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Yang Cao
Professor
Office: Science One 1023
Phone: (860) 486-0915
Email: yang.cao@uconn.edu

EDUCATION

  • PhD in Material Science, University of Connecticut, 2002
  • MS in Condensed Matter Physics, Tongji University, 1995
  • BS in Applied Physics, Tongji University, 1992

APPOINTMENTS

RESEARCH FOCUS

  • High voltage engineering
  • Flexible electronics, electroactive materials/devices
  • HVDC/MVDC
  • Grid Protection, hardening and asset management

RECENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

  • G&W Electric, “Ablative Materials Development”, PI, 1/1/2024-10/30/2025
  • ONR, “Barrier Coatings for Commercial High-Temperature Polymer Films” (N00014-23-1-2346), PI, 4/1/2023-3/30/2026
  • ONR, “PolyAlicyclics by Rational design as Dielectrics for Extreme Electrification” (N00014-23-1-2292), Co-PI, 4/1/2023-3/30/2026
  • ONR, “Scaleup of High Temperature Polyimide and Polyolefin Dielectrics, Film Processing and Testing” (N00014-23-1-2292), Co-PI, 4/1/2023-3/30/2026
  • ONR, “New Suite of Insulations for High Power Density Electrical Generators” (N00014-23-C-1021), Co-PI, 12/1/2022-2/28-2025
  • ONR, “Variable-Speed-Drive Insulation” (N0014-23-1-2062), PI, 12/1/2022-11/30-2025
  • ARPA-e, “Substation in a Cable for Adaptable, Low-cost Electrical Distribution (SCALED)” (DE-AR0001568), Co-PI,  3/14/2022-3/13/2025.
  • ARPA-e, “Detection and Fixation: A Lifecycle-Management Framework Towards an SF6-Free Green Power Network” (DE-AR0001523), PI, 3/21/2022-3/20/2025.
  • G&W Electric, “Switchgear Materials Study”, PI, 6/1/2021-8/30/2023
  • Collins Aerospace, “High Voltage Insulation”, PI, 5/1/2021-11/30/2022
  • NASA/NPS, “Advanced Insulation System Design for Fast Light-weight Altitude-ready Solid-state Circuit Breaker for Hybrid Electric Propulsion (FLASH)” (N00244-20-1-008), PI, 8/1/2020-9/24/2023
  • ONR “High Torque Density Motor Insulation” (N00014-19-1-2306), PI, 5/15/19 to 5/14/2023
  • ONR “Accelerated Co-Designs of High K Polymer Dielectrics” (N00014-19-1-2304), PI, 5/01/19 to 4/30/2023
  • ONR MURI, Tracking, Diagnosing and Impeding Dielectric Breakdown in Polymers (N00014-17-1-2656), Co-PI, 8/1/2017-7/31/2023. https://muri.ims.uconn.edu
  • NSF Phase I i/UCRC University of Connecticut Site: Center for Novel High Voltage/Temperature Materials and Structures (NSF HVT) (1650544), Site Director, 2/1/2017 – 9/30/2023   http://www.hvtcenter.org Industrial Advisory Board (NAPA, GE, Eversource, Marmon Utility, G&W,USi)

HONORS & SERVICE ACTIVITIES

  • Chair Elected, International Conference on Electrets (ISE) 2027
  • Co-chair, 2024 IEEE International Conference on High Voltage Engineering and Application (ICHVE 2024), September 2024, Berlin, Germany
  • Elected Member, Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) (2020)
  • Professional: IEEE Senior Member
  • Research: UConn ECE Research Excellence (2022, 2018), GE Technical Career Award (2013), GE Technical Achievement Award (2011), GE Innovation Award (2010)
  • Excellence in Teaching, University of Connecticut, 2017

RECENT PUBLICATIONS & PATENTS

2025:

