• B.S., Chemistry, Tsinghua University
• Ph.D., Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Current Research

• Supramolecular self-assembly and nanostructure control
• Organic nanomaterials foroptoelectronic sensors and photocatalysis
• Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites and photovoltaics
• Molecular sensors for trace heavy metal detection
   

Interested topics

• Molecular self-assembly
• Organic nanowires and nanodevices
• Nanoscale imaging
• Molecular sensing and probing
• Trace explosives and chemical detection
• Nanomaterials photovoltaics

• 2012   Overseas Expert, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
• 2007   CAREER Award, NSF.
• 2003   Research Fellowship, K. C. Wong Foundation (Hong Kong).
• 1996   Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship, Germany

• Prof. Dustin E. Gross, Sam Houston State University, Department of Chemistry
• Supramolecular self-assembly
• Prof. C. Scott Hartley, Miami University, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
• Supramolecular self-assemblyand sensor
• Prof. Joshua Hihath, UC Davis, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Single molecular electronics
• Dr. Brandy J. Johnson, US Naval Research Laboratory
• Chemical sensors
• Prof. Zhihai Li, Ball State University, Department of Chemistry
• Single molecular electronics
• Prof. Jeffrey Moore, UIUC, Department of Chemistry
• Molecular design and self-assembly
• Prof. ZhonghuaPeng, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Department of Chemistry
• Molecular self-assembly and electronic properties
• Prof. Glenn D. Prestwich, University of Utah, Department of Medicinal Chemistry
• Heavy metal sensors
• Prof. Michael A. Scarpulla, University of Utah, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Perovskite materials and photovoltaics
• Dr. David A. Stenger, US Naval Research Laboratory
• Chemical sensors
• Prof. Nongjian (N.J.) Tao, Arizona State University, Department of Electrical Engineering
• Single molecule electronics
• Prof. Chuanyi Wang, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry
• Photocatalysis and chemical sensors

Editorships

• Associate Editor: Science of Advanced Materials, 2011-
• Editorial Board: Scientific Reports (a Nature journal, 2014-), Imaging Science and Photochemistry (2011-).

Conference Organization

• Chair: NanoUtah2012 conference.
• Co-Chair: 2014 International Symposium on Nanoscience and Nanoengineering: Nanomaterials for Renewable Energy and Clean Environment
• Co-chair: Session Diagnostics and Nanoimaging, 2010 AIChE Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City.
• Session Chair: 2016 Materials Science & Technology Conference, Salt Lake City
• Session Chair: the 21st International Symposium on Surfactants in Solution (SIS2016), Jinan, China
• Organization Committee and Session Chair: NanoUtah2010, and NanoUtah2011 conference.
• Scientific Committee: the international conference SOLARIS 2011, Czech Republic.
• Co-chair: USTAR Renewable Energy Cluster Initiative on Organic Photovoltaics, 2009-2010.
• US NSF delegation to the International Conference on Smart Materials and Nanotechnology in Engineering, July 1-4, 2007, Harbin, China.
• Chair:  “Molecular Electronics” section, 2004 Beckman Frontiers of Science Symposium, National Academy of Sciences, USA.

