Innovating Materials 研創新型材料
New materials are the keys to many scientific and technological breakthroughs.On the chemical front, AIE polymers can be sensors to detect explosives, bacteria, and to reveal fingerprints; they work much faster than traditional methods. Physicists at HKUST explore superconducting and electrical properties; their projects pave the ways for quantum computing, new MRI technology, and foldable electronic display. On a more theoretical side, research on metamaterials lay the ground for light manipulation and invisibility.
Material research also contributes to innovative building materials. Bendable cementitious composites make concrete structure more durable and provide absorption capability during earthquakes.
新材料往往是科技突破的關鍵。
科大的研究員在不同層次探索物質的科學和應用。從化學入手，聚合物ＡＩＥ能通過螢光探測炸葯、細菌、指紋等，用途廣泛；從物理角度，研究物質的超導和電子特性，有助發展量子電腦、磁力共振和電子顯示薄膜等應用科技；而較理論性的光電研究可探討隱形物料的可行性。另一方面，材料研究也在建築物料上有所突破，具變形能力的混凝土使建築結構更耐用，亦能抗震。
Bacterial Imaging 細菌顯影技術
Video : Bacterial Imaging
AIE has potential applications in many areas. Professor Tang has developed a series of AIE bio-probes which show excellent performance in bacterial imaging and differentiation between living and dead bacteria. Some of the probes can even specifically kill the bacteria under light irradiation. These properties make AIE bio-probes become promising in photodynamic therapy and quality control in food and drug. Other important applications include cancer cells identification. Professor Tang’s work receives international attention and media coverage such as New York Times and CNBC.
化學系唐本忠教授領導的科研團隊利用「聚集誘導發光」（AIE）材料，研發出一系列熒光「生物探針」，在細菌成像及探測細菌活性方面表現優異。其中部分探針甚至能在光照射下殺死細菌。這些特性也使該技術有望用於光能療法、食品和藥品的質素監控，以致驗證癌細胞。唐教授的研究走在國際前沿，除了學術雜誌，流行媒體如紐約時報和ＣＮＢＣ都報導了他的成果。
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| (A,C) Bright field and (B,D) fluorescent images of dead and living bacteria cells were stained by AIE bio-probe 死細菌（A，B）和活細菌（C，D）細胞在AIE生物探針染色下的白光（A，C）和熒光（B，D）顯微圖像 |
Experiment results of bacteria on plates containing AIE irradiated (A) with or (B) without normal light for one hour 細菌在塗有AIE的碟上經光照（A）或無光照（B）一小時後的實驗結果 |
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| Mechanism of the bacteria killed by AIE bio-probe AIE生物探針殺死細菌的機制圖解 |
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Develop New Chemosensor for Explosive Detection 研發新型化學傳感器以檢測爆炸物
Professor Tang’s research team has further developed a new polymerization method to synthesize a series of polymers whose aggregation-induced emission fluorescence intensity drops dramatically when in contact with some highly nitrated compounds. This makes them sensitive chemosensors for explosive detection – one of the most challenging and important missions for military and customs agencies.
唐本忠教授的科研團隊研發以嶄新的聚合方法合成出一系列聚合物。這些物質在與一些高硝基化合物接觸時，聚焦誘導發光的熒光強度會急劇下降，因此可成為靈敏的爆炸物檢測化學傳感器。這一成果對軍隊和海關機構解決偵測爆炸物難題有重大意義。
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| The fluorescence intensity of AIE polymer drops with increasing concentrations of picric acid, which is a highly nitrated compound and is also an explosive AIE聚合物的熒光強度隨苦味酸（一種高硝基化合物及炸藥）濃度增加而下降 |
(A) Fluorescent image of AIE polymer deposited on a filter paper. The letters “HKUST” were written by dropping aliquots of a picric acid solution on the filter paper using a capillary tube. (B) A fluorescent film of AIE polymer was fabricated on a glass slide and its fluorescence was completely quenched after dipping into the PA solution. (A) AIE聚合物在濾紙上沉積形成的熒光圖像，是用毛細管在濾紙上滴加等份苦味酸溶劑形成的。 (B) AIE聚合物熒光膜壓製在玻璃片上，其上的熒光在浸入苦味酸溶劑後猝滅。 |
Discovery of Novel Materials for Developing Fault-tolerant and Practical Quantum Computers 為開發穩定及實用的量子電腦研發新材料
Display Object 7 : The model made by Professor Sou’s team demonstrates the two-dimensional superconductivity at the interface between two new classes of materials
Conventional semiconductor-based computers is approaching their physical limits of computer power and data storage capability. Quantum computing is the new frontier. A research team, led by Professor Iam-keong SOU (Physics), demonstrated a very rare two-dimensional superconductivity at the interface between two new classes of materials Bi2Te3 and FeTe. Their discovery in this emerging field of topological superconductors could lead to the development of practical quantum computers.