  • Jing Hao1, Stuti Shukla1, Rishi Gurnani, Madhubanti Mukherjee, Harikrishna Sahu, Ashish Khomane, Pritish Aklujkar, Mohak Desai, Chao Wu, Rampi Ramprasad, Gregory Sotzing*, Yang Cao*, “Stereoisomerism of Vicinal Polydichloronorbornene for Ultra-high-temperature Capacitive Energy Storage”, Advanced Materials, accepted, Feb. 18, 2025. 
  • Yifei Wang,  Thomas Linker, K.M. Abu Hurayra Lizu, Luis A. Ortiz-Flores, Deepak Kamal, Jierui Zhou, Hiep Nguyen, Chuanyang Li, Wenqiang Gao, Antigoni Konstantinou, Lihua Chen, Bryan D. Huey, Rampi Ramprasad, Aiichiro Nakano, Fuyuki Shimojo, Priya Vashishta, Yang Cao, “Ultrahigh energy density in high-temperature polymer dielectric reinforced by bilayer nanocoating“, Chemical Engineering Journal, Vol. 57, 1 March 2025, 160613, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.160613
  • Pritish S Aklujkar†, Rishi Gurnani†, Pragati Rout, Ashish R Khomane, Irene Mutegi, Mohak Desai, Amy Pollock, John Toribio, Jing Hao, Yang Cao*, Rampi Ramprasad*, Gregory Sotzing*, “Rationally Designed High-Temperature Polymer Dielectrics for Capacitive Energy Storage: An Experimental and Computational Alliance”, Progress in Polymer Science, accepted, 2025.
  • Jiahao Mao, Jierui Zhou, Yang Cao and Mukerrem Cakmak,  “Impact of uniaxial strain programming on morphology and electrical properties of PET from amorphous precursors”, Polymer, Vol.320, 128078, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2025.128078

2024:

  • Jing Hao*, Irene Mutegi*, Madhubanti Mukherjee, Harikrishna Sahu, Ashish Khomane, Omer Yassin, Rampi Ramprasad, Gregory A. Sotzing, Yang Cao, “High-temperature high-k polyolefin by rational molecular design”, The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Vol.121, e2415388121, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2415388121
  • Kerry Davis-Amendola*, Mohamadreza Arab Baferani*, Tohid Shahsavarian, Chuanyang Li, Wesley Zhong, JoAnne Ronzello, Roger Walker, and Yang Cao, “Electrical Treeing at High Altitude: Effect of Pressure and Temperature”, IEEE Access, Vol.12, pp.137825-137835, 2024. DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2024.3457754
  • Jierui Zhou, Jiahao Mao, Wenqiang Gao, Zongze Li, Jindong Huo, Miko Cakmak, Yang Cao, “High field conduction in biaxially oriented polypropylene at elevated temperature“, High Voltage, accepted, July 25, 2024.
  • Tohid Shahsavarian, Moritz Ploner, Kerry Davis-Amendola, Brian Chislea, John McKeen, Di Zhang, Andrea Cavallini, Yang Cao, “Unveiling Design and Encapsulation Challenges in Direct Copper Bond (DCB)-Based Power Converters with Partial Discharge and Modeling Insights for Aerospace Applications”, IEEE Access, Vol.12, pp.125735-125750, 2024. DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2024.3442016
