Dr. Ruikun Zhao
Dr. ruikun zhao Senior Lecturer Chemistry

Contact Information
ruikun.zhao@ku.ac.ae +971 (0)2312 4527

Biography

Dr Ruikun Zhao is currently a Senior Lecturer at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, UAE. He holds a PhD in Chemistry from University of East Anglia (UK) . Dr Zhao graduated from Loughborough University (UK) where he obtained BSc Applied Chemistry and MSc Material Science/Polymer Technology. He is also a fellow of UK Advanced Higher Education (FHEA). 

For his doctorate study, Dr Zhao has successfully completed the research project about ‘Spectroscopy of Redox States of Flavin relevant to Photoactive Flavoprotein’ funded by the pretigious EPSRC.  He has a strong track record of publishing in high impact journals such as  JACS, PCCP et al. Dr Zhao's collaborators include world-class researchers from UK, US, UAE and China. Recently, Dr Zhao has particular reserch into 2D Nano-layer materials. He is also keen to pursuing pedagogical research to advance  Chemistry related educatiion using innovative teaching methods. His research output has been published in journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and presented at international conferences. 


Education
  • Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PgCHE) (UK) 2015
  • Fellow of the UK Advanced Higher Education (FHEA), Recognized since 2015
  • PhD, Biophysical Chemistry, University of East Anglia (UEA) (UK), 2013
  • MSc, Material Science/Polymer Technology, Loughborough University (UK), 2008
  • BSc, Applied Chemistry, Loughborough University (UK), 2006

Teaching
  • chemistry
  • General Chemistry (CHEM115)

Affiliated Research Institutes/Centers
  • Petroleum Institute

Research
Research Interests
  • Spectroscopy Analysis of Flavin Protein
  • Photoactive Flavoprotein, Green fluorescent protein(GFP)
  • Ultrafast Transient Infra-Red/Ultraviolet–visible(UV) spectroscopy
  • Rheology of Polymer Materials
  • Nano-Particle Centered Protein Crystallization
  • Pedagogical/Educational Research in Physical Sciences


Additional Info

Selected Recent Publications:

Chemistry Research:

(1) L. Zhang, C. Liu, Z. Ke, Q. Zhu, X. Huang, G. Hu, Ruikun Zhao* (2024), Doping and heterostructure engineering regulated I-Ni(OH)2/Co(OH)2@nickel foam charge buffer electrode for decoupled and alternating water splitting, Journal of Alloys and Compounds, Elsevier, 1, 173660.

D. Wu, X. Dai, Ruikun Zhao, Y. Cao and Q. Wang (2023), Pass-through from temperature intervals to China's commodity futures’ interval-valued returns: Evidence from the varying-coefficient ITS model, Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, 58, 104389.

(2) X. Lia, X.H. Huang, Z.R. Wang, Ruikun Zhao* (2022), ‘In-situ polymerization induced manganese sites as intrinsic carbon defects for capacitive organic dye removal’, Separation and Purification Technology, Elsevier, 287, 120583.

(3) N. Wang, X. Huang, L. Zhang, J. Hu, Y. Chao, Ruikun Zhao* (2021), ‘Pyrolysis Transformation of ZIF-8 Wrapped with Polytriazine to Nitrogen Enriched Core-shell Polyhedrons Carbon for Super Capacitor’, Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering, Springer 15(4), 944–953.

(4) F. Li, X. Huang, N. Wang, X. Zhu, V Chan, Ruikun Zhao, Y. Chao (2020), ‘Aminal/Schiff-Base Polymer to N-doped Porous Carbon Nanospheres for High-Performance Supercapacitor’, ChemElectroChem 7(18):3859-3865, Wiley.

(5) X. Zhu, X. Huang, Ruikun Zhao, K. Liao, V. Chan (2020), ‘Dual Functional Ti3C2Tx MXene for Wastewater Treatment and Electrochemical Energy Storage’, Sustainable Energy Fuels, RSC, 4, 3566.

Pedagogical Research:

(1) M. Zeidan, J. Allred, Ruikun Zhao* (2023), Effects of Visualizing Physics Problems in Students’ Success, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (28). 

(2) M. Zeidan, X. Huang, L. Xiao and Ruikun. Zhao* (2022), Improving student engagement using a video-enabled activity-based learning: an exploratory study to STEM preparatory education in UAE, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (24). 

(3) Ruikun.Zhao*(2019). ‘An examination of effectiveness of different approaches to teaching Quantitative Methods at Undergraduate Level in Higher Education.’ International Journal of Management and Applied Science. 2019, 5(10). (Awarded in College Annual Journal).