Jianzhi Hu
Senior Research Scientist, Fundamental and Computational Sciences Directorate, Biological Sciences Division, Macromolecular Structure and DynamicsResearch Interests
Dr. Hu specializes in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Recent interest includes:
- Development and application of novel Magnetic Resonance techniques, such as the magic angle turning experiments, applied at very slow sample spinning rate from 1 to 100 Hz, to enhance NMR spectral resolution in intact cells, excised organs, excised tissues and live animals.
- Developing spectral resolution enhanced localized NMR spectroscopy/imaging to study biological samples.
- Application of solid state NMR techniques to investigate molecular structure and dynamics of catalyst materials, polycrystalline and amorphous solids, fossil fuels, polymers and biological solids.
- Developing a novel in-situ NMR method to characterize real time catalytic reaction.
- Ab-initial calculations using quantum chemistry theory to predict molecular geometry and NMR parameters.
- NMR Pulse sequence development and data processing.
- NMR probe design and construction.
Past Experience
Dr. Hu has more than 18 years of research experience, more than 70 publications in the field of NMR, and three pending US patents. He joined PNNL in 2000 and has been associated with the Macromolecular Structure and Dynamics group in the EMSL since 2000.
Education
BS, Semiconductor Physics, Lanzhou University, China, 1983
MS, Applied Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics, the Chinese Academy of Sciences,
1986
PhD, Applied Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics, the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Thesis work granted permission by the University of Utah (1991-1994).
Awards, Honors, & Appointments
Dr. Hu received one PNNL Divisional Outstanding Performance Award in 2001, and was the recipient of the 1995 Academic Special-President- Award from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Hu has made contributions including the following:
- Helped develop the magic angle turning experiment, a well known technique in the field of NMR for accurately determining the chemical shift tensors of spin-1/2 nuclei in a system with complex molecular structure
- Working with Dr. Robert A. Wind, Hu successfully initiated the slow and ultra-slow MAS methodologies in biological field and developed the ultra-slow magic angle turning experiment with sample spinning rate as slow as less than 1Hz
- Authored an article entitled "A High-Resolution 3D Separated-Local-Field Experiment by Means of Magic- Angle Turning" by Hu, Alderman, Pugmire and Grant featured the Jounal of Magnetic Resonance, vol. 126, 1997
- Invited to write the article entitled "Magic Angle Turning & Hopping" for Encyclopedia of NMR in 1995.
