PNNL

Dongsheng Li is a senior materials scientist in the Physical Sciences Division at PNNL. Before joining PNNL, Li was a scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Riverside. She holds a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Pennsylvania State University. Her research focuses on crystal nucleation and growth, materials synthesis and processing, and structure-function relationships. She explores crystal growth mechanisms via non-classical growth pathways to form branched nanowires. Her group has made many discoveries on particle-mediated growth, especially oriented attachment (OA) processes, solid-state phase transformation processes, and the resulting structure-function relationships using in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy. Li’s work has made many breakthroughs, including a significant understanding of the kinetics and dynamics of OA processes in the iron oxyhydroxide system and facet-dependent surface potential of Pt nanoparticles. This gives insight into further understanding and control of crystal growths via OA and resulting structures and properties. Li has given multiple special invited lectures at physics and materials conferences.

Li’s research interests lie in physical and chemical dynamic processes of materials synthesis and processing. She is developing an understanding of the formation mechanisms that determine nanocrystal size and morphology to enable the design of highly branched nanowires with tailored physical and chemical properties (investigation of structure-function relationships). Specifically, using in-situ TEM and atomic force microscopy, her group has made many discoveries on particle mediated growth, especially OA process, including colloidal nanoparticle growth and solid-state phase transformation processes.

Li has made two major breakthroughs thus far in her career:

• Understanding the process of OA in the iron oxyhydroxide system by demonstrating the existence of a force that acts over sub-nm distances to drive the OA event; and
• Formation of five-fold twin nanoparticles via repeated OA events and decomposition of high energy grain boundaries.

These two papers were the first to directly document the OA and multiple twinning processes and demonstrate the ability to directly observe the process at lattice resolution through in-situ TEM. 

PhD in Materials, Pennsylvania State University

MS in Inorganic Chemistry, Jilin University

BS in Applied Chemistry, Jilin University

Scholarships for the Excellent Students, First Awards, Jilin University; 1995 and 1998

Scholarships for the Excellent Students, Second Awards, Jilin University; 1996 and 1997

2025

Butreddy, P., Mergelsberg, S., Jocz, J. N., Li, D., Prabhakaran, V., Ritchhart, A., Subban, C. V., Kellar, J. J., Beeler, S., Keenan, S. W. 2025. “Selective dissolution and re-precipitation by pH cycling enables recovery of manganese from surface nodules.” RSC Sustainability.

2024

Choi, M.-J., Park, H., Engelhard, M. H., Li, D., Sushko, P. V., Du, Y. 2024. “Reevaluation of XPS Pt 4f peak fitting: Ti 3s plasmon peak interference and Pt metallic peak asymmetry in Pt@TiO2 system.” Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A, 42 (6).

Lee, J., Lu, Z., Wu, Z., Ophus, C., Schenter, G. K., De Yoreo, J. J., Chun, J., Li, D. 2024. “Defect Self-Elimination in Nanocube Superlattices Through the Interplay of Brownian, van der Waals, and Ligand-Based Forces and Torques.” ACS Nano, 18 (47), 32386-32400.

Gomez, M. A., Chen, Y., Song, M., Li, D., Lea, A. S., Yao, S., Duan, Y., Jia, Y., Cai, Y., Xiao, T., 2024. “The transformation of lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH) with Fe(ii)(aq) in slightly acidic media: intermediate pathways and biomimetic behavior.” Environmental Science: Nano, 11 (12), 4730-4742.

Liu, L., Yadav Schmid, S., Feng, Z., Li, D., Droubay, T. C., Pauzauskie, P. J., Schenter, G. K., De Yoreo, J. J., Chun, J., Nakouzi, E., 2024. “Effect of Solvent Composition on Non-DLVO Forces and Oriented Attachment of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles.” ACS Nano, 18 (26), 16743-16751.

Song, M., Cui, J., Ophus, C., Lee, J., Yan, T., Fichthorn, K. A., Li, D. 2024. “Uneven Strain Distribution Induces Consecutive Dislocation Slipping, Plane Gliding, and Subsequent Detwinning of Penta-Twinned Nanoparticles.” Nano Letters, 24 (4), 1153-1159.

2023

Lee, J., Nakouzi, E., Heo, J., Legg, B. A., Schenter, G. K., Li, D., Park, C., Ma, H., Chun, J. 2023. “Effects of particle shape and surface roughness on van der Waals interactions and coupling to dynamics in nanocrystals.” Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 652, 1974-1983.

