From Hydrogen Peroxide to Hydrogen-Oxygen Gas: Design Strategies, Structural Characterization, and Performance Optimization of High-Efficiency Electrocatalysts

Guest Speaker：Assoc.Prof. Guanjie He，University College London, UK

Inviter: Assoc.Prof. Feili Lai

Date&Time: Wednesday, 7.May, 11:30-12:15

Venue: Yiucheng Lecture Hall (500), Xu Zuyao Building

Biography: 

Guanjie He, Associate Professor in Chemistry at University College London (UCL) and Doctoral Supervisor, obtained his Ph.D. from UCL in 2018, during which he was a visiting scholar at Yale University. He has held academic positions at the University of Lincoln (Associate Professor) and Queen Mary University of London (Senior Lecturer). His research focuses on novel material synthesis, advanced characterization and simulation, and their applications in aqueous electrochemical energy storage and conversion. As a corresponding/first author, he has published over 200 papers in prestigious journals such as Joule, Nat. Commun., JACS, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., Adv. Mater., Energy Environ. Sci., ACS Energy Lett., Adv. Energy Mater., ACS Nano, Adv. Funct. Mater. And Sci. Bull., with over 13,000 citations and an h-index of 68. He has received numerous accolades, including the Nanoscale and JMCA Emerging Investigator Awards, the EPSRC New Investigator Award, ERC Starting Grant, and STFC Early Career Award. He has secured over £3 million in research funding, including grants from the European Research Council (ERC). Prof. He serves as Associate Editor of Battery Energy and sits on the (Youth) Editorial Boards of Green Energy & Environment, Science China Materials, Nano Research Energy, Energy & Environmental Materials, Advanced Powder Materials, and Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals. In 2023, he was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining (FIMMM, UK). In 2024, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC, UK).

Abstract:

The electrochemical urea oxidation reaction (EUOR) is a green technology with significant environmental and energy applications, widely used in wastewater treatment and coupled energy conversion. The efficiency and selectivity of EUOR largely depend on the design and optimization of catalysts. This presentation focuses on the engineering of catalytic active sites, with particular emphasis on the pivotal role of Ni3+ active sites in EUOR, as well as the enhancing effects of Pt and Ru as auxiliary components on catalytic activity. The introduction of Pt and Ru modulates electronic structures and optimizes the adsorption energy of intermediates, thereby significantly improving catalytic efficiency and durability. Furthermore, this talk covers atomic-level material design and characterization (e.g., synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy and spherical aberration-corrected electron microscopy). It also provides new perspectives on how electrocatalytic materials can play a greater role in future environmental and energy applications.