使用半導體元件的傳統電腦，在計算能力和數據儲存方面都將達到物理極限，量子計算因此成為研究新前沿。由物理學系蘇蔭強教授領導的科研團隊成功將兩種新型材料──三維拓撲絕緣體（Bi2Te3）和鐵基碲化物（FeTe）接合，使其界面出現非常罕見的二維超導現象。在新興的拓撲超導體領域，這一發現將有助於實用量子計算機的研發。
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| Professor Iam-keong SOU (rear left 3rd) and his research team 蘇蔭強教授（後排左三）及其研究團隊 |
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Fluorescent Visualization of Latent Fingerprint 熒光技術使指紋清晰可見
Video : Fluorescent Visualization of Latent Fingerprint
Collecting and visualizing latent fingerprint is one of the most crucial operations for police to solve crimes. A research team led by Professor Benzhong TANG (Chemistry) has discovered a new fluorescent material Aggregation-Induced Emission (AIE), which could be used to visualize fingerprints more effectively. Fingerprint turns fluorescent when stained with the AIE material, it produces higher quality print when compared to conventional method using carbon powder. It makes evidence collecting 10 times faster.
收集清晰可見的指紋是警方偵破案情最重要的步驟之一。化學系唐本忠教授領導的科研團隊研發了一種全新的「聚集誘導發光」(AIE)材料，能使指紋顯影效果更佳。塗上AIE後，指紋會發出熒光，與使用碳粉的傳統方法相比，顯影質素更高，而取證速度可提高十倍。
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| Professor Benzhong TANG (middle) and his research team 唐本忠教授（中）及其研究團隊（2014） |
Fluorescent image of latent fingerprint stained with AIE 塗上AIE後發出熒光的指紋 |
Designing Harry Potter’s Cloak of Invisibility 設計哈利•波特的隱形斗篷
Video : Rendering Objects Invisible
Professor Che-Ting CHAN (Physics) and his team made major breakthrough in exploring theories with the possibility of rendering materials invisible, using artificial materials that cancel the scattering of light from an object. The team has also designed conceptual devices which can create optical illusions so that an object appears like another pre-specified object.
物理系陳子亭教授及其研究團隊使用消除物體光散射的人工材料，在使材料隱形的可行性理論研究方面取得了重大突破。研究團隊還設計出一些概念性設備，能讓人產生某物體看起來像另一預設物體的視覺錯覺。
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| Old method: The cloak makes the object invisible but at the same time, the cloak allows no light to enter the cloaked region. 老方法：斗篷在使物體隱形的同時卻不允許光進入被斗篷遮蔽的範圍。因此隱藏物不能看到外面的世界。 |
New method: A new type of invisibility cloak that does not encircle the object to be cloaked. 新方法：新型隱形斗篷並沒有包裹被隱藏的物體，因此隱藏物可以看到外面的世界。 |
New Possibilities for Manipulating Light: Making Materials More Empty Than Vacuum
探索操縱光的新方法：讓材料比真空更空
Video : New Possibilities for Manipulating Light: Making Materials More Empty Than Vacuum
Professor Che-Ting CHAN (Physics) demonstrated that it is possible to design dielectric photonic crystals as if they had near-zero refractive indices. Light passes through those media with no phase change which means that such zero-index artificial media is optically more “empty” than vacuum which has a refractive index of one.
