Dr Cheng Zhang is working on the synthesis and characterisation of biomaterials, in particular, polymeric imaging agents. His research strengths are in molecular level characterization by means of magnetic resonance and computational techniques. In the field of molecular imaging, in particular the 19F MRI, studies are currently being undertaken on applying highly fluorinated polymers as highly sensitive 19F MR agents for detection of breast cancer.
Journal Article: A Hydrophobic and Fluorophilic Coating Layer for Stable and Reversible Aqueous Zinc Metal Anodes
Tao, Shiwei, Zhang, Cheng, Zhang, Jincan, Jiao, Yalong, Li, Ming, Lin, Weikang, Ran, Lingbing, Clement, Benoit, Lyu, Miaoqiang, Gentle, Ian, Wang, Lianzhou and Knibbe, Ruth (2022). A Hydrophobic and Fluorophilic Coating Layer for Stable and Reversible Aqueous Zinc Metal Anodes. Chemical Engineering Journal, 446 136607, 136607. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2022.136607
Journal Article: Pt nanoenzyme decorated yolk-shell nanoplatform as an oxygen generator for enhanced multi-modality imaging-guided phototherapy
Yan, Kai, Mu, Chenglong, Zhang, Cheng, Xu, Qunna, Xu, Zushun, Wang, Daquan, Jing, Xunan and Meng, Lingjie (2022). Pt nanoenzyme decorated yolk-shell nanoplatform as an oxygen generator for enhanced multi-modality imaging-guided phototherapy. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 616, 759-768. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.02.042
Journal Article: Fluorine in Medicinal Chemistry: In Perspective to COVID-19
Zhang, Cheng (2022). Fluorine in Medicinal Chemistry: In Perspective to COVID-19. ACS Omega, 7 (22), 18206-18212. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.2c01121
Translatable Polymeric Nanomedicines towards Clinical Use
(2019–2022) NHMRC Early Career Fellowships
(2017–2018) UQ Early Career Researcher
Fluorinated Hydrogels as Advanced Drug Delivery Systems for Monitoring Drug Release
(2022) Doctor Philosophy
Fluoropolymeric Ionic Conductors for Battery Technologues
Doctor Philosophy
Targeting hypoxic cancer stem cells with nanoparticles
(2021) Doctor Philosophy
19F MRI Imaging Agents for Disease Detection
The aim of this project is to develop new magnetic resonance (MR) molecular imaging strategies that will enable the in vivo monitoring of biological processes. Specifically, we will develop novel fluorinated polymers for imaging of early markers of diseases such as melanoma, prostate cancer, malignant glioma and Alzheimer’s disease. Specifically, the project involves the synthesis of new partly-fluorinated polymers having controlled architecture for the rapidly developing field of 19F MRI. Other imaging modalities, drugs and targeting ligands will be conjugated. The project aims to relate the structure of the macromolecules, determined carefully using advanced techniques such as NMR, light scattering, GPC, AFM and electron microscopy, to the performance as imaging agents. The agents will be tested in small animal (mouse) models of disease already developed by this group and our collaborators.
Preparation of Highly Effective and Versatile detectors for Quantitative Detection of Circulating Tumour Cells (CTCs)
The fast and accurate detection of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) is critical for effective diagnosis and treatment of patients with metastatic diseases. Unfortunately, the development of CTCs detectors is currently hindered by the limited accessibility to materials with precisely defined structure and uniform properties, thus resulting in low accuracy and reliability in detection of CTCs. In this project, we will develop a novel small molecule for the next-generation and non-invasive detection of CTCs with high specificity, sensitivity and accuracy. The application of these polymers to detect in vitro CTCs will be demonstrated and supported by fundamental studies of the properties of these unique molecules.
Preparation of Highly Effective and Versatile Discrete Molecular Transporters for the Delivery of Drugs and Probes.
The design and development of new agents that enable or enhance the passage of drugs and probes across biological barriers is a goal of unsurpassed significance in the search for improved imaging molecules, diagnostics and therapies. However, the development of highly-effective molecular transporters is hindered by current synthetic strategies. As such, it is critical to be able to prepare novel monodisperse molecular transporters (Ð=1) with precise structures, compositions, and function, which are essential for their special and unique transport properties. In this project, a versatile and scalable strategy for the preparation of discrete (monodisperse) materials will be developed. This approach enables the combination of facile polymerization procedures and ubiquitous purification processes. Different types of well-defined oligomers with different charges will be synthesized and their interaction and internalization with cells will be further demonstrated.
