Xiaoran Hu

Xiaoran Hu
Assistant Professor
CONTACT
Chemistry
2-050 Center for Science and Technology
Email: xhu156@syr.edu
Office: 315.443.9489
Degrees
- B.S., Nanjing University, China
- Ph.D., Tufts University
- Postdoc, Caltech & Cornell
Social/Academic Links
Courses Taught
CHE 400/600 Selected Topics: Polymer Chemistry and Polymeric Drug Delivery Systems
CHE 799: Seminar in General Chemistry
Materials Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Polymers, Drug Delivery
The Hu Lab is interested in developing stimuli-responsive smart materials and providing chemistry solutions to global challenges in materials innovation and health. We harness the power of molecular design and synthetic organic chemistry to construct advanced material systems for sensing and drug delivery applications. The two research areas in the Hu group are:
- Stimuli-Responsive Materials: We are interested in designing, synthesizing, and applying novel photoswitches and mechanophores.
- Responsive Nanomedicines: Our group is interested in developing nanomaterials that undergo preprogrammed structure and property changes in response to physical, chemical, and biological stimuli as next-generation drug delivery systems to maximize therapeutic efficacy and safety.
- Hu, X.; Fu, X. "Mechanophore with Force Triggered Chirality Conversion". Provisional Patent App. 63/464,213, May 5, 2023. (Syracuse University)
- Robb, M. J.; Hu, X.; Zeng, T. “Method for Controlled Release Using Mechanical Force”. US11584752B2t, Granted February 21, 2023. (California Institute of Technology)
- Hu, X.; Zhu, S.; Robisson, A.; Qu, M; Ossia, S. “Methods for Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP) for In-Situ Formation of High Glass Transition Temperature (Tg) Polymers”. US11,377,580, Granted July 5, 2022. (Schlumberger Technology Corporation)
- Asatekin, A.; Thomas, S. W. III; Kaner, P.; Hu, X. “Two-layer photo-responsive membranes”. US10,603,637, Granted March 31, 2020. (Tufts University)
- Robb, M. J.; Hu, X. “Mechanical Regulation of Photoswitching”. US Patent App. 17/019,107, published March 11, 2021. (California Institute of Technology)
- Luozhong, S.; Yuan, Z.; Jiang, S.; Hu, X.; Bailey, S. "Zwitterionic lipid nanoparticle compositions, and methods of use". US Patent App. 63/129,343, published June 30, 2022. (Cornell)
- Fu, X.; Zhu, B.; Hu, X.* “Force-Triggered Atropisomerization of a Parallel Diarylethene to Its Anti-Parallel Diastereomers”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023. doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c03994
- Hu, X; Zeng, T; Husic, C. C.; Robb, M. J.* “Mechanically Triggered Release of Functionally Diverse Molecular Payloads from Masked 2-Furylcarbinol Derivatives”, ACS Cent. Sci. 2021, 7, 1216-1224. doi.org/10.1021/acscentsci.1c00460
- Hu, X; Zeng, T; Husic, C. C.; Robb, M. J.* “Mechanically Triggered Small Molecule Release from a Masked Furfuryl Carbonate”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 15018-15023. doi.org/10.1021/jacs.9b08663
- Hu, X.; McFadden, M. E.; Baber, R. W.; Robb, M. J.* “Mechanochemical Regulation of a Photochemical Reaction”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 14073-14077. doi.org/10.1021/jacs.8b09628
- Hu, X.; Macintosh, E; Simon, M. G.; Staii, C.; Thomas, S. W. III* "Stimuli-Responsive Free-Standing Layer-By-Layer Films", Adv. Mater. 2016, 28, 715–721. doi.org/10.1002/adma.201504219
2019 ACS PMSE Distinguished Poster Nominee
2018 Finalist, ACS Eastman Chemical Student Award in Applied Polymer Science
2016 Graduate Student Research Competition Award, Tufts
2016 Graduate Research Excellence at Tufts Fellowship
2016 Graduate Student Travel Award, Tufts