Research Interest

Operando and in-depth characterization of energy materials and systems

The solid/liquid/vapor interface plays an important role in many energy applications, especially in electrocatalysis, and the ability to observe dynamic evolutions under different reaction conditions is invaluable. General analytical tools, such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), provide information about a relatively large surface area, which can lead to an ensemble-average problem. Interfacial status can differ even on a single particle depending on reaction conditions. Revealing precise interfacial information with appropriate tools provides critical insights into the key factors that enable the tailoring of new materials and systems.

Potential Research Topic

In-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman, optical microscopy (OM), cryogenic TEM, COMSOL simulation, etc.

Featured Publications

ACS Energy Letters 8 (5) 2193-2200 (2023), Energy & Environmental Science 16 (5), 2003-2013 (2023), ACS Energy Letters 8 (9) 3962-3970 (2023), Nature Materials 19 (6), 644-654 (2020), Matter 3 (6), 2012-2028 (2020), etc.

Energy material design and micro-reaction environment tuning

Exploring innovative strategies to optimize high energy density battery materials and high selectivity toward a single valuable product electrocatalysts is essential. Interfacial tuning of energy materials can create distinct micro-reaction environments near the interface by adjusting surface area, active sites, and reaction mechanisms, thereby affecting activity, stability, and the activation energy of certain intermediates for the desired reaction. Insights from the exact analysis and design will enhance our understanding of localized interfacial reactions, such as ion/water activity and gradients near charged surfaces, and will eventually address fundamental challenges in optimizing conditions of complex gas flow and ionic migration at scale.

Potential Research Topic

Battery material design, electrocatalyst design, electrode design, microreaction environment design, etc.

Featured publications

Science 388, eadr3834 (2025), Nature Nanotechnology 20, 1787–1795 (2025), Nano Letters 24 (25), 7783-7791 (2024), Angewandte Chemie International Edition 63, e202403671 (2024), Nano Letters 23 (8), 3582-3591 (2023), etc.

Reactor, reaction, and process design for efficient energy conversion systems

Beyond energy material development, innovative reactor and process design are crucial to promote upcycling of waste materials into value-added products. One interesting approach is to integrate the outlet products of electrochemical systems with other reactors, such as bioreactors and chemical reactors, to further upcycle them. Generating C4+ products in a single system by designing precise reactors, reactions, and processes while resolving environmental mismatches in reactions can open a new field for transitioning traditional chemical manufacturing to sustainable energy solutions.

Generating renewable electrolytes, such as formate- or ammonium-based electrolytes from electrochemical CO2 and nitrate reduction reactions, while removing waste or purifying water, can boost energy efficiency, environmental impact, and cost efficiency of redox flow batteries (RFBs) and fuel cells. The design of a system capable of utilizing high energy density renewable liquid fuels and preventing undesirable crossover problems can be a strategic approach to developing new energy storage and utilization systems.

Potential Research Topic

Reactor design for next-generation energy conversion systems, reaction/process design for product upcycling and resource mining/recovery, etc. 

Featured publications

ACS Energy Letters 10, 822–829 (2025), Nature Energy 10, 266–277 (2025), Nature Synthesis, 3, 1392–1403 (2024), ACS Energy Letters 10 (1), 450–458 (2024), Nature 618, 959-966 (2023), etc.