A Hydrophobic and Fluorophilic Coating Layer for Stable and Reversible Aqueous Zinc Metal Anodes
Tao, Shiwei, Zhang, Cheng, Zhang, Jincan, Jiao, Yalong, Li, Ming, Lin, Weikang, Ran, Lingbing, Clement, Benoit, Lyu, Miaoqiang, Gentle, Ian, Wang, Lianzhou and Knibbe, Ruth (2022). A Hydrophobic and Fluorophilic Coating Layer for Stable and Reversible Aqueous Zinc Metal Anodes. Chemical Engineering Journal, 446 136607, 136607. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2022.136607
Yan, Kai, Mu, Chenglong, Zhang, Cheng, Xu, Qunna, Xu, Zushun, Wang, Daquan, Jing, Xunan and Meng, Lingjie (2022). Pt nanoenzyme decorated yolk-shell nanoplatform as an oxygen generator for enhanced multi-modality imaging-guided phototherapy. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 616, 759-768. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.02.042
Fluorine in Medicinal Chemistry: In Perspective to COVID-19
Zhang, Cheng (2022). Fluorine in Medicinal Chemistry: In Perspective to COVID-19. ACS Omega, 7 (22), 18206-18212. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.2c01121
Tan, Xiao, Sawczyk, Michał, Chang, Yixin, Wang, Yiqing, Usman, Adil, Fu, Changkui, Král, Petr, Peng, Hui, Zhang, Cheng and Whittaker, Andrew K. (2022). Revealing the molecular-level interactions between cationic fluorinated polymer sorbents and the major PFAS pollutant PFOA. Macromolecules, 55 (3) acs.macromol.1c02435, 1077-1087. doi: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c02435
Zhang, Cheng, Yan, Kai, Fu, Changkui, Peng, Hui, Hawker, Craig J. and Whittaker, Andrew K. (2021). Biological Utility of Fluorinated Compounds: from Materials Design to Molecular Imaging, Therapeutics and Environmental Remediation. Chemical Reviews, 122 (1) acs.chemrev.1c00632, 167-208. doi: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00632
Emergence of hexagonally close-packed spheres in linear block copolymer melts
Zhang, Cheng, Vigil, Daniel L., Sun, Dan, Bates, Morgan W., Loman, Tessa, Murphy, Elizabeth A., Barbon, Stephanie M., Song, Jung-Ah, Yu, Beihang, Fredrickson, Glenn H., Whittaker, Andrew K., Hawker, Craig J. and Bates, Christopher M. (2021). Emergence of hexagonally close-packed spheres in linear block copolymer melts. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 143 (35) jacs.1c03647, 14106-14114. doi: 10.1021/jacs.1c03647
Tan, Xiao, Zhong, Jiexi, Fu, Changkui, Dang, Huy, Han, Yanxiao, Král, Petr, Guo, Jianhua, Yuan, Zhiguo, Peng, Hui, Zhang, Cheng and Whittaker, Andrew K. (2021). Amphiphilic perfluoropolyether copolymers for the effective removal of polyfluoroalkyl substances from aqueous environments. Macromolecules, 54 (7) acs.macromol.1c00096, 3447-3457. doi: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00096
Usman, Adil, Zhang, Cheng, Zhao, Jiacheng, Peng, Hui, Kurniawan, Nyoman D., Fu, Changkui, Hill, David J. T. and Whittaker, Andrew K. (2021). Tuning the thermoresponsive properties of PEG-based fluorinated polymers and stimuli responsive drug release for switchable 19F magnetic resonance imaging. Polymer Chemistry, 12 (38), 5438-5448. doi: 10.1039/d1py00602a
Architecture effects in complex spherical assemblies of (AB)n-type block copolymers
Barbon, Stephanie M., Song, Jung-Ah, Chen, Duyu, Zhang, Cheng, Lequieu, Joshua, Delaney, Kris T., Anastasaki, Athina, Rolland, Manon, Fredrickson, Glenn H., Bates, Morgan W., Hawker, Craig J. and Bates, Christopher M. (2020). Architecture effects in complex spherical assemblies of (AB)n-type block copolymers. ACS Macro Letters, 9 (12), 1745-1752. doi: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.0c00704