  • Rishi Gurnani, Stuti Shukla, Deepak Kamal, Chao Wu, Jing Hao, Christopher Kuenneth, Pritish Aklujkar, Ashish Khomane, Robert Daniels, Ajinkya Deshmukh, Yang Cao, Gregory Sotzing, Rampi Ramprasad, “AI-Assisted Discovery of High-Temperature Dielectrics for Energy Storage”, Nature Communications, Vol.15, 6107, 2024. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50413-x
  • Wenqiang Gao, Luisa F. Posada, Vahid Shiravand, Shubhashish Shubhashish, Capri Price, Radislav A. Potyrailo, Karim Younsi, Shiyao Shan, Ibrahima Ndiaye, Jierui Zhou, Andres Laso, Nenad Uzelac, Wesley Zhong, Steven L. Suib, Yang Cao, “High-throughput compatibility screening of materials for SF6-alternative insulation”, Environmental Science & Technology, Vol.58, pp.13296-13306, 2024. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.est.4c03190
  •       Inside cover highlight
  • Stuti Shukla‡, Chao Wu‡, Ankit Mishra, Junkun Pan, Aaron P. Charnay, Ashish Khomane, Ajinkya Deshmukh, Jierui Zhou, Madhubanti Mukherjee, Rishi Gurnani, Pragati Rout, Riccardo Casalini, Rampi Ramprasad, Michael D. Fayer, Priya Vashishta, Yang Cao*, Gregory Sotzing*, “Pendant group functionalization of cyclic olefin for high temperature and high-density energy storage”, Advanced Materials, Vol.36, 2402133, 2024. DOI: 10.1002/adma.202402133
  • Jierui Zhou, Mohamadreza Arab Baferani, Tohid Shahsavarian, Patrick McGinnis, Steven Walker, Dehao Qin, Zheyu Zhang, Dong Dong, Di Zhang, Chuanyang Li, Yang Cao, “DC Flashover in Printed Circuit Boards at Low Gas Pressures: Mechanism and Mitigation Recommendations”, IEEE Access, Vol.12, pp.77347-77355, 2024. DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2024.3406429
  • Ningzhen Wang, He Zhang, Xunlin Qiu, Reimund Gerhard, Jan van Turnhout, Jason Cressotti, Dong Zhao, Liang Tang, Yang Cao, “Recent Advances in Ferroelectret Fabrication, Performance Optimization and Applications”, Advanced Materials, Vol.36, 202400657, 2025. DOI: 10.1002/adma.202400657
  • Wenqiang Gao, Luisa Posada, Shubhashish Shubhashish, Vahid Shiravand, Capri Price, Radislav Potyrailo, Karim Younsi, Shiyao Shan, Ibrahima Ndiaye, Jierui Zhou, Charlotte Cabrera, Wesley Zhong, Steven L. Suib, Yang Cao, “Mitigations of Aging Product Generation in C4F7N-Based SF6 Alternatives – A Holistic Approach”, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, Vol.12, pp.6467-6472, 2024. DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.4c01641
  •         Insider cover highlight.
  • Wenqiang Gao, Luisa Posada, Vahid Shiravand, Shubhashish Shubhashish, Capri Price, Boya Zhang, Radislav Potyrailo, Karim Younsi, Shiyao Shan, Ibrahima Ndiaye, Charlotte Cabrera, Jierui Zhou, Maxime Perret, Thomas Berteloot, Yannick Kieffel, Andres Laso, Nenad Uzelac, Steven L. Suib, Yang Cao, “Decomposition characteristics of C4F7N-based SF6-alternative gas mixtures”, Journal of Applied Physics, Vol.135, 063302, 2024. DOI: 10.1063/5.0188478

