Wenlin Zhang

|Assistant Professor

Academic Appointments

Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Our group uses multi-scale simulations and statistical mechanics to study soft matter, such as polymers and liquid crystals. We are interested in how chemical structures and compositions, together with processing conditions, can affect phase behaviors, assembly, and material properties. The physical understanding of material behaviors at different length and time scales helps us navigate the vast design parameter space for high-performance materials.

Contact

Wenlin.Zhang@dartmouth.edu

Burke, Room 204

HB 6128

Department(s)

Chemistry

Education

B.S. University of Minnesota, 2009-2012
Ph.D. Pennsylvania State University 2012-2017
Post-doc, University of Michigan, 2017-2020

Selected Publications

"Roles of interfaces in crystallization in free-standing and bi-layer polymer films", Zou, L.; Zhang, W., Macromolecules, 2025, 58, 3589–3594.
"Effects of block copolymer compatibilizers and interfacial entanglements on strengthening immiscible glassy polymer blends", Zhang, Y.; Zhang, W., Macromolecules, 2025, 58, 2484–2493.
"All-atom molecular dynamics simulations reveal the effects of nanoplastics on lipid membranes and vice versa", Duraes, D.S.; Jiao, E.L.; Zhang, W., The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2025, 129, 3385–3395. Front Cover.
"A multi-scale framework for predicting α-cyclodextrin assembly on polyethylene glycol axles", Smith, C.D.; Ke, C.#; Zhang, W.#, Soft Matter, 2024, 20, 9068 - 9082. #Corresponding authors

"Interfaces and soft confinement promote crystallization in polymer nanodroplets", Liu, C.; Duraes, D.S.; Jiao, E.L.; Zhang, W., MRS Advances, 2024.
"Effects of entanglement on polymer crystal growth and inter-crystalline phase formation", Zou, L.; Zhang, W., Macromolecules, 2024, 57, 4410–4420.
"Direct measurement of polymer chain-end-to-end distances by using RAFT chain transfer agent as the FRET acceptor", Wang, Y.; Fortenberry, A.; Zhang, W.; Simon, Y.; Qiang, Z., The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2023, 127, 3100–3108.
"Mismatch in nematic interactions leads to composition-dependent crystal nucleation in polymer blends", Zhang, W.#; Zou, L, Macromolecules, 2023, 56, 2234–2245. #Corresponding author
"Interfacial oriented precursor to secondary nucleation of alkane oligomer crystals revealed by molecular dynamic simulations", Gong, Y.; Zhang, W.; Larson, R.G., Macromolecules, 2022, 55, 6311-6320.
"Molecular dynamics simulations of the effects of entanglement on polymer crystal nucleation", Zou, L.; Zhang, W., Macromolecules, 2022, 55, 4899-4906.
"An ultra-dynamic anion cluster-based organic framework", Samanta, J.; Dorn, R.W.; Zhang, W.; Jiang, X.; Zhang, M.; Staples, R.; Rossini, A.J.; Ke, C., Chem, 2022, 1, 7-9.
"Molecular dynamics simulations of crystal nucleation near interfaces in incompatible polymer blends", Zhang, W.#; Zou, L., Polymers, 2021, 13, 347. #Corresponding author.

Courses