Zhang, Cheng, Moonshi, Shehzahdi Shebbrin, Wang, Wenqian, Ta, Hang Thu, Han, Yanxiao, Han, Felicity Y., Peng, Hui, Král, Petr, Rolfe, Barbara E., Gooding, J. Justin, Gaus, Katharina and Whittaker, Andrew K. (2020). Correction to High F-content perfluoropolyether-based nanoparticles for targeted detection of breast cancer by 19F magnetic resonance and optical imaging. ACS Nano, 14 (10), 14245-14246. doi: 10.1021/acsnano.0c07373
Functional polymers as metal-free magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents
Fu, Changkui, Yu, Ye, Xu, Xin, Wang, Qiaoyun, Chang, Yixin, Zhang, Cheng, Zhao, Jiacheng, Peng, Hui and Whittaker, Andrew K. (2020). Functional polymers as metal-free magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents. Progress in Polymer Science, 108 101286, 101286. doi: 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2020.101286
Zhang, Cheng, Liu, Tianqing, Wang, Wenqian, Bell, Craig A., Han, Yanxiao, Fu, Changkui, Peng, Hui, Tan, Xiao, Král, Petr, Gaus, Katharina, Gooding, J. Justin and Whittaker, Andrew K. (2020). Tuning of the aggregation behavior of fluorinated polymeric nanoparticles for improved therapeutic efficacy. ACS Nano, 14 (6) acsnano.0c02954, 7425-7434. doi: 10.1021/acsnano.0c02954
Rapid generation of block copolymer libraries using automated chromatographic separation
Zhang, Cheng, Bates, Morgan W., Geng, Zhishuai, Levi, Adam E., Vigil, Daniel, Barbon, Stephanie M., Loman, Tessa, Delaney, Kris T., Fredrickson, Glenn H., Bates, Christopher M., Whittaker, Andrew K. and Hawker, Craig J. (2020). Rapid generation of block copolymer libraries using automated chromatographic separation. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 142 (21) jacs.0c04028, 9843-9849. doi: 10.1021/jacs.0c04028
Qiao, Ruirui, Fu, Changkui, Li, Yuhuan, Qi, Xiaole, Ni, Dalong, Nandakumar, Aparna, Siddiqui, Ghizal, Wang, Haiyan, Zhang, Zheng, Wu, Tingting, Zhong, Jian, Tang, Shi‐Yang, Pan, Shuaijun, Zhang, Cheng, Whittaker, Michael R., Engle, Jonathan W., Creek, Darren J., Caruso, Frank, Ke, Pu Chun, Cai, Weibo, Whittaker, Andrew K. and Davis, Thomas P. (2020). Sulfoxide‐containing polymer‐coated nanoparticles demonstrate minimal protein fouling and improved blood circulation. Advanced Science, 7 (13) 2000406, 2000406. doi: 10.1002/advs.202000406
Sodium-ion storage mechanism in triquinoxalinylene and a strategy for improving electrode stability
Zhao, Qinglan, Zhao, Wei, Zhang, Cheng, Wu, Yilan, Yuan, Qinghong, Whittaker, Andrew K. and Zhao, X. S. (2020). Sodium-ion storage mechanism in triquinoxalinylene and a strategy for improving electrode stability. Energy and Fuels, 34 (4) acs.energyfuels.0c00798, 5099-5105. doi: 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.0c00798
Low-fouling fluoropolymers for bioconjugation and in vivo tracking
Fu, Changkui, Demir, Baris, Alcantara, Sheilajen, Kumar, Vinod, Han, Felicity, Kelly, Hannah, Tan, Xiao, Yu, Ye, Xu, Weizhi, Zhao, Jiacheng, Zhang, Cheng, Peng, Hui, Boyer, Cyrille, Woodruff, Trent, Kent, Stephen, Searles, Debra and Whittaker, Andrew (2020). Low-fouling fluoropolymers for bioconjugation and in vivo tracking. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 59 (12), 4729-4735. doi: 10.1002/anie.201914119
Synthesis and Self-Assembly of ABn Miktoarm Star Polymers
Bates, Morgan W., Barbon, Stephanie M., Levi, Adam E., Lewis, Ronald M., Beech, Haley K., Vonk, Kasper M., Zhang, Cheng, Fredrickson, Glenn H., Hawker, Craig J. and Bates, Christopher M. (2020). Synthesis and Self-Assembly of ABn Miktoarm Star Polymers. ACS Macro Letters, 9 (3), 396-403. doi: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.0c00061
Low‐fouling fluoropolymers for bioconjugation and in vivo tracking
Fu, Changkui, Demir, Baris, Alcantara, Sheilajen, Kumar, Vinod, Han, Felicity, Kelly, Hannah G., Tan, Xiao, Yu, Ye, Xu, Weizhi, Zhao, Jiacheng, Zhang, Cheng, Peng, Hui, Boyer, Cyrille, Woodruff, Trent M., Kent, Stephen J., Searles, Debra J. and Whittaker, Andrew K. (2020). Low‐fouling fluoropolymers for bioconjugation and in vivo tracking. Angewandte Chemie, 132 (12), 4759-4765. doi: 10.1002/ange.201914119
