Public Research Seminar by Advanced Materials Thrust, Function Hub, HKUST(GZ) - Precise Synthesis of Electrocatalysts and Their Applications in Hybrid Acid-Alkali Flow Cells
As the impact of fossil fuels on the environment and human health intensifies, producing clean and efficient hydrogen energy from renewable resources has become an urgent task in driving the transition to a net-zero economy. This seminar focuses on the precise synthesis of electrocatalysts and their application in hybrid acid-alkali flow cells, covering three key areas: 1) the apparent and intrinsic activities of the catalysts are enhanced through multidimensional structural design and electronic structure modulation. 2) photoelectric coupling of electrocatalysts is achieved by utilizing the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of metal nanoparticles, improving catalytic performance and reducing costs. 3) the design of hybrid acid-alkali flow cells addresses challenges such as low current density and poor selectivity in traditional electrolyzers, with customized electrodes further improving efficiency and stability. Future research aims to enhance catalyst performance for large-scale industrial applications by controlling catalyst self-reconstruction and optimizing electrolyzer design, with potential applications in solar-driven seawater electrolysis for hydrogen production.
Dr. Hao Zhang, a research associate at MIT. He received his Ph.D. from Imperial College London in 2022 with full scholarship support. During his doctoral studies, he was awarded the Turing Grant, Global Fellows Fund, and Dean’s Fund, which enabled him to undertake exchanges at Cambridge, Barcelona, Munich, and Singapore. Upon graduation, he received the Johnson Matthey Prize for Ph.D. graduates (awarded to only two recipients across the university annually). Since 2022, he has held postdoctoral research positions at both the University of Oxford and MIT, where he is currently an independent researcher within the Mathematical, Physical, and Life Sciences Division Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program (awarded to no more than five individuals annually). His current research focuses on the design and development of highly efficient multiphase catalysts, with applications in cutting-edge interdisciplinary fields such as coordination chemistry, materials chemistry, photoelectrocatalysis, and chemical engineering. To date, he has published over 50 research papers in international academic journals, with more than 30 as the first or corresponding author, including in Natl. Sci. Rev., Matter, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., Adv. Mater. and Energy Environ. Sci. His work has been cited over 3,000 times on Google Scholar.