Department of Chemistry Seminar - Bi-Continuous Nanoporous Metal Self-Organized Functionality

Speaker: Professor Qing CHEN

Institution: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the Department of Chemistry, HKUST

Hosted By: Professor Haipeng LU

Abstract

A class of monolithic nanomaterials, bi-continuous nanoporous metals have delivered a broad range of functionalities in catalysis, sensing, actuation, and energy storage. The unique functions can be traced back to the formation process, where interfacial kinetics control the evolution of the defect-rich microstructures. This talk aims to link the fabrication, the structures, the properties, and the functions of nanoporous metals, by focusing on the three key aspects of the structural evolution, percolation, passivation, and surface diffusion. I hope the glimpse into the fascinating materials to inspire more functional applications and attempts to understand the self-organization processes.

About the speaker

Prof. Qing Chen works on metallic microstructures and their evolution from solid/liquid interfaces. He is particularly interested in the formation of nanoporous metals and their applications in electrochemical devices, including batteries and electrolyzers. He received his PhD in Materials Science from Arizona State University. Prior to joining the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the Department of Chemistry, HKUST, he was a postdoc at Harvard University, working on redox flow batteries with small organic molecules.