Lin, Caixue, Sun, Keke, Zhang, Cheng, Tan, Tingyuan, Xu, Yueming, Liu, Yana, Xu, Chen, Wang, Yingxi, Li, Ling and Whittaker, Andrew (2020). Carbon dots embedded metal organic framework @ chitosan core-shell nanoparticles for vitro dual mode imaging and pH-responsive drug delivery. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 293 109775, 109775. doi: 10.1016/j.micromeso.2019.109775
“Dual-Key-and-Lock” dual drug carrier for dual mode imaging guided chemo-photothermal therapy
Tian, Feng, Chi, Bin, Xu, Chen, Lin, Caixue, Xu, Zushun, Whittaker, Andrew K., Zhang, Cheng, Li, Ling and Wang, Jing (2020). “Dual-Key-and-Lock” dual drug carrier for dual mode imaging guided chemo-photothermal therapy. Biomaterials Science, 8 (22), 6212-6224. doi: 10.1039/d0bm01400a
Magnetic and photocatalytic curcumin bound carbon nitride nanohybrids for enhanced glioma cell death
Yadav, Pranjali, Zhang, Cheng, Whittaker, Andrew K., Kailasam, Kamalakannan and Shanavas, Asifkhan (2019). Magnetic and photocatalytic curcumin bound carbon nitride nanohybrids for enhanced glioma cell death. ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering, 5 (12) acsbiomaterials.9b01224, 6590-6601. doi: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.9b01224
Xiao, Mu, Hao, Mengmeng, Lyu, Miaoqiang, Moore, Evan G., Zhang, Cheng, Luo, Bin, Hou, Jingwei, Lipton‐Duffin, Josh and Wang, Lianzhou (2019). Surface ligands stabilized lead halide perovskite quantum dot photocatalyst for visible light‐driven hydrogen generation. Advanced Functional Materials, 29 (48) 1905683, 1905683. doi: 10.1002/adfm.201905683
Chen, Ao, Er, Gerald, Zhang, Cheng, Tang, Joyce, Alam, Mahbub, T. Ta, Hang, Elliott, Alysha G., Cooper, Matthew A., Perera, Janesha, Swift, Simon, Blakey, Idriss, Whittaker, Andrew K. and Peng, Hui (2019). Antimicrobial anilinium polymers: The properties of poly(N,N‐dimethylaminophenylene methacrylamide) in solution and as coatings. Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry, 57 (18), 1908-1921. doi: 10.1002/pola.29314
Zhang, Cheng, Li, Li, Han, Felicity Y., Yu, Xinying, Tan, Xiao, Fu, Changkui, Xu, Zhi Ping and Whittaker, Andrew K. (2019). Integrating fluorinated polymer and manganese‐layered double hydroxide nanoparticles as pH‐activated 19 F MRI agents for specific and sensitive detection of breast cancer. Small, 15 (36) 1902309, 1902309. doi: 10.1002/smll.201902309
Bioinspired core–shell nanoparticles for hydrophobic drug delivery
Yang, Guangze, Liu, Yun, Wang, Haofei, Wilson, Russell, Hui, Yue, Yu, Lei, Wibowo, David, Zhang, Cheng, Whittaker, Andrew K., Middelberg, Anton P. J. and Zhao, Chun‐Xia (2019). Bioinspired core–shell nanoparticles for hydrophobic drug delivery. Angewandte Chemie, 131 (40), 14495-14502. doi: 10.1002/ange.201908357
Bioinspired core-shell nanoparticles for hydrophobic drug delivery
Yang, Guangze, Liu, Yun, Wang, Haofei, Wilson, Russell, Hui, Yue, Yu, Lei, Wibowo, David, Zhang, Cheng, Whittaker, Andrew K., Middelberg, Anton P. J. and Zhao, Chun-Xia (2019). Bioinspired core-shell nanoparticles for hydrophobic drug delivery. Angewandte Chemie (International Edition), 58 (40) ange.201908357, 14357-14364. doi: 10.1002/anie.201908357
Fluorinated glycopolymers as reduction-responsive 19F MRI agents for targeted imaging of cancer
Fu, Changkui, Tang, Joyce, Pye, Aidan, Liu, Tianqing, Zhang, Cheng, Tan, Xiao, Han, Felicity, Peng, Hui and Whittaker, Andrew K. (2019). Fluorinated glycopolymers as reduction-responsive 19F MRI agents for targeted imaging of cancer. Biomacromolecules, 20 (5) acs.biomac.9b00241, 2043-2050. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.9b00241
