Bin Cao

Dr. Bin Cao is a Postdoc Research Associate in the NTE lab. His research here has been focused on the design and development of novel electrically conducting polymers and functional biomaterial that provide solutions for medical, healthcare and neural engineering applications.

He has extensive and diverse background in Polymer Science, Organic Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. His specialties are organic/polymer synthesis and characterizations, antifouling and protective coating, zwitterionic polymer and conducting polymer based biomaterials. He has authored 17 papers in high impact peer-reviewed journals, 4 granted patents, and he has also served as a reviewer for many prestigious journals, including Journal of Materials Chemistry B, PLoS One, Acta Biomaterialia, etc.

Education

Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering University of Akron, Akron, OH

M.S. in Chemistry                    University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV

Professional Experiences:

03/2015 – Present

Postdoc Research Associate, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Copolymer coatings for protein immobilization and implantable soft conducting wires; Antifouling and electrical conducting polymers for in vivo stimulation and recording.

01/2011 – 03/2015

Research & Teaching Assistant, University of Akron, Akron, OH

Smart switchable antifouling/antimicrobial hydrogel elastomers; Biocompatible, biodegradable zwitterionic polysaccharides and their polymer-drugs conjugates; Electroactive zwitterionic conducting polymers based new biomaterial systems.

12/2009 – 12/2010

Research Associate, Akron MedVision Inc., Akron, OH.

Boronic acid based material for optical glucose sensing.

08/2007 – 08/2009

Research & Teaching Assistant, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV

Substituent effect on the electronic and assembling properties of asymmetric phenazine derivatives.

Selected Publications:

  1. Cao B.; Lee, J. C.; Zeng, Z. P.; Cheng, F.; Xu, F. J.; Cong, H. B.*; Cheng, G.*, Electroactive Poly(sulfobetaine 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PSBEDOT) with Controllable Antimicrobial and Antifouling Properties, Chemical Science 2016, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/c5sc03887a.
  2. Cao, B.; Tang, Q.; Li, L. L.; Lee, C. J.; Wang, H.; Zhang, Y. Q.; Castaneda, H.*; Cheng, G.* “Integrated zwitterionic conjugated poly(carboxybetaine thiophene) as a new biomaterial platform” Chemical Science 2015, 6 (1), 782-788.
  3. Cao, B.; Tang, Q.; Cheng, G.* “Recent advances of zwitterionic carboxybetaine and their derivatives Journal of Biomaterials Science: Polymer Edition 2014, 25, 1502-1513
  4. Cao, B.; Li, L.L.; Wu, H.Y.; Tang, Q.; Cheng, G.*, “Zwitteration of dextran: a facile route to integrate antifouling, switchability and optical transparency into natural polymers” Chemical Communications 2014, 50, 3234-3237.
  5. Tang, Q.;‡ Cao, B.;‡ (‡ Co-first author) Cheng, G.* “Co-delivery of small-interfering RNA using a camptothecin prodrug as the carrier” Chemical Communications , 2014, 50, 1323-1325.
  6. Cao, B.; Li, L.L.; Tang, Q.; Cheng, G.* “The impact of structure on elasticity, switchability, stability and functionality of a carboxybetaine elastomer” Biomaterials 2013, 34, 7592-7600.
  7. Cao, B.; Tang, Q.; Li, L.L.; Humble, J.; Wu, H. Y.; Liu, L.Y.; Cheng, G.* “Switchable antimicrobial and antifouling hydrogels with enhanced mechanical properties” Advanced Healthcare Materials 2013, 2, 1096-1102.
  8. Beltran, A.; Cao, B.; Cheng, G.;* Jana, S.;* Espe, M.; Lama, B. “New antifouling silica hydrogel” Langmuir 2012, 28, 9700-9706.
  9. Lee, D.-C.;* Cao, B.; Jang, K.; Forster, P. M. “Self-assembly of halogen substituted phenazines” Journal of Materials Chemistry 2010, 20, 867-873. ( This article has made the cover feature of the journal)
  10. Robins, K. A.*; Jang, K.; Cao, B.; Lee, D.-C.* “Tuning the electronic properties of phenazine and bisphenazine derivatives: a theoretical and experimental investigation” Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 2010,12, 12727-12733.
  11. Shi, Z.;* Li, B.; Wan, X.; Cheng, J.; Fang, Z.; Cao, B.; Qin, C.; Wang, Y. “Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction by PdII-catalyzed aromatic CH bond activation directed by an N-alkyl acetamino group” Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2007, 46, 5554-5558.

Honor and Awards:

Dean's Fellowship Award, College of Engineering, University of Akron 12/2013

Dean's Fellowship Award, College of Engineering, University of Akron 12/2014

Email: bic13@pitt.edu