Background
Research conducted in James Fang's laboratory spans various interdisciplinary domains, encompassing materials/inorganic chemistry, nanotechnology, energy materials and sustainable energy applications. The primary goal is to bridge the gap between the structure of functional nanocrystals, including their surface structure and superstructure, and their energy-related properties.
The research methodology relies significantly on the precise synthesis of nanocrystals, meticulously controlling size, shape and crystallographic facets, followed by comprehensive evaluations of relevant physical and chemical phenomena.
Ongoing research topics within the lab include
- solution-based synthesis of functional nanocrystals with shape control
- the development of innovative platinum group metal (PGM)-free and PGM-single-atom electrocatalysts for alkaline oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) applications
- the creation of high-performance electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER)
- synthesis and property study of organic-inorganic halide perovskites
- investigation into the self-assembly and 3D-/2D-superlattice of non-spherical nanocrystals
- exploration of facet-dependent metallic nanocatalysts for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell applications
Publications
- Shaojie Jiang, Xiaobo Chen, Xin Huang, Can Li, Zhongwu Wang, Bo Zhao, Lihua Zhang, Guangwen Zhou and Jiye Fang, “Randomly Layered Superstructure of In2O3 Truncated Nano-Octahedra and Its High-Pressure Behavior”, J. Am. Chem. Soc.,146 (12), 8598 - 8606, (2024).
- Ming Zhou, Dasol Yoon, Yao Yang, Lihua Zhang, Can Li, Hongsen Wang, Anju Sharma, Shaojie Jiang, David A. Muller, Hector D. Abruna and Jiye Fang, "Enhanced Oxygen Reduction Performance on {101} CoMn2O4 Spinel Facets", ACS Energy Lett., 8 (8) 3631 - 3638, (2023).
- Can Li, Soonho Kwon, Xiaobo Chen, Lihua Zhang, Anju Sharma, Shaojie Jiang, Hanlei Zhang, Ming Zhou, Jinfong Pan, Guangwen Zhou, William A. Goddard III and Jiye Fang, "Improving Oxygen Reduction Performance of Surface-Layer-Controlled Pt-Ni Nano-Octahedra via Gaseous Etching", Nano Lett., 23 (8), 3476 - 3483, (2023).
- Can Li, Xiaobo Chen, Lihua Zhang, Shaohui Yan, Anju Sharma, Bo Zhao, Amar Kumbhar, Guangwen Zhou and Jiye Fang, "Synthesis of Core@Shell Cu-Ni@Pt-Cu Nano-Octahedra and Their Improved MOR Activity", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 60 (14)7675-7680, (2021).
- Ming Zhou, Jiangna Guo, Bo Zhao, Can Li, Lihua Zhang and Jiye Fang, "Improvement of Oxygen Reduction Performance in Alkaline Media by Tuning Phase Structure of Pd-Bi Nanocrystals", J. Am. Chem. Soc., 143 (38) 15891 - 15897 (2021).
Education
- MS, PhD, National University of Singapore
- BS, MS, Lanzhou University
Research Interests
- Materials/inorganic chemistry
- Nanotechnology
- Electrocatalysis
- Perovskite photovoltaic materials
- Nanocrystal assembly and superstructure
Teaching Interests
- Chemistry of solids
- Energy materials
- Techniques for studying solids
Awards
- 2005, NSF CAREER Award