Lin, Caixue, Chi, Bin, Xu, Chen, Zhang, Cheng, Tian, Feng, Xu, Zushun, Li, Ling, Whittaker, Andrew K. and Wang, Jing (2019). Multifunctional drug carrier on the basis of 3d–4f Fe/La-MOFs for drug delivery and dual-mode imaging. Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 7 (42), 6612-6622. doi: 10.1039/c9tb01509d
Zhang, Cheng, Sanchez, Ronny Javier Pibaque, Fu, Changkui, Clayden-Zabik, Ryan, Peng, Hui, Kempe, Kristian and Whittaker, Andrew K. (2018). Importance of thermally induced aggregation on 19F Magnetic Resonance Imaging of perfluoropolyether-based comb-shaped poly(2-oxazoline)s. Biomacromolecules, 20 (1) acs.biomac.8b01549, 365-374. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.8b01549
Han, Felicity, Whittaker, Andrew, Howdle, Steven, Naylor, Andrew, Shabir-Ahmed, Anjumn, Zhang, Cheng and Smith, Maree (2018). Formulation of bioerodible ketamine microparticles as an analgesic adjuvant treatment produced by supercritical fluid polymer encapsulation. Pharmaceutics, 10 (4) 264, 264. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics10040264
Zhao, Qinglan, Yang, Dongfang, Zhang, Cheng, Liu, Xuan-He, Fan, Xin, Whittaker, Andrew K. and Zhao, X. S. (2018). Tailored polyimide–graphene nanocomposite as negative electrode and reduced graphene oxide as positive electrode for flexible hybrid sodium-ion capacitors. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 10 (50) acsami.8b17171, 43730-43739. doi: 10.1021/acsami.8b17171
Qiao, Ruirui, Esser, Lars, Fu, Changkui, Zhang, Cheng, Hu, Jinming, Ramírez-arcía, Paulina, Li, Yuhuan, Quinn, John F., Whittaker, Michael R., Whittaker, Andrew K. and Davis, Thomas P. (2018). Bioconjugation and fluorescence labeling of iron oxide nanoparticles grafted with bromomaleimide-terminal polymers. Biomacromolecules, 19 (11) acs.biomac.8b01282, 4423-4429. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.8b01282
Li, Ling, Zhang, Cheng, Zhang, Run, Xu, Zushun, Xu, Zhiping and Whittaker, Andrew K. (2018). Multifunctional magnetized porous silica covered with Poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) for pH controllable drug release and Magnetic Resonance Imaging. ACS Applied Nano Materials, 1 (9) acsanm.8b01131, 5027-5034. doi: 10.1021/acsanm.8b01131
Zhang, Cheng, Moonshi, Shehzahdi Shebbrin, Wang, Wenqian, Ta, Hang Thu, Han, Yanxiao, Han, Felicity Y., Peng, Hui, Král, Petr, Rolfe, Barbara E., Gooding, John Justin, Gaus, Katharina and Whittaker, Andrew Keith (2018). High F-content perfluoropolyether-based nanoparticles for targeted detection of breast cancer by 19F magnetic resonance and optical imaging. ACS Nano, 12 (9) acsnano.8b03726, 9162-9176. doi: 10.1021/acsnano.8b03726
Fu, Changkui, Zhang, Cheng, Peng, Hui, Han, Felicity, Baker, Carly, Wu, Yuao, Ta, Hang and Whittaker, Andrew K. (2018). Enhanced performance of polymeric 19F MRI contrast agents through incorporation of highly water-soluble monomer MSEA. Macromolecules, 51 (15) acs.macromol.8b01190, 5875-5882. doi: 10.1021/acs.macromol.8b01190
Liu, Yana, Zhang, Cheng, Xu, Chen, Lin, Caixue, Sun, Keke, Wang, Jie, Chen, Xueli, Li, Ling, Whittaker, Andrew K. and Xu, Hai-Bing (2018). Controlled synthesis of up-conversion luminescent Gd/Tm-MOFs for pH-responsive drug delivery and UCL/MRI dual-modal imaging. Dalton Transactions, 47 (32), 11253-11263. doi: 10.1039/c8dt02436g
Zhang, Cheng, Kim, Dong Sub, Lawrence, Jimmy, Hawker, Craig J. and Whittaker, Andrew K. (2018). Elucidating the impact of molecular structure on the 19F NMR dynamics and MRI performance of fluorinated oligomers. ACS Macro Letters, 7 (7), 921-926. doi: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.8b00433
Nano-bio-imaging and therapeutic nanoparticles
Zhang, Cheng and Ferenz, Katja (2018). Nano-bio-imaging and therapeutic nanoparticles. Journal of Nanoscience and Nanomedicine, 2 (1), 19.