• Vaporsens, the UofU spinoff that licensed the sensor technology from our lab, was invited and sponsored by NSF for Tech Demo at CES 2017 Eureka Park . 12/20/2016.https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=190...- opens new window
• Nanofiber nose: our D-A nanofiber composite sensors for alkane detection. 04/04/2016.http://www.chemistryviews.org/details/news/9137631...- opens new window
• Fuel sensor work featured at ABC4 TV. 03/27/2016. http://www.good4utah.com/news/local-news/new-handh...- opens new window
• Interfacial Nanofiber Composites for Trace Alkane Detection, . 09/16/2015.http://ustar.org/interfacial_nanofiber_news/- opens new window
• Mar. 11, 2015, New Nanofiber-based Electronic Nose Introduced by Vaporsens, Demo at Pittcon Conference, Booth #227, March 9-12. 03/11/2015. http://www.virtual-strategy.com/2015/03/11/new-nan...- opens new window
• Feb. 2015, our collaborative work with Vaporsens was featured by CEP Magazine of AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers), . 02/15/2015. http://www.aiche.org/resources/publications/cep/20...- opens new window
• Feb. 27, 2015, Homeland Defense and Security Information Analysis Center (HDIAC), Spotlight: Nanofibers For Trace Explosive Detection, . 02/2015. https://www.hdiac.org/node/1353- opens new window
• Jan. 28, 2015, our sensor research was featured in the President’s Blog, Institution of Chemical Engineers, . 01/28/2015. https://ichemepresident.wordpress.com/tag/ling-zan...- opens new window
• Jan. 21, 2015, Our carbon nanotube sensors were featured by NSF Science360.gov , . 01/21/2015.http://science360.gov/radio/episode/7b64fdf2-85ba-...- opens new window
• Dec. 22, 2014, our carbon nanotube research was among Top 5 News Features of 2014 on AZoNano.com,. 12/22/2014. http://www.azonetwork.com/blog/top-5-news-feature...- opens new window
• Dec. 8, 2014, Ling Zang was featured in Diplomatic Courier, A global Affairs Magazine, . 12/08/2014.http://diplomaticourier.com/channels/beijing-teleg...- opens new window
• Dec. 3, 2014, our sensor research was featured KSL news, . 12/03/2014. http://www.ksl.com/?nid=1012&sid=32600102- opens new window
• Nov. 13, 2014, Our carbon nanotube research was featured at AAAS Science Update,. 11/13/2014. http://www.scienceupdate.com/2014/11/nano-3/- opens new window
• Nov. 10, 2014, our research team was featured by Fox13 TV, Scientists working on bomb sniffing device at U of U, http://fox13now.com/2014/11/09/scientists-working-on-bomb-sniffing-device-at-u-of-u/ , the Daily Utah Chronicle. http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/2014/11/10/u-engineers-design-better-bomb-detection-devices/. 11/10/2014.
• Nov. 4, 2014, our carbon nanotubes sensor research was featured in Salt Lake Tribune newspaper, http://www.sltrib.com/news/1767816-155/research-bomb-defense-department-gases-material, Fox13 News, http://fox13now.com/2014/11/04/u-of-u-engineers-develop-new-bomb-sniffing-technology/, KUER Radio, http://fox13now.com/2014/11/09/scientists-working-on-bomb-sniffing-device-at-u-of-u/ , NSF, http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=133275, , and NSF Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/US.NSF/photos/a.78704022899.76895.30037047899/10152936136807900/. 11/04/2014.
• Nov. 11, 2014, our explosives detection technique was featured by Fortune, . 01/11/2014.http://fortune.com/2014/11/04/a-better-bomb-detect...- opens new window
• R&D of our new sensor technology in collaboration with Vaporsens was covered in Channel 2 (CBS/KUTV) Morning News. 05/29/2013. http://www.kutv.com/news/top-stories/stories/vid_5...- opens new window
• Our explosives detection technique was invited to demonstrate at the Innovation Fair at the State Capitol. 02/21/2013. http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?stationid=210...- opens new window
• Our electronic nose research is reported in the Daily Utah Chronicle. 02/01/2013.http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/?p=2583411- opens new window
• Our sensor research and commercialization effort through Vaporsens is highlighted in a report by the Salt Lake Tribune, "University of Utah is a startup machine, according to survey". 12/14/2012.http://www.sltrib.com/55452414-218/technology-univ...- opens new window
• KSL (Channel 5) TV covers our recent research success in narcotic sensors and the commercialization collaboration with Vaporsens Inc. 07/24/2012. http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=21401887- opens new window
• our research in electronic dog nose is reported in Innovation Utah. 07/19/2012.http://newmedia.innovationutah.com/2012/07/09/an-e...- opens new window
