Zhu Liu received a BSc in Materials Science from the Northeastern University, China in 1985 and a PhD in Laser Surface Engineering from the University of Liverpool in 1991. Between 1991 and 1999 she was a postdoctoral Research Associate at Liverpool University working on various laser surface modification techniques for improving the corrosion and wear resistance of engineering materials. In 1999 she was appointed as a Research Scientist with the British Royal Mint. She joined the Corrosion and Protection Centre, UMIST, in 2000 as a lecturer. She was promoted to senior lecturer in 2006 and reader in 2014. Her main research interests are laser surface modification for high performance materials and micro/nano engineering using lasers. Her current research laboratory is equipped with high power laser processing facilities. Research collaborations include Rolls-Royce, BNFL, BP, The Welding Institute and various academic research groups.

BSc. PhD

• Investigation into corrosion performances of various laser-processed components, including laser-textured, and laser-cleaned metallic alloys
• Laser processing for perovskite solar cells
• Laser generation of mesoscopic dye sensitised solar cells
• Laser production of nanoparticles via ablation of metals and alloys in liquid
• Laser/sol-gel hybrid process for generation of metal oxide thin films for energy applications
• Laser surface modification of biodegradable Mg-based alloys for medical implant applications

Currently I have 10 PhD students working on laser-related projects, as described below. 

·          Yudong Peng - Laser generation of Fe-Pt nanoparticles via ablation of Fe-Pt alloy in liquid. 

·          Raid Baiee – Study of stability and durability of laser-generated Ag nanoparticles for antibacterial applications

·          Qian Chen – One-step laser process for rapid manufacture of mesoscopic perovskite solar cells. 

·          Dong Wang – Laser processing of metal oxide scaffolds for perovskite solar cells

·          Aseel Hadi - Fibre laser sintered mesoscopic TiO₂ thin films for dye sensitised solar cells

 ·         Mansour Alhabradi - Fibre laser processing of ZnO-based thin films for dye sensitised solar cells·  

           Yuxiang Liu – Electrochemcial studies of biodegradable Mg-Ca alloy in SBF solution

           Minxing Zhang - Corrosion behaviour of laser-textured stainless steel

          Chutimon Suebka - Corrosion behaviour of laser-cleaned aluminium alloys

          Chao Zhang - Laser/sol-gel hybrid processing of graphene-TiO₂ nanocomposite films for energy applications