A unique 19F MRI agent for the tracking of non phagocytic cells in vivo
Moonshi, Shehzahdi S., Zhang, Cheng, Peng, Hui, Puttick, Simon, Rose, Stephen, Fisk, Nicholas M., Bhakoo, Kishore, Stringer, Brett W., Qiao, Greg G., Gurr, Paul A. and Whittaker, Andrew K. (2018). A unique 19F MRI agent for the tracking of non phagocytic cells in vivo. Nanoscale, 10 (17), 8226-8239. doi: 10.1039/c8nr00703a
Liu, Yana, Zhang, Cheng, Liu, Hui, Li, Yuebin, Xu, Zushun, Li, Ling and Whittaker, Andrew (2018). Controllable synthesis of up-conversion nanoparticles UCNPs@MIL-PEG for pH-responsive drug delivery and potential up-conversion luminescence/magnetic resonance dual-mode imaging. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 749, 939-947. doi: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2018.03.355
Truong, Nghia P., Zhang, Cheng, Nguyen, Tuan A. H., Anastasaki, Athina, Schulze, Morgan W., Quinn, John F., Whittaker, Andrew K., Hawker, Craig J., Whittaker, Michael R. and Davis, Thomas P. (2018). Overcoming surfactant-induced morphology instability of noncrosslinked diblock copolymer nano-objects obtained by RAFT emulsion polymerization. ACS Macro Letters, 2018 (7), 159-165. doi: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.7b00978
Investigating the affinity of poly tert-butyl acrylate toward Toll-Like Receptor 2
Hussein, Waleed M., Choi, Phil M., Zhang, Cheng, Sierecki, Emma, Johnston, Wayne, Jia, Zhongfan, Monteiro, Michael J., Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Gambin, Yann and Toth, Istvan (2018). Investigating the affinity of poly tert-butyl acrylate toward Toll-Like Receptor 2. AIMS Allergy and Immunology, 2 (3), 141-147. doi: 10.3934/allergy.2018.3.141
Cyclotriphosphazene, a scaffold for 19 F MRI contrast agents
Emel Önal, Cheng Zhang, Derya Davarcı, Ümit İşci, Guillaume Pilet, Andrew Whittaker and Fabienne Dumoulin (2017). Cyclotriphosphazene, a scaffold for 19 F MRI contrast agents. Tetrahedron Letters, 59 (6), 521-523. doi: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2017.12.032
Xu, Chen, Zhang, Cheng, Wang, Yingxi, Li, Liu, Li, Ling and Whittaker, Andrew K. (2017). Controllable synthesis of a novel magnetic core–shell nanoparticle for dual-modal imaging and pH-responsive drug delivery. Nanotechnology, 28 (49) 495101, 495101. doi: 10.1088/1361-6528/aa929b
PFPE-Based Polymeric 19F MRI Agents: A New Class of Contrast Agents with Outstanding Sensitivity
Zhang, Cheng, Moonshi, Shehzahdi Shebbrin, Han, Yanxiao, Puttick, Simon, Peng, Hui, Magoling, Bryan John Abel, Reid, James C., Bernardi, Stefano, Searles, Debra J., Král, Petr and Whittaker, Andrew K. (2017). PFPE-Based Polymeric 19F MRI Agents: A New Class of Contrast Agents with Outstanding Sensitivity. Macromolecules, 50 (15), 5953-5963. doi: 10.1021/acs.macromol.7b01285
Polymeric 19F MRI agents responsive to reactive oxygen species
Fu, Changkui, Herbst, Shauna, Zhang, Cheng and Whittaker, Andrew (2017). Polymeric 19F MRI agents responsive to reactive oxygen species. Polymer Chemistry, 8 (31), 4585-4595. doi: 10.1039/c7py00986k
Sun, Zhuxing, Wang, Songcan, Li, Qian, Lyu, Miaoqiang, Butburee, Teera, Luo, Bin, Wang, Haiqiang, Fischer, Julia Melisande Theresa Agatha, Zhang, Cheng, Wu, Zhongbiao and Wang, Lianzhou (2017). Enriching CO2 Activation Sites on Graphitic Carbon Nitride with Simultaneous Introduction of Electron-Transfer Promoters for Superior Photocatalytic CO2-to-Fuel Conversion. Advanced Sustainable Systems, 1 (3-4) 1700003, 1700003. doi: 10.1002/adsu.201700003
Zhao, Wei , Ta, Hang T., Zhang, Cheng and Whittaker, Andrew (2017). Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly (PISA) - Control over the morphology of 19F-containing polymeric nano-objects for cell uptake and tracking. Biomacromolecules, 18 (4), 1145-1156. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.6b01788
Evaluation of lipopeptides as toll-like receptor 2 ligands
Hussein, Waleed, Choi, Phil, Zhang, Cheng, Su, Mei, Sierecki, Emma, Johnston, Wayne, Fagan, Vincent, Alexandrov, Kirill, Skwarczynski, Mariusz, Gambin, Yann, Toth, Istvan and Simerska, P. (2017). Evaluation of lipopeptides as toll-like receptor 2 ligands. Current Drug Delivery, 14 (7), 935-943. doi: 10.2174/1567201813666160804114107
Li, Ling, Zhang, Run, Guo, Yi, Zhang, Cheng, Zhao, Wei, Xu, Zhiping and Whittaker, Andrew K. (2016). Functional magnetic porous silica for T1-T2 dual-modal magnetic resonance imaging and pH-responsive drug delivery of basic drugs. Nanotechnology, 27 (48) 485702, 485702. doi: 10.1088/0957-4484/27/48/485702
