Yi Liu

Dr. Yi Liu serves as the Facility Director of Organic and Macromolecular Synthesis at the Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which is managed by the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Liu leads a research group focused on the development of nanostructured materials through molecular design and synthesis, with applications in energy conversion and storage.

Dr. Liu's research interests include:

• Organic Electronics and Semiconductors
• Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs) and Supramolecular Organic Frameworks (SOFs)
• Molecular design for controlled functionality across scales
• Charge transport in hybrid semiconducting materials
• Self-assembly of 2D and 3D framework materials
• Organic-inorganic nanocomposites for optoelectronic applications

Dr. Liu's research group has made significant contributions to functional organic framework materials, particularly in developing new synthetic methods for COFs and understanding their electronic properties. The research demonstrates a strong focus on creating materials with tailored electronic and optical properties for applications in organic photovoltaics, transistors, and energy storage devices. Recent work has emphasized greener synthesis methods, machine learning approaches to materials discovery, and high-temperature energy storage solutions.

Dr. Liu has received notable recognition including the 2021 Horizon Prize for Team Science and the 2020 R&D 100 Award for Porous Graphitic Frameworks.

• 2021 Horizon Prize for Team Science on new dimension of Click Chemistry
• 2020 R&D 100 Award for Porous Graphitic Frameworks
• Mentored Henry Li who won the inaugural Best Postdoc Paper award

Dr. Liu actively mentors a diverse research team including postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduates. Current team members include Dr. Zhiyuan Huang, Dr. Qingsong Zhang, Dr. Zongliang Xie, Dr. Lu Fan, Ashlin Deatherage, Shiqi (George) Lai, Shannon Hoang, and Zhiyang Ji. The group collaborates extensively with researchers at Fudan University, South China Normal University, and other institutions.

The research group operates within the Molecular Foundry, a Department of Energy user facility that provides state-of-the-art instrumentation and expertise for nanoscience research. Dr. Liu's team utilizes this facility to develop and characterize novel organic and hybrid materials with applications in energy conversion and storage.