Materials Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Polymers, Drug Delivery

Our lab is interested in developing programmable smart materials and providing chemistry solutions to global challenges in materials innovation and health. We exploit molecular design and the synthetic organic toolbox to construct advanced material systems for sensing and drug delivery applications. Two research areas in the Hu group are:

1. Stimuli-responsive materials: We are interested in designing, synthesizing, and applying novel photoswitches and mechanophores.
2. Responsive nanomedicines: Our group is interested in developing nanomaterials that undergo preprogrammed structure and property changes in response to physical, chemical, and biological stimuli as next-generation drug delivery systems.

1. Hu, X.; Zhu, S.; Robisson, A.; Qu, M; Ossia, S. “Methods for Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP) for In-Situ Formation of High Glass Transition Temperature (Tg) Polymers”, US Patent Number. US 11,377,580, Granted July 5, 2022. link (Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation)
2. Asatekin, A.; Thomas, S. W. III; Kaner, P.; Hu, X. “Two-layer photo-responsive membranes”, US Patent Number 10,603,637, Granted March 31, 2020. link (Assignee: Trustees of Tufts College)
3. Luozhong, S.; Yuan, Z.; Jiang, S.; Hu, X.; Bailey, S. "Zwitterionic lipid nanoparticle compositions, and methods of use". US Patent App. 63/129,343, published June 30, 2022. (Cornell)
4. Robb, M. J.; Hu, X.; Zeng, T. “Method for Controlled Release Using Mechanical Force”. US Patent App. 17/469,728, published March 10, 2022 (California Institute of Technology)
5. Robb, M. J.; Hu, X. “Mechanical Regulation of Photoswitching”. US Patent App. 17/019,107, published March 11, 2021. (California Institute of Technology)

(15) Husic, C. C.; Hu, X; Robb, M. J. “Incorporation of a Tethered Alcohol Enables Efficient Mechanically Triggered Release in Aprotic Environments”, ACS Macro Lett. 2022 11, 948-953

(14) Versaw, B; Zeng, T; Hu, X; Robb, M. J. “Harnessing the Power of Force: Development of Mechanophores for Molecular Release”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 21461–21473.

(13) Zeng, T; Hu, X; Robb, M. J. “5-Aryloxy Substitution Enables Efficient Mechanically Triggered Release from a Synthetically Accessible Masked 2-Furylcarbinol Mechanophore”, Chem. Commun., 2021, 57, 11173-11176.

(12) Hu, X; Zeng, T; Husic, C. C.; Robb, M. J. “Mechanically Triggered Release of Functionally Diverse Molecular Payloads from Masked 2-Furylcarbinol Derivatives”, ACS Cent. Sci. 2021, 7, 1216-1224.

(11) Hu, X; Zeng, T; Husic, C. C.; Robb, M. J. “Mechanically Triggered Small Molecule Release from a Masked Furfuryl Carbonate”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 15018-15023.

(10) Barber, R. W.; McFadden, M. E.; Hu, X.; and Robb, M. J. “Mechanochemically Gated Photoswitching: Expanding the Scope of Polymer Mechanochromism”, Synlett 2019, 30, 1725–1732.

(9) Hu, X.; McFadden, M. E.; Baber, R. W.; Robb, M. J. “Mechanochemical Regulation of a Photochemical Reaction”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 14073–14077.

(8) Feeney M. J.; Hu, X.; Srinivasan R.; Van N.; Hunter M.; Georgakoudi I.; Thomas S. W. III “UV and NIR-Responsive Layer-by-Layer Films Containing 6-Bromo-7-hydroxycoumarin Photolabile Groups”, Langmuir 2017, 33, 10877–10885.

(7) Hu, X.; Lawrence, J. A.; Mullahoo, J.; Smith, Z. C; Wilson, D. J.; Mace, C. R.; Thomas, S. W. III “Directly Photopatternable Polythiophene as Dual-Tone Photoresist”, Macromolecules 2017, 50, 7258–7267.

(5) Hu, X.; Qureishi, Z.; Thomas, S. W. III "Light-Controlled Selective Disruption, Multi-Level Patterning, and Sequential Release with Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Films Incorporating Four Photocleavable Chromophores”, Chem. Mater. 2017, 29, 2951–2960.

(6) Kaner, P.; Hu, X.; Thomas, S. W. III, Asatekin, A. “Self-Cleaning Membranes from Comb-Shaped Copolymers with Photoresponsive Side Groups”, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2017, 9, 13619–13631.

(4) Hu, X.; Feeney, M. J.; McIntosh, E.; Mullahoo, J.; Jia, F.; Xu, Q.; Thomas, S. W. III "Triggered Release of Encapsulated Cargo from Photoresponsive Polyelectrolyte Nanocomplexes", ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2016, 8, 23517–23522.

(3) Hu, X.; Macintosh, E; Simon, M. G.; Staii, C.; Thomas, S. W. III "Stimuli-Responsive Free-Standing Layer-By-Layer Films", Adv. Mater. 2016, 28, 715–721.

(2) Hu, X.; Shi, J.; Thomas, S. W. III "Photolabile ROMP Gels Using ortho-Nitrobenzyl Functional Crosslinkers”, Polym. Chem. 2015, 6, 4966–4971.

(1) Gumbley, P.; Hu, X.; Lawrence, J. A., III; Thomas, S. W. III "Photoresponsive Gels Prepared by Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization”, Macromol. Rapid Commun. 2013, 34, 1838–1843.

2019 ACS PMSE Distinguished Poster Nominee

2018 Finalist, ACS Eastman Chemical Student Award in Applied Polymer Science

2016 Graduate Student Research Competition Award, Tufts

2016 Graduate Research Excellence at Tufts Fellowship

2016 Graduate Student Travel Award, Tufts