Ion-responsive 19F MRI contrast agents for the detection of cancer cells
Zhang, Cheng, Moonshi, Shehzahdi Shebbrin, Peng, Hui, Puttick, Simon, Reid, James, Bernardi, Stefano, Bernhardt, Debra J. and Whittaker, Andrew K. (2016). Ion-responsive 19F MRI contrast agents for the detection of cancer cells. ACS Sensors, 1 (6), 757-765. doi: 10.1021/acssensors.6b00216
Zhang, Cheng, Peng, Hui, Li, Wen, Liu, Lianxiao, Puttick, Simon, Reid, James, Bernardi, Stefano, Searles, Debra J., Zhang, Afang and Whittaker, Andrew K. (2016). Conformation transitions of thermoresponsive dendronized polymers across the lower critical solution temperature. Macromolecules, 49 (3), 900-908. doi: 10.1021/acs.macromol.5b02414
Magnetotransport Properties of Cd3As2 Nanostructures
Zhang, Ennze, Liu, Yanwen, Wang, Weiyi, Zhang, Cheng, Zhou, Peng, Chen, Zhi-Gang, Zou, Jin and Xiu, Faxian (2015). Magnetotransport Properties of Cd3As2 Nanostructures. ACS Nano, 9 (9), 8843-8850. doi: 10.1021/acsnano.5b02243
Zhang, Cheng, Peng, Hui, Puttick, Simon, Reid, James, Bernardi, Stefano, Searles, Debra J. and Whittaker, Andrew K. (2015). Conformation of Hydrophobically Modified Thermoresponsive Poly(OEGMA-co-TFEA) across the LCST Revealed by NMR and Molecular Dynamics Studies. Macromolecules, 48 (10), 3310-3317. doi: 10.1021/acs.macromol.5b00641
Zhang, Cheng, Peng, Hui and Whittaker, Andrew K. (2014). NMR investigation of effect of dissolved salts on the thermoresponsive behavior of oligo(ethylene glycol)-methacrylate-based polymers. Journal of Polymer Science, Part A: Polymer Chemistry, 52 (16), 2375-2385. doi: 10.1002/pola.27252
Efficient removal of heavy metal ions by thiol-functionalized superparamagnetic carbon nanotubes
Zhang, Cheng, Sui, Jiehe, Li, Jing, Tang, Yilun and Cai, Wei (2012). Efficient removal of heavy metal ions by thiol-functionalized superparamagnetic carbon nanotubes. Chemical Engineering Journal, 210, 45-52. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2012.08.062
Facile synthesis of MWCNT-ZnFe2O4 nanocomposites as anode materials for lithium ion batteries
Sui, Jiehe, Zhang, Cheng, Hong, Da, Li, Jing, Cheng, Qian, Li, Zhiguo and Cai, Wei (2012). Facile synthesis of MWCNT-ZnFe2O4 nanocomposites as anode materials for lithium ion batteries. Journal of Materials Chemistry, 22 (27), 13674-13681. doi: 10.1039/c2jm31905e
Microwave absorption and catalytic activity of carbon nanotubes decorated with cobalt nanoparticles
Sui, Jiehe, Zhang, Cheng, Li, Jing, Yu, Zhiliang and Cai, Wei (2012). Microwave absorption and catalytic activity of carbon nanotubes decorated with cobalt nanoparticles. Materials Letters, 75, 158-160. doi: 10.1016/j.matlet.2012.02.007
Urea-formaldehyde resin adhesive modified by collagen
Hou, Lijie, Zhang, Cheng, Li, Yan, Duan, Baorong and Wang, Quanjie (2012). Urea-formaldehyde resin adhesive modified by collagen. China Leather, 23 (40), 008.
Lawrence, Jimmy, Zhang, Cheng, Kim, Dong Sub, Hawker, Craig and Whittaker, Andrew (2018). Elucidating the impact of dispersity on the 19F NMR dynamics and MRI performance of fluorinated oligomers. 256th National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) - Nanoscience, Nanotechnology and Beyond, Boston, MA USA, 19-23 August 2018. Washington, DC, USA: American Chemical Society.
Zhang, Cheng, Moonshi, Shehzahdi Shebbrin, Ta, Hang T., Han, Yanxiao, Han, Felicity Y., Peng, Hui, Král, Petr, Rolfe, Barbara E. and Whittaker, Andrew K. (2018). High F-Content Perfluoropolyether-based Polymers for Targeted Detection of Breast Cancer by 19F Magnetic Resonance and Optical Imaging. World Polymer Congress Macro 2018, Cairns QLD Australia, 1-5 July 2018.
Cheng Zhang, Wen Li, Lianxiao Liu, James Reid, Stefano Bernardi, Debra J. Searles, Hui Peng, Afang Zhang and Andrew K. Whittaker (2018). Solution properties of thermally sensitive macromolecules studied by high resolution NMR and MD simulations. 255th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, New Orleans, LA, 18-22 March 2018. WASHINGTON: AMER CHEMICAL SOC.
PFPE-based polymeric 19F MRI agents: a new class of contrast agents with outstanding sensitivity
Zhang, Cheng and Whittaker, Andrew (2017). PFPE-based polymeric 19F MRI agents: a new class of contrast agents with outstanding sensitivity. 253rd ACS National Meeting & Exposition, San Francisco, CA, United States, 2-6 April 2017.
