Electrons and Electron Microscopy

Dr. Z. C. (Zhen Chuan) Kang received B.S in Department of Metal Physics and Chemistry at University of Beijing Science and Technology (1964), China; Dr.Sc. in Materials Science. At Université de Marseille III, France (1989). He studied diffraction physics and high resolution electron microscopy with Professor J. M.Cowley at center for solid state science in Arizon State University (1980-1982) and as a research professor in Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Arizona State University worked with Professor Leroy Eyring for mixed valency and non-stoichiometry of rare earth higher oxides. He explored the compositional and structural principles of fluorite-related oxygen-deficient non-stoichiometric rare earth higher oxides, RO2-d (0= d =1) (R=Ce, Pr, Tb) (Kang-Eyring module theory) and its applications in green energy technology such as the redox catalysis and hydrogen production by temperature swing with methane and water cycling. Recently he is interested in the relationship between the mysterious properties of functional oxides, containing rare earth and transition metal elements, and the degree of quantum freedom. He published patents, and books, more than 100 papers:
For example Books:
_ Z. L. Wang and Z. C. Kang: Functional and Smart Materials---structural evolution and structure analysis, 1998, Plenum Publishing Co.
_ Z. C. Kang: Binary Rare Earth Oxides, 2004, Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Papers:
_ "Lanthanide Higher Oxides"in Handbook of Physics and Chemistry of Rare earths, Vol 38, 2008, pp.1-54. Edited by K. A. Gschneidner Jr. J. -C. G. Bunzli and V. K. Pecharsky, Elsevier Published.
_ "The structural principles and their consequences for the anion-deficient fluorite-related oxides of the higher rare earths." Z.C Kang and L. Eyring in Key Engineering Materials Series, Trans Tech Publications edited by C. Boulesteix, 1998.
Honors and Awards:
_ Award from "Frontier of Electron Microscopy in Materials Science" 1986 (Argonne) for best science poster.
_ Distinguished (Tres honorable) dissertation, University of Marseille III 1989, France.
_ Research fellowship from Center de Recherche stir les Mecanismes de Ia Croissance (CRMC21 ) C.N.R.S. France, 1987-1990.
_ Professorship from Université de Province. France,1992.Université de Marseille III and France, 1996. University of Cadiz, Spain 1996. Université de Toolon, France, 2000, then Universität Tübingen, Germany, 2004.
_ Invited speaker on fluorite-related oxygen-deficient nonstoichiometric rare earth higher oxides and its applications for IT-SOFC in MRS Boston meeting 2009.
After he retired, he learns and search what is the transmission electron microscopy and what is an electron and why I could not use the high-resolution electron microscopy to solve the oxygen vacancies distribution in the fluorite-related oxygen-deficient non-stoichiometric rare earth higher oxides. The questions had haunted him in long time, However, a recent paper of professor A. Howie said that "In his (Ruska's) Nobel prize acceptance speech, Ernst Ruska admitted that he became aware of the wave properties of the electron only as late as 1931 when he had already made his invention" and the success of the modern electron microscopy is based on the wave imaging technology. The transmission electron microscopy forth would be made by "continued skirmishing on the wave-particle frontier". He has spend almost 5 years to write this book in the memory of Professor Leroy Eyring and John W. Cowley.