Yangju Lin

Yangju Lin specializes in polymer research at the University of Waterloo. The overarching goal of his team is to leverage polymer design for sustainability solutions.

Yangju Lin obtained his B.S. (2012) in Chemistry and M.S. (2015) in Polymer Chemistry and Physics from Xiamen University. During his M.S. research, he worked with Prof. Wengui Weng on self-healing and stress-sensing polymers. He later earned his Ph.D. (2020) under the guidance of Prof. Stephen Craig at Duke University, where he focused on the molecular-level engineering of stress-responsive materials. Yangju Lin conducted his postdoc in Zhenan Bao’s group at Stanford University, where he worked on the molecular design of polymer materials for batteries.

His research interests include mechanistic design of smart polymers (e.g., force-responsive polymers), sustainable polymer materials, (e.g., mechanically durable/resilient polymers, recyclable, and degradable polymers), polymers for battery materials, and polymers for smart devices. The team is passionate about bringing molecular insights into material properties and their performance in a device level, thereby manipulating the material utility through molecular-level tools.

• Polymer Mechanochemistry
• Mechanically Durable Polymers
• Polymer Nanoparticles
• Sustainable Polymers
• Polymers for Battery Materials
• Polymers for Wearable Devices

• 2020-2024, Postdoc, Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, USA (Advisor: Prof. Zhenan Bao)
• 2015-2020, PhD, Chemistry, Duke University, USA (Advisor: Prof. Stephen L. Craig)
• 2012-2015, MS, Polymer Chemistry and Physics, Xiamen University, China (Advisor: Prof. Wengui Weng)
• 2008-2012, BS, Chemistry, Xiamen University, China

• 2023, Future Faculty Workshop, Texas A&M, USA
• 2021, Soft Matter for All Symposium (Invited Speaker, Online), Princeton University, USA
• 2017 and 2019, Burroughs Welcome Graduate Fellowship, Duke University

• View all Yangju Lin's publications on Google Scholar.
• Yangju Lin, Tatiana B Kouznetsova, Alex G Foret, and Stephen L Craig*. Solvent Polarity Effects on the Mechanochemistry of Spiropyran Ring Opening. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146 (6), 3920–3925.
• Yixin Hu, Yangju Lin* (co-1st author), and Stephen L Craig*. Mechanically Triggered Polymer Deconstruction through Mechanoacid Generation and Catalytic Enol Ether Hydrolysis. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146 (5), 2876–2881.
• Yangju Lin, Yuelang Chen, Zhiao Yu, Zhuojun Huang, Jian-Cheng Lai, Jeffrey B.-H. Tok, Yi Cui and Zhenan Bao*. Reprocessable and Recyclable Polymer Network Electrolytes via Incorporation of Dynamic Covalent Bonds. Chem. Mater. 2022, 34 (5), 2393–2399.
• Xinru Guo, Fei Gao*, Fengbiao Chen, Jiang Zhong, Liang Shen*, Cong Lin and Yangju Lin*. Dynamic Enamine-one Bond Based Vitrimer via Amino-yne Click Reaction. ACS Macro Lett. 2021, 10, 1186–1190.
• Yangju Lin*, Tatiana B. Kouznetsova, Chia-Chi Chang and Stephen L. Craig*. Enhanced Polymer Mechanical Degradation through Mechanochemically Unveiled Lactonization. Nat. Commun. 2020, 11 (1), 4987. Highlighted by editors.
• Yangju Lin, Tatiana B. Kouznetsouva and Stephen L. Craig*. Mechanically Gated Degradable Polymers. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142 (5), 2105-2109. Highlighted in Synfacts (Synfacts 2020; 16(04): 0407).
• Yangju Lin, Tatiana B. Kouznetsouva and Stephen L. Craig*. A Latent Mechanoacid for Time-Stamped Mechanochromism and Chemical Signaling in Polymeric Materials. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142 (1), 99-103. Highlighted in C&EN and JACS Spotlights.
• Yangju Lin, Yudi Zhang, Zi Wang and Stephen L. Craig*. Dynamic Memory Effect in the Mechanochemistry of Cyclic Polymers. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141 (28), 10943-10947.
• Yangju Lin, Meredith H. Barbee, Chia-chi Chang, Stephen L. Craig*. Regiochemical Effects on Mechanophore Activation in Bulk Materials. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140 (46), 15969-15975.
• Huan Zhang, Xun Li, Yangju Lin (co-1st author), Fei Gao, Zhen Tang, Peifeng Su, Wenke Zhang*, Yuanze Xu, Wengui Weng* and Roman Boulatov*. Multi-modal mechanophores based on cinnamate dimers. Nat. Comm. 2017, 8 (1), 1147.