Braun and M. A. Ali “Potential Gradient Amplified Detection of Chemical Agents". U.S. Patent No. US 10,775,337 B2, Sep 15, 2020

Honors

• University of Queensland Centennial Scholarship awarded by University of Queensland (2012)
• International Postgraduate Research Scholarship awarded by Australian Government (2012)
• Korea Science and Engineering Foundation fellowship awarded by Ministry of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea (2008)