2023:

  • Zongze Li+, Chao Wu+, Lihua Chen, Yifei Wang, Zeynep Mutulu, Hiroaki Uehara, Jierui Zhou, Miko Cakmak, Rampi Ramprasad & Yang Cao*, “Probing electronic band structures of polymer dielectrics via prebreakdown conduction”, Advanced Materials, Vol.36, 2310497, 2024. DOI: 10.1002/adma.202310497
  • Ningzhen Wang, Mohamadreza Arab Baferani, Robert Daniels, Chao Wu, Jindong Huo, Jan van Turnhout, Gregory A. Sotzing, Reimund Gerhard, Yang Cao, “Macro-dipoles in soft/hard expanded-polytetrafluoroethylene + fluoroethylenepropylene (ePTFE+FEP) fluoropolymer-film systems for high-output piezoelectric ferroelectret-transducer applications”, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, Vol.57, 145502, 2024. DOI: 10.1088/1361-6463/ad1a84
  • Arshiah Y. Mirza, Hiep H. Nguyen, Yang Cao, Ali M. Bazzi, “Prediction of Breakdown Time of Insulation Material for use in Medium-voltage Inverter-fed Marine Propulsion Motor Applications”, IEEE Transactions on Transportation Electrification, accepted, Dec. 10th, 2023.
  • Jierui Zhou, Marina Dabaghian, Yifei Wang, Michael Sotzing, Anna Marie LaChance, Kuangyu Shen, Wenqiang Gao, Antigoni Konstantinou, Chao Wu, Jing Hao, Luyi Sun, Yang Cao, “High-Temperature Dielectric Energy Storage Films with Self-co-assembled Hot-electron Blocking Nanocoatings”, Nano Energy, Vol. 120, 109184, 2024. DOI: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2023.109184
  • Ajinkya Deshmukh, Chao Wu*, Omer Yassin, Lihua Chen, Stuti Shukla, Jierui Zhou, Ashish Khomane, Rishi Gurnani, Ting Lei, Xidong Liang, Rampi Ramprasad, Yang Cao*, Gregory Sotzing*, “The Effect of Fluorine in Redesigning Energy Storage Properties of High-Temperature Dielectric Polymers”, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Vol. 15, pp.46840-46848, 2023. DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c08858
  • Dehao Qin, Zheyu Zhang, Di Zhang, Yuntao Xu, Cheng Wan, Lakshmi Ravi, Tohid Shahsavarian, Dong Dong, Yang Cao, “Oscillation Issue and Solution for Solid-state Circuit Breaker Using High Power IGBT Module”, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, accepted, Aug.22, 2023. DOI: 10.1109/TIA.2023.3314015
  • Ankit Mishra, Lihua Chen, ZongZe Li, Ken-ichi Nomura, Aravind Krishnamoorthy, Shogo Fukushima, Subodh C Tiwari, Rajiv K Kalia, Aiichiro Nakano, Rampi Ramprasad, Greg Sotzing, Yang Cao, Priya Vashishta, “Computational framework for polymer synthesis to study dielectric properties using polarizable reactive molecular dynamics”, Computational Materials Science, Vol.228, 112340, 2023. DOI: 10.1016/j.commatsci.2023.112340
  • Sebastian M. Fica-Contreras, Zongze Li, Abdullah Alamri, Aaron P. Charnay, Junkun Pan, Chao Wu, Jeffrey R. Lockwood, Omer Yassin, Stuti Shukla, Gregory Sotzing*, Yang Cao*, Michael D. Fayer*, “Synthetically tunable polymers, free volume element size distributions, and dielectric breakdown field strengths”, Materials Today, Vol.67, July-August, pp.57-67, 2023. DOI: 10.1016/j.mattod.2023.05.010
  • Chao Wu, Ajinkya A Deshmukh, Lihua Chen, Rampi Ramprasad, Gregory A Sotzing, Yang Cao, “Impact of Oxygen Containing Carbonyl and Ether Groups on Dielectric Properties of Poly (oxa) norbornene Cyclic Olefins”, Journal of Advanced Dielectrics, Vol.13, 2341005, 2023, DOI: 10.1142/S2010135X23410059
  • Jindong Huo, Yifei Wang, Ningzhen Wang, Wenqiang Gao, Jierui Zhou, Yang Cao, “Data-driven design and optimization of ultra-tunable acoustic metamaterials“, Smart Materials and Structures, Vol.32, 05LT01, March 10th, 2023. DOI: 10.1088/1361-665X/acc36c
  • Yifei Wang, Jierui Zhou, Antigoni Konstantinou, Mohamadreza Arab Baferani, Kerry Davis, Wenqiang Gao, Yang Cao, “Sandwiched polymer nanocomposites reinforced by two-dimensional interface nanocoating for ultrahigh energy storage performance at elevated temperatures“, Small, Vol.19, 2208105, 2023. DOI: 10.1002/smll.202208105
  • Weikang Xian, Chung-Hao Liu, Behrad Kangarlou, Shing-Yun Chang, Chao Wu, Yang Cao, Luyi Sun, Anson W. K. Ma, Mu-Ping Nieh, Amitesh Maiti, Andrew P. Saab, and Ying Li, “Effect of Diphenyl Content on Viscoelasticity of Poly(dimethyl-co-diphenyl)siloxane Melt and Network”, ACS Appl. Polym. Mater., Vol.5, pp.1915-1925, 2023. DOI: 10.1021/acsapm.2c01979
  • Mayank Jain, Zeynep Mutlu, Jiahao Mao, Jierui Zhou, Chao Wu, Yang Cao, Mukerrem Cakmak, “Effect of constrained annealing on the structural and dielectric properties of melt cast PVDF/PMMA films”, Journal of Polymer Science, Vol.61, pp.1132-1149, 2023. DOI: 10.1002/pol.20220758
  • Yang Cao, US Patent # 11,855,501, “Nanostructured insulation for electric machines”, Dec. 26th, 2023.
  • Yang Cao, US Patent # 11569701, “Nanostructured insulation for electric machines“, Jan. 31, 2023.