Song, I., Koleva, I. Z., Aleksandrov, H. A., Chen, L., Heo, J., Li, D., Wang, Y., Szanyi, J., Khivantsev, K. 2023. “Ultrasmall Pd Clusters in FER Zeolite Alleviate CO Poisoning for Effective Low-Temperature Carbon Monoxide Oxidation.” Journal of the American Chemical Society, 145 (50), 27493-27499.

Nakouzi, E., Kerisit, S., Legg, B. A., Yadav, S., Li, D., Stack, A. G., Mundy, C. J., Chun, J., Schenter, G. K., De Yoreo, J. J. 2023. “Solution Structure and Hydration Forces between Mica and Hydrophilic Versus Hydrophobic Surfaces.” The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 127 (5), 2741-2752.

Shin, S. H. R., Tao, J., Canfield, N. L., Bowden, M. E., Heo, J., Li, D., Liu, J., De Yoreo, J. J., Thallapally, P. K., Sushko, M. L. 2023. “Self-Assembly and Oriented Growth of Conductive Ni-CAT-1 Metal-Organic Framework at Solid–Liquid Interfaces.” Advanced Materials Interfaces, 10 (4), 2202031.

Song, M., Prange, M. P., Ren, P., Lu, Z., Lee, J., Zheng, J., Engelhard, M., De Yoreo, J. J., Sushko, P. V., Li, D. 2023. “Transitional Structures with Continuous Variations in Atomic Positions from Anatase to Rutile Improve Photocatalytic Activity.” Advanced Materials Interfaces n/a (n/a), 2202306.

Li, D., Chen, Q., Chun, J., Fichthorn, K., De Yoreo, J., Zheng, H. 2023. “Nanoparticle Assembly and Oriented Attachment: Correlating Controlling Factors to the Resulting Structures.” Chemical Reviews.

2022

Jiang, W., Zhang, D., Li, D., Heo, J., Wang, Z., Zhang, L., Overman, N., Varga, T., Hu, Z., Wang, X., Shao, L., Setyawan, W. 2022. “Behavior of helium cavities in ion-irradiated W-Ni-Fe ductile-phase toughened tungsten.” J. Nucl. Mater. 561, 153565.

Geng, X., Li, S., Mei, Z., Li, D., Zhang, L., Luo, L. 2022. “Ultrafast metal oxide reduction at Pd/PdO₂ interface enables one-second hydrogen gas detection under ambient conditions.” Nano Research 2022.

2021

Ren, P., Lu, Z., Song, M., Liu, L., Wang, B., Wei, N., Bowden, M. E., Wirth, M. G., Perea, D. E., Zhang, D., Buck, E. C., Han, Y., Sushko, P. V., Li, D. 2021. “Formation of Pyrophosphates across Grain Boundaries Induces the Formation of Mismatched but Oriented Interfaces in Silver Phosphate Polypods.” Appl. Surf. Sci.149980.

Geng, X., Li, S., Heo, J., Peng, Y., Hu, W., Liu, Y., Huang, J., Ren, Y., Li, D., Zhang , L., Luo, L. 2021. “Grain-boundary-rich Pt nanoparticle assembly for catalytic hydrogen sensing at room temperature.”

Ren, P., Lu, Z., Song, M., Lee, J., Zheng, J., Sushko, P. V., Li, D. accepted 2021. “Atomic gradient structure alters electronic structure in 3D across the bulk and enhances photoactivity.” Advanced energy Materials.

Hu, Y., Deb, S., Li, D., Huang, Q. 2021. “Effects of organic additives on the impurity and grain structure of electrodeposited cobalt.” Electrochimica Acta, 368, 137594.

2020

Yu, F., Wang, C., Ma, H., Song, M., Li, D., Li, Y., Li, S., Zhang, X., Liu, Y. 2020. “Revisiting Pt/TiO₂ photocatalysts for thermally assisted photocatalytic reduction of CO₂.” Nanoscale, 12 (13), 7000-7010.

Spurgeon, S. R., Ophus, C., Jones, L., Petford-Long, A., Kalinin, S. V., Olszta, M. J., Dunin-Borkowski, R. E., Salmon, N., Hattar, K., Yang, W.-C. D., Sharma, R., Du, Y., Chiaramonti, A., Zheng, H., Buck, E. C., Kovarik, L., Penn, R. L., Li, D., Zhang, X., Murayama, M., Taheri, M. L. 2020. “Towards data-driven next-generation transmission electron microscopy.” Nature Materials.

