Dr. Yangyang Liu is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at California State University, Los Angeles, with a courtesy appointment in the Materials Science & Engineering program. She serves as Principal Investigator and Director of the Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials. Dr. Liu obtained her Ph.D. in Chemistry from Texas A&M University (2014) and B.S. from Nankai University (2009), followed by postdoctoral training at Northwestern University. Her research focuses on advanced functional materials for sustainability and health applications, with core expertise in: Design of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for hydrogen storage and carbon capture Photocatalytic systems for environmental remediation (water purification, chemical warfare agent degradation) Biomedical applications including pH-responsive drug/gene delivery systems Hybrid materials for renewable energy conversion Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2021-2025) reveals strong emphasis on: MOF-based detoxification technologies (6 publications) Proton-conductive materials for energy applications (4 publications) Advanced characterization of framework materials (3 publications) Biomedical MOF composites (2 publications) with frequent collaborations with national labs and industry partners. Scientific Awards: Jean Dreyfus Lectureship Award (2024) DOE FAIR Award (2023) DoD HBCU/MI Research Award (2018) ACS New Investigator Award (2017) NSF CREST Supplement (2017) Research Leadership: Directs an active research group with 10+ graduate students and 3 undergraduates. Secured major grants including: NSF PREM Center for Bioinspired Materials (Co-PI, 2024) DOE Award for carbon capture research (2023) DOD funding for defense-related materials (2018) Lab focuses on interdisciplinary materials development with capabilities in MOF synthesis, catalysis testing, and biomedical applications.









