Zi-Kui Liu

Affiliate Researcher
Titles and Affiliations
Professor, Materials Science and Engineering

Research Summary

Professor Liu’s research interests focus on the modeling and design of a wide range of materials chemistry and processing through integrating first-principles calculations, statistic mechanics, thermodynamic/kinetic modeling, and critically designed experiments for structural and functional applications.

Recent studies in Professor Liu’s Phases Research Lab concentrate on aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys, Ni-base superalloys, ion transport membranes, and ferroelectrics. The primary emphasis is on fundamentals of phase stability, defect chemistry, and their applications in understanding and predicting relationships among materials chemistry, processing, and properties.

Technology impacted by Professor Liu's research includes: lightweight materials for vehicle applications; solid-oxide fuel cells; Li-ion battery; solar materials; ferroelectrics, ionic transportation membranes, thermal and environmental barrier coatings; land-based and airborne gas turbine systems; and computational methodology in materials research and development transferable across inorganic materials.

In the News

Research Keywords

Projects

Recent Publications

Phase transformation and equation of state in Ti–45Al alloy under high pressure

Li, X., Zhu, R., Xin, J., Luo, M., Shang, S. L., Liu, Z. K., Yin, C., Funakoshi, K. I., Dippenaar, R. J., Higo, Y., Shiro, A., Reid, M., Shobu, T., Akita, K., Zhang, W. B. & Liss, K. D., Mar 2024, In: Calphad: Computer Coupling of Phase Diagrams and Thermochemistry. 84, 102641.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Influence of accelerated corrosion on Al/steel RSW joints by in situ compression tests

Pan, B., Sun, H., Xie, D., Shang, S. L., Li, N., Carlson, B. E., Li, Y., Liu, Z. K. & Li, J., Jan 2024, In: Materials Science and Engineering: A. 889, 145851.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Thermodynamic modeling of Fe-Nb and Fe-Nb-Ni systems supported by first-principles calculations and diffusion-multiple measurements

Sun, H., Wang, C., Shang, S., Beese, A. M., Zhao, J. C. & Liu, Z., Apr 15 2024, In: Acta Materialia. 268, 119747.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Silicon-doped β -Ga2O3films grown at 1 μ m/h by suboxide molecular-beam epitaxy

Azizie, K., Hensling, F. V. E., Gorsak, C. A., Kim, Y., Pieczulewski, N. A., Dryden, D. M., Senevirathna, M. K. I., Coye, S., Shang, S. L., Steele, J., Vogt, P., Parker, N. A., Birkhölzer, Y. A., McCandless, J. P., Jena, D., Xing, H. G., Liu, Z. K., Williams, M. D., Green, A. J., Chabak, K., & 6 othersMuller, D. A., Neal, A. T., Mou, S., Thompson, M. O., Nair, H. P. & Schlom, D. G., Apr 1 2023, In: APL Materials. 11, 4, 041102.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Electrochemical properties of Gd(III) ions in LiCl-KCl-GdCl3 at 723–1023 K

Baldivieso, S. C., Smith, N. D., Liu, Z. K. & Kim, H., Jul 1 2023, In: Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry. 940, 117482.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Comparing forward and inverse design paradigms: A case study on refractory high-entropy alloys

Debnath, A., Raman, L., Li, W., Krajewski, A. M., Ahn, M., Lin, S., Shang, S., Beese, A. M., Liu, Z. K. & Reinhart, W. F., Sep 14 2023, In: Journal of Materials Research. 38, 17, p. 4107-4117 11 p.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Deformation behaviors in light of dislocation core characteristics with respect to the compositional-dependent misfit potentials of aluminum alloys

Du, J., Liu, Y., Zhang, Z., Shang, S. L., Li, H., Liu, Z. K. & Liu, F., Nov 1 2023, In: Journal of Materials Research and Technology. 27, p. 4366-4377 12 p.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Machine learning-enabled identification of micromechanical stress and strain hotspots predicted via dislocation density-based crystal plasticity simulations

Eghtesad, A., Luo, Q., Shang, S. L., Lebensohn, R. A., Knezevic, M., Liu, Z. K. & Beese, A. M., Jul 2023, In: International journal of plasticity. 166, 103646.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Stacking-disordered CoSn3 and tetragonally stacked CoSn4 formed during solid-state interdiffusion of Co and Sn

Leineweber, A., Hoppe, M., Martin, S., Schimpf, C., Shang, S. L. & Liu, Z. K., Sep 2023, In: Intermetallics. 160, 107957.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Synergetic influence of nitrogen-doped species and hollow microporous structure on surface active sites of carbonaceous catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction of Zn-air battery

Liang, K., Zhang, H., Liang, Y., Shang, S. L., Liu, Z. K. & Lin, J., Dec 10 2023, In: Journal of Alloys and Compounds. 967, 171722.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

CALPHAD aided mechanical properties screening in full composition space of NbC-TiC-VC-ZrC ultra-high temperature ceramics

Liao, M., Gong, H., Qu, N., Wang, F., Zhu, J. & Liu, Z. K., Jun 2023, In: International Journal of Refractory Metals and Hard Materials. 113, 106191.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Insights into plastic deformation mechanisms of austenitic steels by coupling generalized stacking fault energy and semi-discrete variational Peierls-Nabarro model

Liu, Y., Du, J., Shang, S., Zhang, A., Xiong, S., Liu, Z. K. & Liu, F., Feb 2023, In: Progress in Natural Science: Materials International. 33, 1, p. 83-91 9 p.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Parameter-free prediction of phase transition in PbTiO3 through combination of quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics

Liu, Z. K., Shang, S. L., Du, J. & Wang, Y., Jul 15 2023, In: Scripta Materialia. 232, 115480.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Thermodynamics and its prediction and CALPHAD modeling: Review, state of the art, and perspectives

Liu, Z. K., Sep 2023, In: Calphad: Computer Coupling of Phase Diagrams and Thermochemistry. 82, 102580.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Experimental isothermal section of the system Cr-Nb-Ru at 1100 ℃

Long, Q. X., Zhou, J., Yan, J., Du, Y., Deng, J., Yao, Q., Zhou, H., Shang, S. L. & Liu, Z. K., Nov 5 2023, In: Journal of Alloys and Compounds. 962, 171090.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review