Mingyi Zhang

Assistant Professor

Email: mingyi.zhang@ou.edu
Phone: (405) 325-1746
Office: Felgar Hall 201
Office Hours: By appointment
Website: Interface Design Lab

Education
M.S. and Ph.D., Materials Science and Engineering (2022)
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
B.S., Chemistry (2017)
Renmin University of China

Research Focus

Dr. Zhang’s research focuses on interfacial phenomena and the use of advanced microscopy techniques to investigate materials behavior. The current work explores photochemical and electrochemical processes, mechanically controlled crystallization for materials synthesis and processing, and the design of bioinspired materials for mechanical and energy-related applications.

Experience and Awards

Assistant Professor - School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Oklahoma (January 2026-present)
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Physical and Computational Science Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (2022-2025)

TOP ECS Reviews (2025)
ECS Colin Garfield Fink Fellowship (2025)
MIT/Standford/CMU/UIUC Rising Stars in Materials Science and Engineering (2024)
PNNL Outstanding Performance Award (2023)
MRS Best Talk Award at Symposium L02 (2023)

Professional Activities and Organizations

Materials Research Society (MRS)
The Electrochemical Society (ECS)
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Recent Publications

MY. Zhang, B. A. Legg, B. A. Helfrecht, Y. Zhang, S. Tan, Y. Xia, R. K. Yodong, M. Iepure, V. Prabhakaran, P. J. Pauzauskie, Y. Min, and C. J. Mundy and J. J. De Yoreo, How Charge Frustration Causes Ion Ordering and Microphase Separation on Surfaces, Nat. Mater (2026) in press.
MY. Zhang, K-T. Liu, D. J. Jang, V. J. B. Bernat, Y. Xia, D. Li, H-M. Kao, Z. Zhu, J. Chun, U. B. Wiesner, L. A. Estroff, E. Nakouzi, Mapping Interfacial Solution Forces that Drive Fluorescent Nanoparticle Incorporation into Crystals, (2026) chemrxiv-2026-dnj1k.
MY. Zhang, Y. Chen, C. Shi, P. Chakma, J. J. De Yoreo, C. L. Chen, Role of Histidine‐Containing Peptoids in Accelerating the Kinetics of Calcite Growth. Adv. Funct. Mater (2025), e22918.
MY. Zhang, P.A. Salvador, G.S. Rohrer, Defect Compensation as a Strategic Approach to Enhance Photocatalytic Water Splitting Performance of SrTiO₃, J. Am. Ceram. Soc (2025), e70296.
Y. Xia, D. Song, MY. Zhang, Z. Wang, C. Shi, J. S. Du, H. R. S. Sun, M. H. Engelhard, P. K. Thallapally, C. A. Orme, J. Tao, M. L. Sushko, J. J. De Yoreo, J. Liu, Achieving Electrode Smoothing by Controlling the Nucleation Phase of Metal Deposition through Polymer-Substrate Binding, Adv. Mater (2025), e03218.
C. Shi, Y. Bae, MY. Zhang, J. J. De Yoreo, Manipulating the Assembly and Architecture of Fibrillar Silk, Adv. Mater (2025), e2501096.
MY. Zhang, Y. Chen, C. Wu, R. Zheng, E. G. Saccuzzo, Y. Xia, T.K.H. Trinh, E. Nakouzi, B. A. Legg, W. J. Shaw, J. Tao, J. J. De Yoreo, and C-L. Chen, A Molecular View of Peptoid-Induced Acceleration of Calcite Growth, PNAS 121 (2024) 45 e2412358121.
P. Brahana, MY. Zhang, E. Nakouzi, and B. Bharti, Weathering Influences the Ice Nucleation Activity of Microplastics, Nat. Commun (2024) 15:9579.