Song, M., Lu, Z., Li, D. 2020. “Phase transformations among TiO2 polymorphs.” Nanoscale, 12 (45), 23183-23190.

Gomez, M. A., Jiang, R., Song, M., Li, D., Lea, A. S., Ma, X., Wang, H., Yin, X., Wang, S., Jia, Y., 2020. “Further insights into the Fe(ii) reduction of 2-line ferrihydrite: a semi in situ and in situ TEM study.” Nanoscale Advances, 2 (10), 4938-4950.

Ren, P., Song, M., Lee, J., Zhang, D., Li, D. 2020. “Nucleation and growth of PbSeO3, Pb3(CO3)2(OH)2, and Se on the PbSe surfaces by decomposing PbSe in water.” Inorg. Chem. Commun. 118, 107989.

Lucero, J. M., Jasinski, J. B., Song, M., Li, D., Liu, L., Liu, J., De Yoreo, J. J., Thallapally, P. K., Carreon, M. A. 2020. “Synthesis of porous organic cage CC3 via solvent modulated evaporation.” Inorg. Chim. Acta, 501, 119312.

Koh, K., Sanyal, U., Lee, M.-S., Cheng, G., Song, M., Glezakou, V.-A., Liu, Y., Li, D., Rousseau, R., Gutiérrez, O. Y., Karkamkar, A., Derewinski, M., Lercher, J. A. 2020. “Electrochemically Tunable Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer in Pd-Catalyzed Benzaldehyde Hydrogenation.” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.59 (4), 1501-1505.

Hu, C., Ding, L., Gordon, K. N., Ghosh, B., Tien, H.-J., Li, H., Linn, A. G., Lien, S.-W., Huang, C.-Y., Mackey, S., Liu, J., Reddy, P. V. S., Singh, B., Agarwal, A., Bansil, A., Song, M., Li, D., Xu, S.-Y., Lin, H., Cao, H., Chang, T.-R., Dessau, D., Ni, N. 2020. “Realization of an intrinsic ferromagnetic topological state in MnBi₈Te₁₃.” Sci Adv, 6 (30), eaba4275.

Andrews, E., Lopez-Ruiz, J. A., Egbert, J. D., Koh, K., Sanyal, U., Song, M., Li, D., Karkamkar, A. J., Derewinski, M. A., Holladay, J., Gutiérrez, O. Y., Holladay, J. D. 2020. “Performance of Base and Noble Metals for Electrocatalytic Hydrogenation of Bio-Oil-Derived Oxygenated Compounds.” ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 8 (11), 4407-4418.

Zhao, Y., Song, M., Yang, X., Yang, J., Du, C., Wang, G., Yi, J., Shan, G., Li, D., Liu, L., Yan, D., Li, Y., Liu, X. 2020. “Amorphous Ag2-xCuxS quantum dots: “all-in-one” theranostic nanomedicines for near-infrared fluorescence/photoacoustics dual-modal-imaging-guided photothermal therapy.” Chem. Eng. J. 125777.

Song, M., Zhou, G., Lu, N., Lee, J., Nakouzi, E., Wang, H., Li, D. 2020. “Oriented attachment induces fivefold twins by forming and decomposing high-energy grain boundaries.” Science, 367 (6473), 40-45.

Song, M., Zhang, Y., Chun, J., Hu, S., Tang, M., Li, D. 2020. “Effects of catalyst droplets on wire growth and the resulting branched structures during VLS growth.” Nanoscale.

Ren, P., Wang, B., Hu, S., Li, D. 2020. “Ion redistributions at interfaces facilitate nucleation and growth of branched Ag3PO4 polypods.” Mater. Lett. 127848.

2019

Wu, Z., Xiao, D., Lee, J., Ren, P., Song, M., Li, D. 2019. “Palladium nanostructures with well-controlled morphologies obtained by one-pot and one-step polyol method.” Journal of Crystal Growth. 521, 34-40.

Song, M., Wu, Z., Lu, N., Li, D. 2019. “Strain Relaxation-Induced Twin Interface Migration and Morphology Evolution of Silver Nanoparticles.” Chemistry of Materials, 31 (3), 842-850.

Song, M., Lee, J., Wang, B., Legg, B. A., Hu, S., Chun, J., Li, D. 2019. “In situ characterization of kinetics and mass transport of PbSe nanowire growth via LS and VLS mechanisms.” Nanoscale, 11 (13), 5874-5878.