物理學系陳子亭教授的研究小組證實，設計折射率近乎零的介質光子晶體是可能的，當光穿過這種介質時，不會發生相位變化，表示這種零折射率人工介質在光學上比折射率為1的真空更「空」。
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| Upper panel: when the obstacle is surrounded by the “zero refractive index” medium, microwave tunnel through the obstacle as if it is not there. The obstacle cannot stop the wave and will not cast a shadow. 上圖：當微波穿過被「零折射率」介質環繞的障礙物時，障礙物如同無物，且不能中斷微波，因此也就不會形成陰影。 Lower panel: when microwave passes through a waveguide carrying an obstacle, a shadow will form. 下圖：當微波穿過存在障礙物的波導時，將會形成陰影。 |
Significant Breakthrough in Superconductivity Using Ultrathin Lead Nanowires for Medical and Biological Applications
超薄鉛納米線帶來超導體研究新突破，有助醫學與生物學應用發展
Video : Significant Breakthrough in Superconductivity Using Ultrathin Lead Nanowires for Medical and Biological Applications
Display Object 8 : Professor Lortz’s model illustrating the structure of ultrathin lead nanowires
Applications of superconductors have been limited by the low transition temperatures and the need for high critical fields. A research team at HKUST, led by Professor Rolf Walter LORTZ (Physics), achieved a breakthrough in 2013. Using ultrathin lead nanowires, the team demonstrated superconducting properties in a much stronger magnetic field and at higher temperature. One of the benefiting technologies of this development is MRI, which has wide medical applications.
超導體由於必須在低溫度及高臨界場環境內運作，應用性長期受限。2013年，由科大物理學系洛鶴夫教授領導的科研團隊取得突破性進展，使用超薄鉛納米線，在更強磁場和較高溫度的條件下保留了材料的超導特性。該成果將推動一系列技術的發展，如被廣泛運用於醫療的磁力共振掃描技術（MRI）等。
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| Professor Rolf Walter LORTZ (3rd from left) and his research team 洛鶴夫教授（左三）及其研究團隊（2013） |
Fabrication of ultrathin Pb nanowires 製造超薄鉛納米線 |
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The Advent of Foldable Paper-like Electronic Displays 可摺曲紙狀電子顯示屏
Like something from a science fiction story, Professor WEN Weijia and his team (Physics) made a new foldable paper-like, thermally activated material for e-display. They fabricated it from thermochromic composite and embedded conductive wiring patterns. It is only 150 microns (0.15mm) thick, but the device can produce high quality color-tunable images controlled via electric heating pulses with reduced energy consumption.
物理系溫維佳教授及其團隊研製出了一種如同科幻小說所描寫的新型電子顯示屏。如紙般可摺疊，使用熱激活，通過將導電線路圖形壓於值熱變色合成菲林製成，僅有150微米（0.15毫米）厚，能通過電熱脈衝提供可調校色彩且節省能源的高質素影像。
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| The mechanism of thermally activated material for e-display 熱激活電子顯示屏原理圖解 |
Foldable paper-like electronic display 可摺曲紙狀電子顯示屏 |
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Bendable Cementitious Materials 能屈能伸的水泥材料
Video : Bendable Cementitious Materials
Display Object 9 : Bendable fiber-reinforced cementitious composites
Through years of effort since 1992, Professor Christopher LEUNG (Civil and Environmental Engineering) and collaborators from four other universities in China have developed bendable fiber-reinforced cementitious composites with excellent tensile ductility and crack control. These materials exhibit very high energy absorption capability during earthquakes and ensure the long-term durability of concrete structures under severe environmental conditions.
自1992年，土木及環境工程學系梁堅凝教授與中國內地四所大學的研究學者持續合作，研發出具有極佳延展性及裂縫控制力的高韌性纖維水泥基材料。這種材料在地震時具有很高的能量吸收力，在惡劣環境條件下仍可保證混凝土結構持久不變。
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| Professor Leung displaying bendable cementitious materials 梁堅凝教授展示可彎曲水泥材料 |