Dr Zhiyu Liao
- Research Associate (School of Chemistry)
telephone:
0143307680
email:
Zhiyu.Liao@glasgow.ac.uk
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6447-5510Biography
Zhiyu Liao is a Research Associate at the University of Glasgow, specialising in optical and spectroscopic techniques for studying crystal nucleation. His research integrates tools like Raman spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering and mass spectrometry to explore nucleation mechanisms, with applications in drug formulation and carbon capture. He holds a PhD from the University of Copenhagen and has previously developed advanced imaging systems for biomedical diagnostics at the University of Nottingham.
Research interests
My research lies at the intersection of physical chemistry, spectroscopy, and materials science, with a particular focus on understanding and controlling crystal nucleation processes. I apply advanced optical and spectroscopic techniques - including Raman spectroscopy and mass spectrometry - to investigate the fundamental mechanisms of nucleation and polymorphism in solution. A key aspect of my work is exploring the role of amorphous aggregates and metastable intermediates in crystallisation, with the aim of developing precise control over nucleation pathways. I am particularly interested in translating these insights into practical applications in drug formulation, where controlling the physical phase is critical for bioavailability and stability, and in carbon capture, where accelerating nucleation processes can improve efficiency and reduce energy consumption.
Publications
2025
Liao, Zhiyu 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6447-5510, Das, Ankita, Ahmed, Ikhlas, Abate, Immacolata, MacLaren, Ian ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5334-3010, Beveridge, Rebecca and Wynne, Klaas ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5305-5940
(2025)
Nucleation begins before supersaturation: glassy solute aggregates dominate solution structure.
ChemRxiv,
(doi: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2025-x4kh4)
2024
Liao, Zhiyu ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6447-5510, Das, Ankita, Robb, Christina Glen, Beveridge, Rebecca and Wynne, Klaas ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5305-5940
(2024)
Amorphous aggregates with a very wide size distribution play a central role in crystal nucleation.
Chemical Science, 15(31),
pp. 12420-12430.
(doi: 10.1039/D4SC00452C)
(PMID:39118639)
(PMCID:PMC11304771)
González-Jiménez, Mario ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8853-0588, Liao, Zhiyu ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6447-5510, Williams, Elen Lloyd and Wynne, Klaas ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5305-5940
(2024)
Lifting Hofmeisters curse: Impact of cations on diffusion, hydrogen bonding and clustering of water.
Journal of the American Chemical Society, 146(1),
pp. 368-376.
(doi: 10.1021/jacs.3c09421)
(PMID:38124370)
2022
Liao, Zhiyu ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6447-5510 and Wynne, Klaas ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5305-5940
(2022)
Mesoscopic amorphous particles rather than oligomeric molecular aggregates are the cause of laser-induced crystal nucleation.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 119(33),
e220717311.
(doi: 10.1073/pnas.2207173119)
(PMID:35878058)
Liao, Zhiyu ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6447-5510 and Wynne, Klaas ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5305-5940
(2022)
A metastable amorphous intermediate is responsible for laser-induced nucleation of glycine.
Journal of the American Chemical Society, 144(15),
pp. 6727-6733.
(doi: 10.1021/jacs.1c11154)
(PMID:35384650)
Articles
Liao, Zhiyu ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6447-5510, Das, Ankita, Ahmed, Ikhlas, Abate, Immacolata, MacLaren, Ian ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5334-3010, Beveridge, Rebecca and Wynne, Klaas ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5305-5940
(2025)
Nucleation begins before supersaturation: glassy solute aggregates dominate solution structure.
ChemRxiv,
(doi: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2025-x4kh4)
Liao, Zhiyu ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6447-5510, Das, Ankita, Robb, Christina Glen, Beveridge, Rebecca and Wynne, Klaas ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5305-5940
(2024)
Amorphous aggregates with a very wide size distribution play a central role in crystal nucleation.
Chemical Science, 15(31),
pp. 12420-12430.
(doi: 10.1039/D4SC00452C)
(PMID:39118639)
(PMCID:PMC11304771)
González-Jiménez, Mario ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8853-0588, Liao, Zhiyu ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6447-5510, Williams, Elen Lloyd and Wynne, Klaas ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5305-5940
(2024)
Lifting Hofmeisters curse: Impact of cations on diffusion, hydrogen bonding and clustering of water.
Journal of the American Chemical Society, 146(1),
pp. 368-376.
(doi: 10.1021/jacs.3c09421)
(PMID:38124370)
Liao, Zhiyu ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6447-5510 and Wynne, Klaas ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5305-5940
(2022)
Mesoscopic amorphous particles rather than oligomeric molecular aggregates are the cause of laser-induced crystal nucleation.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 119(33),
e220717311.
(doi: 10.1073/pnas.2207173119)
(PMID:35878058)
Liao, Zhiyu ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6447-5510 and Wynne, Klaas ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5305-5940
(2022)
A metastable amorphous intermediate is responsible for laser-induced nucleation of glycine.
Journal of the American Chemical Society, 144(15),
pp. 6727-6733.
(doi: 10.1021/jacs.1c11154)
(PMID:35384650)
