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Overview
Overview
Modern electronic materials such as perovskites, quantum dots, and soft ionic conductors exhibit extraordinary optical and electronic properties. However, these materials are often fragile: their performance can degrade under thermal stress, mechanical deformation, chemical reactions, or complex biological interfaces.
The central question that motivates our research is: How can we design material structures and interfaces so fragile functional materials can operate reliably in complex environments?
The Gong Research Group develops molecular and interfacial design strategies for solution-processed electronic materials, enabling stable, adaptive, and mechanically compliant electronic systems. Our work combines materials synthesis, spectroscopy, and device engineering to uncover how molecular structure, interfacial chemistry, and heterostructure architecture control electronic functionality.
This research enables next-generation technologies spanning:
renewable energy systems
wearable electronics
biointegrated electronic interfaces.
Our research program is organized around three interconnected thrusts:
Molecular and interfacial design for stable semiconductor systems
Heterostructure design for mechanically robust optoelectronics
Soft interfacial materials for bioelectronic integration
Molecular and Interfacial Design for Stable Perovskite Optoelectronics
Molecular and Interfacial Design for Stable Perovskite Optoelectronics
Solution-processed semiconductors such as perovskites and colloidal quantum dots have rapidly emerged as promising materials for optoelectronic technologies including solar cells, light-emitting diodes, and photodetectors. Despite their exceptional electronic properties, these materials remain highly sensitive to defects, surface chemistry, and environmental conditions.
Our research investigates how molecular structure and interfacial chemistry govern the stability and functionality of semiconductor materials.
Key research directions include:
molecular passivation strategies to control defects in perovskite semiconductors
interfacial chemistry of self-assembled molecular layers in photovoltaic devices
supramolecular assembly of hybrid semiconductor materials
surface engineering of quantum dots and hybrid semiconductor systems
Through these studies we establish structure–property relationships that guide the rational design of stable semiconductor interfaces.
This work enables more durable energy devices and optoelectronic technologies based on solution-processed materials.
Read More:
Multilayer Formation, Interfacial Binding, and Stability of Self-Assembled Molecules in Perovskite Solar Cells, JACS, Morales, C. A. F., Pizzo, Z., Sweeney, D. M., Hu, Z.,..., Gong, X. (2025)
Local lattice softening in semiconductor quantum dots for efficient white light-emitting diodes, Nature Photonics, Wang, S., Wang, C., Wang, Y., Long, T., Liu, Z., Wang, L., ..., Gong, X., & Yang, X. (2025)
Perovskite-supramolecular co-assembly for chiral optoelectronics, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, Kim, H., Morales, C. A. F., Seong, S., Hu, Z., & Gong, X. (2024)
Molecular design of defect passivators for thermally stable metal-halide perovskite films, Matter, Kim, H., Morales, C. A. F.,...,Gong, X. (2024)
Heterostructure Design for Mechanically Robust Optoelectronics
Heterostructure Design for Mechanically Robust Optoelectronics
The inherent rigidity and brittleness of most high-performance electronic materials pose significant challenges for their integration into wearable electronics and mechanically deformable devices. Our group explores how strategically combining rigid semiconductors with soft materials in hybrid heterostructures can unlock electronic systems with superior mechanical robustness.
By integrating nanostructured semiconductors with soft semiconducting polymer matrices, we create materials that maintain high electronic performance while accommodating large mechanical deformation.
Key research directions include:
Quantum dot–polymer semiconductor interaction
Intrinsically deformable light-emitting devices
Mechanically robust photovoltaic materials
Hybrid semiconductor heterostructures for wearable electronics
These systems open new opportunities for flexible displays, wearable optoelectronics, and lightweight energy systems.
Read More:
Heterostructure Engineering of Solution-Processable Semiconductors for Wearable Optoelectronics, ACS Appl. Electron. Mater., Kim, H., Seong, S. & Gong, X. (2023)
Mechanical study of perovskite solar cells: opportunities and challenges for wearable power source, Opt. Mater. Express, Seong, S., Liu, Y. & Gong, X. (2022)
Intrinsically Stretchable Quantum Dot LEDs (MS in preparation)
Soft Interfacial Materials for Bioelectronic Integration
Soft Interfacial Materials for Bioelectronic Integration
Electronic systems that interact with the human body must form stable electrical interfaces with soft biological tissues. Traditional electronic materials are poorly matched to these environments, leading to mechanical mismatch, unstable contact, and unreliable signal transfer.
Our research develops soft interfacial materials that enable robust electronic coupling between devices and biological systems.
Key directions include:
soft hydrogel electrodes for neural stimulation and sensing
wearable electronic interfaces for physiological monitoring
wearable pressure and tactile sensors for human–machine interactions
These materials enable new capabilities in:
wearable health monitoring and electrotherapy
bioimaging and diagnostic technologies
human–machine interaction systems
Our goal is to design soft electronic interfaces that seamlessly integrate electronic systems with the human body.
Read More:
Hydrogel Electrodes for Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (MS in preparation)
Wearable Pressure Sensors for Bioelectronic Interfaces (MS in preparation)
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