Research Theme

Our single molecule research is highly interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary that comprises the field of single molecule biophysics/biochemistry, molecular electronics, nanobiotechnology, bioenergy, and nanomedicine with the main purpose to reveal the mechanisms of the single molecule electronic, mechanical, and interaction properties, establishing the molecular structure-function relationships and probe how environmental factors contribute to such properties. Its centerpiece lies in the development and advancement of SPM-based single molecule device and measurement techniques, including the SPM break junction techniques the PI pioneered that are now widely adopted by many research groups in the world and the AFM single molecule recognition and interaction imaging and measurements. The techniques are used to study electronic transport and mechanical properties in single molecular junction devices and sensing the single molecule interactions between the probe molecules and the target molecules (For more details on research projects, see Research)

10 Representative Publications

Zhang, R.; Hu, Z.; Wang, Y.; Hu, H.; Li, F.; Li, M.; Ragauskas, A.; Xia, T.; Han, H.; Tang, J.; Yu, H.; Xu, B.; Peng, L. Single-molecular insights into the breakpoint of cellulose nanofibers assembly during saccharification. Nature Communications 2023, 14, 1100. (link)
Zhang, T.; Pan, Y.; Kandapal, S.; Sun, X.; Xu, B. Following the Aggregation of Human Prion Protein on Heparin Functionalized Gold Surface in Real Time. ACS Applied Bio Materials 2022, 5, 5457-5464. (link) Highlight
Cheng, H.; Yu, J.; Wang, Z.; Ma, P.; Guo, C.; Wang, B.; Zhong, W.; Xu, B. Details of Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy Data Decoded by a Network-Based Automatic Clustering Algorithm. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 2021, 125, 9660-9667. (link) Highlighted as journal cover
Wang, H.; Wang, K.; Xu, Y.; Wang, W.; Chen, S.; Hart, M.; Wojtas, L.; Zhou, L.-P.; Gan, L.; Yan, X.; Li, Y.; Lee, J.; Ke, X.-S.; Wang, X.-Q.; Zhang, C.-W.; Zhou, S.; Zhai, T.; Yang, H.-B.; Wang, M.; He, J.; Sun, Q.-F.; Xu, B.; Jiao, Y.; Stang, P. J.; Sessler, J. L.; Li, X. Hierarchical Self-Assembly of Nanowires on the Surface by Metallo-Supramolecular Truncated Cuboctahedra. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2021, 143, 5826-5835. (link)
Wang, K.; Vezzoli, A.; Grace, Iain M.; McLaughlin, M.; Nichols, R. J.; Xu, B.; Lambert, C. J.; Higgins, S. J. Charge transfer complexation boosts molecular conductance through Fermi level pinning. Chemical Science 2019, 10, 2396-2403.(link)
Wang, L.; Liu, R.; Gu, J.; Song, B.; Wang, H.; Jiang, X.; Zhang, K.; Han, X.; Hao, X.-Q.; Bai, S.; Wang, M.; Li, X.; Xu, B.; Li, X. Self-Assembly of Supramolecular Fractals from Generation 1 to 5. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2018, 140, 14087-14096. (link) Featured as journal cover
Song, B.; Kandapal, S.; Gu, J.; Zhang, K.; Reese, A.; Ying, Y.; Wang, L.; Wang, H.; Li, Y.; Wang, M.; Lu, S.; Hao, X.-Q.; Li, X.; Xu, B.; Li, X. Self-assembly of polycyclic supramolecules using linear metal-organic ligands. Nature Communications 2018, 9, 4575. (link)
Zhou, J.; Wang, K.; Xu, B.; Dubi, Y. Photoconductance from Exciton Binding in Molecular Junctions. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2018, 140, 70-73. (link)
Guo, C.; Wang, K.; Zerah-Harush, E.; Hamill, J.; Wang, B.; Dubi, Y.; Xu, B. Molecular rectifier composed of DNA with high rectification ratio enabled by intercalation. Nature Chemistry 2016, 8, 484-490. (link) (Media News and Highlights(>60): UGA today, NSF news, IEEE Spectrum, Tech Times, Innovation Report, EurekAleart,NanoWerk, Engadget, TechnologyOrg, SinaTech, etc.
Xu, B.; Tao, N. J. Measurement of single-molecule resistance by repeated formation of molecular junctions. Science 2003, 301, 1221-1223. (link)

Research Sponsers

National Science Foundation
National Institutes of Health
United States Department of Agriculture