• my Ph.D. student Ben Bunes is awarded with the prestigious NASA Space Technology Research Fellowships (NSTRF). It is extremely competitive to get this award. Congratulations, Ben. 04/27/2012.
• our lab is featured in the 2012 issue of "Business in Utah", the Official Publication of the Governor's Office of Economic Development. 04/19/2012. http://www.eng.utah.edu/~lzang/images/businessinut...- opens new window
• my Ph.D. students Ben, Miao and Helin, representing University of Utah, their project “Vapor Detection of Peroxide-Based Improvised Explosive Devices” won the ten finalists for the Sixth Annual National Security Innovation Competition --- The National Homeland Defense Foundation (NHDF) today. 03/15/2012.http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/3/prweb9332877....- opens new window
• one of our explosives detector devices was part of the USTAR Science Fair showcase at the State Capitol Rotunda, where our Ph.D. students Ben, Miao and Helin demonstrated how the device works (2nd and 3rd photos). 02/16/2012. http://www.standard.net/stories/2012/02/16/ustar-l...- opens new window
• December, 2011, our explosives sensor research and technology development were featured in the November/December issue of Zions Bank Community magazine: No Mean Feet - Nano Net Detects Explosives. 12/2011.
• November, 2011, our heavy metal sensor research was covered in the Fall 2011 issue of UofU Innovations Newsletter. 11/2011.
• October 6, 2011, Faster, cheaper mercury test could provide answers for China http://unews.utah.edu/news_releases/faster-cheaper-mercury-test-could-provide-answers-for-china/ . 10/2011.
• October 8, 2011, Bringing mercury pollution to light: U. scientist creates faster, cheaper way to measure mercury. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705392164/Bringing-mercury-pollution-to-light-U-scientist-creates-faster-cheaper-way-to-measure-mercury.html , http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=17588913, http://www.utahpulse.com/view/full_story/15983607/article-Faster--Cheaper-Mercury-Test-Could-Provide-Answers-for-China?instance=top_story_pulse . 10/2011.
• August 31, 2011, Dr. Zang commented on "Nanotechnology emerges in energy efficiency" with Leonardo Energy, http://www.leonardo-energy.org/nanotechnology-emerges-energy-efficiency. 08/2011.
• July 13, 2011, Governor Herbert declared July 13, 14 and 15 as the Utah-Qinghai EcoPartnership days during the National Governors Association Meeting held in SLC. Metallosensors is part of the EcoPartnership, and mentioned in the declaration. Click here for the PDF of Declaration. 07/2011.
• June 3, 2011, Utah Pulse: Nanotechnology and the New Energy Economy, reporting Dr. Zang's new book with Springer and his interview on renewable energy and the impact brought by nanotechnology; also covered in the USTAR network. 06/2011.
• Feb. 1, 2011, our research and development work on sensors is highlighted by the Zions Bank "Speaking on Business" program through KSL News Radio. http://www.zionsbancorporation.com/zionsbank/resources/audio/20110201.mp3 the Zions Bank "Speaking on Business" is a radio program highlighting businesses throughout Utah and Idaho. The week of Jan. 31st, the spotlighted companies and breakthrough research associated with USTAR. The host of the program is Chris Redgrave, former general manager of KSL NewsRadio in Salt Lake City, and past chair of the Salt Lake Chamber Board of Governors. 02/2011.
• Feb. 28, 2011, our research on trace explosive detection was featured on KUER radio: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kuer/news.newsmain/article/0/1/1768597/KUER.Local.News/Utah.Innovation.Bomb-Sniffing.Technology . 02/2011.
• Jan. 24, 2011, Chengyi's paper "Fluorescent nanoscale zinc(ii)-carboxylate coordination polymers for explosive sensing" was amongst the top ten accessed articles of ChemComm in the month December 2010 after published online. You can browse the full list of top 10 articles here: http://blogs.rsc.org/cc/2011/01/25/top-ten-most-accessed-articles-in-december/ . 12/2010.
• May 15, 2010, Ben, Helin, and Miao presented "the Magic of Color" and demonstrated hands-on excitments at NanoDays 2010, Utah. NanoDays is a nationwide festival of educational programs about nanoscale science and engineering. This year, NanoDays Utah was hosted by the Nano Institute of Utah at the University of Utah, in partnership with The Leonardo, Utah Science Center, and the Utah Museum of Natural History, http://www.nanoinstitute.utah.edu/portal/site/nanoinstitute/menuitem.b8a5b35f12d1cba65b2c5b69c1e916b9/?vgnextoid=cac6bd6846fd7210VgnVCM1000001c9e619bRCRD more details can be found here: http://www.eng.utah.edu/~lzang/nanodays.html. 05/2010.