University of Groningen
Photoresponsive Self-Assembled Systems Cheng, Jinling
IMPORTANT NOTE: You are advised to consult the publisher's version (publisher's PDF) if you wish to cite from it. Please check the document version below.
Document Version
Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record
Publication date: 2019
Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database
Citation for published version (APA):
Cheng, J. (2019). Photoresponsive Self-Assembled Systems. University of Groningen.
Copyright
Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons).
Take-down policy
If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.
Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal. For technical reasons the number of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum.
Acknowledgements
At the end of the thesis, I would like to thank people that make my last five years memorable and successful. This five years life in Groningen is the most precious periods in my life; I made lots of friends, experienced different cultures and learnt so much knowledges and techniques. I got many help from people inside and outside of my group, without whom this thesis could not be realized.
First of all, I’d like to thank my supervisor Professor Ben L. Feringa. Dear Ben, thank you so much for accepting me in your group five years ago. Honestly, I was very surprised you accept me without even asking me for an interview, and I hope you did not regret it. I have learnt a lot from you, both personally and in chemistry. I am deeply impressed for your patient, motivated speeches and permanent enthusiasm. Your support never faded over the years as we were progressing from simple to much more complex systems. At the beginning of my PhD, I wanted to focus on one system, and you encouraged me to try different objects. Over the time, I realized you were right, and I have boarded my knowledge and learnt more. I am extremely grateful for all the support and trust you put in me while letting me explore all kinds of ideas. For all of these, thank you!
Then, my gratitude goes to my co-promotor Professor Wesley R. Brown. Dear Wes, thank you for helping me with CD, Uv-vis, Raman and electron-chemistry. I am sorry that there were times when we each other’s nightmares. You always said, “If you don't know it ask me first”, I always did “If I don’t know it, just try it”. I know you just meant the best for me or for the lab.
I would express my acknowledgement to the members of the assessment committee, Prof. Dick Broer, Prof. Gerard Roelfes, Prof Sijbren Otto for reading my thesis and providing valuable suggestions and most importantly approving it for the defense.
Dear Sander, thanks a lot for the scientific and personal discussions during the last few years. I am so expressed with your patient, well organization and enthusiasm. Thank you so much for the suggestions on my posters, manuscripts and presentations. Wish you lots of success in your future research.
I want to thank my paranymphs Henrike and Franco, for their help and friendship. Dear Henrike, thank you for creating a great atmosphere in both of the lab and the office. We have shared the fume hood, rooms and even a bed. I have a great time with you during our painting courses, lab works and coffee time. I hope you could visit my city when you go to China again, or maybe in one day, we can start the coffee bar together. Franco, I would like to thank you for offering me the helping hand on the liquid crystal projects. I enjoyed all the discussions we had on chemistry, family and further career.
An important contribution to the thesis was done by Jiawen. First of all, I would like to thank you for helping me on correcting my thesis. Apart from being an amazing chemist, you are
Acknowledgements
184
truly a great friend. I wish you many successes in your future research in Guangzhou and lots of luck with your family: Beibei, Robin and Ice cream.
Dear Tineke, thank you very much for all your help, you are always there when someone is in need. From the beginning of my life in Groningen, you help me out with the accommodation to now your help on my PhD defense organizations, I really appreciate all your helps.
I would like to thanks Ingo, Anette, Hilda, Pieter, Monique, Renze, Alphons Hans and other members works in Stratingh Institute for their help during my PhD.
I also want to thank my collaborator Prof. Petra Rudolf. Thank you for all your great help, suggestions and discussions for my first project and your encouragement when we met in the campus. Dr. Régis Y.N. Gengler in Petra’s group, thank you for guiding me for the first project and I learnt a lot measurement technique from you.
I would like to express my gratitude to Prof. Albert Schenning in Eindhoven University of Technology, thank you for offering all the help when I was in Eindhoven. Stijn Kragt and Tom Bus in Albert’s group are acknowledged for giving me the training on making liquid crystal cells.
I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Giuseppe Portale for the contribution on the WAXS measurements. Dr. Marc A. Stuart and Derk J. van Dijken are acknowledged for cryo-TEM measurements. Gang Ye are acknowledged for his help on DSC and TGA measurement. Dear Depeng, first of all, thank you very much for the help in the beginning of my PhD. You taught me a lot about how to synthesis motors and gave me suggestions when I had troubles. I still missed the time that we worked together on many projects, although most of them didn’t work out. I wish you all the best with your own research group and your family. Dear Peter, thank you very much for helping me out with the lab work. It was a pleasure to work with you on the LB film and the photocyclization projects. I wish you lots of success. Dear Wojtek, I’d like to thank you for all your help on separating enantiomers. Besides, you make the lab so well-organized that everyone benefits from it.
Dear Yuchen, we started working in the group almost together five years ago. I really appreciate all the discussions on scientific problem, the coffee breaks (most time we have water), food you made and more importantly the discount information you shared.
I want to thank the members of my former office 16.231, Beatrice, Tom, Diederik, Jose and all the others for the great atmosphere. Beatrice, thank you for your English lessons. Tom, thank you very much for your help on synthesis and calculations. Diederik, bedankt voor je hulp bij het vertalen van de Nederlandse documenten. Jose, gracias por tu ayuda en mis aprendizajes de español.
Acknowledgements
185
I would like to thank Dorus, Anirban, Marco, Jana, Lucas, Duson, Friederieke, Petra, Anouk, Jos, Metea, Daisy, Greg and all the other members and former members of the Feringa group with whom I worked in the last five years.
Apart from doing Science, Groningen is an amazing place to meet people, learn all kinds of cultures. Many people made my stay in Groningen unforgettable, so here I want thanks them. Giovanni, you are really a kind person, I really missed the time when we were travelling in Iceland. Peter, you are the first person I met in Groningen (you pick me up in the train station). I really enjoy the time that we played the board games at your place.
I would like to express my gratitude to the girls in my “drawing groups”, Jana, Kaja, Cosima Marit, who makes my life more colorful after work.
I’d like to thank some of my Chinese friends in Groningen who make me feel less homesick. 感谢和我同时来到荷兰的苗小明，闫星辰、陈娟、叶刚夫妇、孙静夫妇、邓晶晶和王 元泽夫妇、叶刚夫妇、成晓东等。以及帮助过我的师兄师姐们：张铮、飞哥一家、董 佳嘉、严涛、李国伟、涛哥一家、杨硕一家和吴纪全一家。还有各位师弟师妹们：少 瑜、徐梵、郭亚飞、刘彬、郭贝贝、刘永壮、吴先元。
The great thanks should be given to my family--- parents, brothers and sisters 同时，我要把 我最真挚的感谢献给我的父母，干爸干妈和我的哥哥姐姐们。感谢爸妈和干爸干妈对 我的养育和无私支持，感谢哥哥姐姐在我成长过程中给予的陪伴和鼓励。
At the last, I want to thank my best partner---my husband Zhuohua for the ten years companion, patience and support. 从大学时候的相识相知与相爱，到硕士期间的相互鼓 励再到博士期间的共同奋斗。十年，感谢你的陪伴，包容和支持。你在哪儿，家在哪 儿。You are my home.