Ion-responsive 19F MRI Contrast Agents for the Detection of Cancer Cells
Zhang, Cheng , Moonshi, Shehzahdi Shebbrin , Peng, Hui , Puttick, Simon , Reid, James , Bernardi, Stefano , Searles, Debra J. and Whittaker, Andrew (2016). Ion-responsive 19F MRI Contrast Agents for the Detection of Cancer Cells. 7th International Nanomedicine Conference, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 27-29 June 2016.
Polymeric MRI agents for disease detection: advances and challenges
Zhang, Cheng , Wang, Kewei , Peng, Hui , Puttick, Simon , Thurecht, Kris and Whittaker, Andrew (2015). Polymeric MRI agents for disease detection: advances and challenges. 2015 International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, 15-20 December 2015.
Solution properties of EOGMA-containing macromolecules
Zhang, Cheng, Wang, Kewei, Thurecht, Kris, Puttick, Simon, Peng, Hui and Whittaker, Andrew (2015). Solution properties of EOGMA-containing macromolecules. 4th Federation of Asian Polymer Societies – International Polymer Congress, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 5-8 October 2015. Weinheim, Germany:
The Conformation of Hydrophobically-Modified Thermo-responsive Polymers of Poly (OEGMA-co-TFEA)
Zhang, Cheng , Reid, James , Bernardi, Stefano , Bernhardt, Debra , Peng, Hui and Whittaker, Andrew (2015). The Conformation of Hydrophobically-Modified Thermo-responsive Polymers of Poly (OEGMA-co-TFEA). 35th Australasian Polymer Symposium, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, 12-15 July 2015.
Facile synthesis of multifunctional ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles in liquid polyols
Sui, Jiehe, Zhang, Cheng, Li, Jing and Cai, Wei (2012). Facile synthesis of multifunctional ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles in liquid polyols. Valencia, CA, United States: American Scientific Publishers. doi: 10.1166/jnn.2012.5872
Biologically-responsive polymers for MRI: measuring temperature and ionic strength
Zhang, Cheng (2016). Biologically-responsive polymers for MRI: measuring temperature and ionic strength. PhD Thesis, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2016.794
Translatable Polymeric Nanomedicines towards Clinical Use
(2019–2022) NHMRC Early Career Fellowships
(2017–2018) UQ Early Career Researcher
Fluoropolymeric Ionic Conductors for Battery Technologues
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Bringing Materials to Life
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Fluorinated Hydrogels as Advanced Drug Delivery Systems for Monitoring Drug Release
(2022) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Targeting hypoxic cancer stem cells with nanoparticles
(2021) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.
19F MRI Imaging Agents for Disease Detection
The aim of this project is to develop new magnetic resonance (MR) molecular imaging strategies that will enable the in vivo monitoring of biological processes. Specifically, we will develop novel fluorinated polymers for imaging of early markers of diseases such as melanoma, prostate cancer, malignant glioma and Alzheimer’s disease. Specifically, the project involves the synthesis of new partly-fluorinated polymers having controlled architecture for the rapidly developing field of 19F MRI. Other imaging modalities, drugs and targeting ligands will be conjugated. The project aims to relate the structure of the macromolecules, determined carefully using advanced techniques such as NMR, light scattering, GPC, AFM and electron microscopy, to the performance as imaging agents. The agents will be tested in small animal (mouse) models of disease already developed by this group and our collaborators.
Preparation of Highly Effective and Versatile detectors for Quantitative Detection of Circulating Tumour Cells (CTCs)
The fast and accurate detection of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) is critical for effective diagnosis and treatment of patients with metastatic diseases. Unfortunately, the development of CTCs detectors is currently hindered by the limited accessibility to materials with precisely defined structure and uniform properties, thus resulting in low accuracy and reliability in detection of CTCs. In this project, we will develop a novel small molecule for the next-generation and non-invasive detection of CTCs with high specificity, sensitivity and accuracy. The application of these polymers to detect in vitro CTCs will be demonstrated and supported by fundamental studies of the properties of these unique molecules.
Preparation of Highly Effective and Versatile Discrete Molecular Transporters for the Delivery of Drugs and Probes.
The design and development of new agents that enable or enhance the passage of drugs and probes across biological barriers is a goal of unsurpassed significance in the search for improved imaging molecules, diagnostics and therapies. However, the development of highly-effective molecular transporters is hindered by current synthetic strategies. As such, it is critical to be able to prepare novel monodisperse molecular transporters (Ð=1) with precise structures, compositions, and function, which are essential for their special and unique transport properties. In this project, a versatile and scalable strategy for the preparation of discrete (monodisperse) materials will be developed. This approach enables the combination of facile polymerization procedures and ubiquitous purification processes. Different types of well-defined oligomers with different charges will be synthesized and their interaction and internalization with cells will be further demonstrated.