Ren, P., Song, M., Lee, J., Zheng, J., Lu, Z., Engelhard, M., Yang, X., Li, X., Kisailus, D., Li, D. 2019. “Edge Dislocations Induce Improved Photocatalytic Efficiency of Colored TiO2.” Advanced Materials Interfaces, 6 (17), 1901121.

Li, Y., Wang, C., Song, M., Li, D., Zhang, X., Liu, Y. 2019. “TiO2-x/CoOx photocatalyst sparkles in photothermocatalytic reduction of CO₂ with H₂O steam.” Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 243, 760-770.

Lee, J., Nakouzi, E., Xiao, D., Wu, Z., Song, M., Ophus, C., Chun, J., Li, D. 2019. “Interplay between Short- and Long-Ranged Forces Leading to the Formation of Ag Nanoparticle Superlattice.” Small, 0 (0), 1901966.

2018

• Lee J, E Nakouzi, M Song, B Wang, J Chun, and D Li. 2018. "Mechanistic understanding of the growth kinetics and dynamics of nanoparticle superlattices by coupling interparticle forces from real-time measurements." ACS Nano 12, no. 12:12778-12787. PNNL-SA-136036. doi:10.1021/acsnano.8b07880

2017

• Fu S, C Zhu, J Song, S Feng, D Du, MH Engelhard, and D Xiao, et al. 2017. "Two-dimensional N,S-codoped carbon/Co9S8 catalysts derived from Co(OH)2 nanosheets for oxygen reduction reaction." ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 9, no. 42:36755-36761. PNNL-SA-126249. doi:10.1021/acsami.7b10227
• Li D, H Wang, D Xiao, M Song, BA Legg, and J Chun. 2017. "Investigating the magnitude and source of orientation-dependent interactions between TiO2 crystal surfaces." Nanoscale 9, no. 29:10173-10177. PNNL-SA-126674. doi:10.1039/C7NR03535G
• Li D, J Chun, D Xiao, W Zhou, H Cai, L Zhang, and KM Rosso, et al. 2017. "Trends in Mica-Mica Adhesion Reflect the Influence of Molecular Details on Long-Range Dispersion Forces Underlying Aggregation and Coalignment." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 114, no. 29:7537-7542. PNNL-SA-126659. doi:10.1073/pnas.1621186114
• Zhu C, S Fu, J Song, Q Shi, D Su, MH Engelhard, and X Li, et al. 2017. "Self-Assembled Fe-N-Doped Carbon Nanotube Aerogels with Single-Atom Catalysis Feature as Highly Efficient Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts." Small 13, no. 15:Article No. 1603407. PNNL-SA-119038. doi:10.1002/smll.201603407

2016

• Oudriss A, S Le Guernic, Z Wang, B Osman Hock, J Bouhattate, E Conforto, and Z Zhu, et al. 2016. "Meso-scale anisotropic hydrogen segregation near grain-boundaries in polycrystalline nickel characterized by EBSD/SIMS." Materials Letters 165. PNNL-SA-115815. doi:10.1016/j.matlet.2015.12.016
• Wu X, Y Zhang, K Takle, O Bilsel, Z Li, H Lee, and Z Zhang, et al. 2016. "Dye-Sensitized Core/Active Shell Upconversion Nanoparticles for Optogenetics and Bioimaging Applications." ACS Nano 10, no. 1:1060-1066. PNNL-SA-115307. doi:10.1021/acsnano.5b06383

2014

• Li D, S Ahzi, SM M'Guil, W Wen, CA Lavender, and MA Khaleel. 2014. "Modeling of deformation behavior and texture evolution in magnesium alloy using the intermediate ϕ-model." International Journal of Plasticity 52. PNNL-SA-114911. doi:10.1016/j.ijplas.2013.06.005
• Nielsen MH, D Li, H Zhang, S Aloni, YJ Han, C Frandsen, and JM Seto, et al. 2014. "Investigating Processes of Nanocrystal Formation and Transformation via Liquid Cell TEM." Microscopy and Microanalysis 20, no. 02:425-436. PNNL-SA-106808. doi:10.1017/S1431927614000294
• Tabei A, S Ahzi, D Li, CA Lavender, and H Garmestani. 2014. "Effects of Morphology and Geometry of Inclusions on Two-Point Correlation Statistics in Two Phase Composites." International Journal of Theoretical and Applied Multiscale Mechanics 3, no. 1:1-17. PNNL-SA-114317. doi:10.1504/IJTAMM.2014.069444