Xinle Li Lab
Nanoporous Functional Materials for Energy and Environment
Principal Investigator
Prof. Xinle Li
Prof. Xinle Li is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Clark Atlanta University. He grew up in Xiangyang, Hubei, China, and received his B.Sc. in Polymer Chemistry from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2011. He earned his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Iowa State University in 2016 under the supervision of Prof. Wenyu Huang. From 2017 to 2020, he conducted postdoctoral research with Dr. Yi Liu at the Molecular Foundry at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. In Fall 2020, he joined Clark Atlanta University as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry. He received tenure and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2026.
Honors and Awards
2025 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar
2025 World’s Top 2% Scientists (2023-2025, Stanford/Elsevier)
2024 ACS Petroleum Research Fund New Directions (ND) Grant Recipient
2023 15th CAU's Biennial Aldridge-McMillan Faculty Award for Excellence in Research
2021 DOE Early Career Award
2021 NSF HBCU-UP Research Initiation Award
2016 Iowa State University’s Research Excellence Award
2015 Paul R. Sharp Presentation Award in Inorganic Chemistry at the 50th ACS Midwest Regional Meeting
Postdoctoral Fellows
Dr. Yogendra Nailwal
Dr. Nailwal obtained his Ph.D. degree in 2023 at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali, India. He has extensive expertise in various organic coupling reactions for the synthesis of symmetric linkers and using them for the preparation of COFs.
Dr. Nailwal has experience in various analytical spectroscopic techniques such as FTIR, NMR, UV-vis, fluorescence spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), N2 sorption analysis, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for the characterization of COFs.
Dr. Hanif Uddin
Dr. Hanif Uddin joined our DOE and PREM program in August 2023. He obtained his Ph.D. degree from Clark Atlanta University. His current research interest includes novel method for stable COF synthesis and investigate their catalytic and environmental application, sustainable thermoset polymers, polyimide based electronic materials and block copolymers.
Dr. Uddin has extensive experience in organic synthesis (Nanomaterials) and characterizing them using NMR, FT-IR, GPC, HPLC, SEM, AFM, DSC, TGA.
Graduate Students
Dr. Ziad Alsudairy (Ph.D. 2025)
Ziad joined Dr. Li's group in Fall 2020 as the inaugural graduate student. His research is dedicated to the rapid synthesis of novel COFs for applications in separation, catalysis, and environmental remediation. With a diverse background encompassing analytical, organic, and green chemistry, as well as expertise in crystalline materials, Ziad is well-versed in characterization techniques such as XRD, SEM, IR, NMR, GC-MS, LC-MS, and TGA.
Ziad was selected as a 2025 ACS Graduate Student Awardee in Environmental Chemistry. Since 2023, he has published 15 scientific articles, including four first‑author papers that have collectively received over 450 citations
Dr. Normanda Brown (Ph.D. 2026)
Normanda joined the Li group in May 2022 after graduating from Tougaloo College. Her research focuses on the mechanosynthesis of COFs for catalytic and environmental applications. Normanda is passionate about contributing to the field and discovering innovative COFs.
Normanda has received numerous accolades, including Poster Presentation Award and Scholarship at Lilly's HBCU Day 2023, 1st Prize in Oral Presentation at the Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference in STEM 2024, Poster Presentation Award in Green Chemistry at the 51st Annual NOBCChE Conference in Orlando 2024 and invitation to join the prestigious Gamma Beta Phi National Honor Society. She graduated in Spring 2026 with nine publications, including three first‑author papers, which have collectively received over 300 citations.
Dr. Allea Campbell (Ph.D. 2026)
Allea Campbell joined Clark Atlanta University in 2019 after earning her Bachelor’s in Chemistry from Savannah State. She worked in Dr. Li's group in August 2020. Her research focused on the development of metallated COFs for diverse catalysis.
Chelsea Harrod
Chelsea began her doctoral studies at Clark Atlanta University in Fall 2022, focusing on addressing several contemporary synthetic challenges in the COF field. She brings a strong background in organic synthesis, including the total synthesis of peptides and marine natural products, from her undergraduate research at Kennesaw State University and Emory University. Her goals include developing novel reactions to create more diverse COFs, advancing green synthesis techniques, and expanding the scope of COF applications. In addition to her research, Chelsea is passionate about community outreach, aiming to inspire and support minority youth in STEM disciplines at CAU.
Zakyra Jordan
Zakyra is an Indiana native who graduated from Purdue University with her B.S. in chemistry. Her organic based undergraduate research focused on synthesizing cannabidiol analogs. She joined the CAU chemistry doctoral program in the fall of 2022.
Driven by her previous knowledge and passion for chemistry, Zakyra is excited to apply her skills to the synthesis of COFs. She aims to contribute to the expanding repertoire of COFs and actively participate in making chemistry more environmentally friendly. Zakyra believes that embracing green chemistry practices will not only result in a cleaner Earth but also lead to an improved quality of life for all.