Research interests

• Controlled synthesis of noble metal nanomaterials, single atom catalysts and their application in electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction, oxygen reduction reaction and CO2 reduction

• The investigation of the catalytic mechanism of electrochemical CO2 reduction by in-situ spectroscopy

• Plasmon-enhanced electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction, methanol oxidation on metal nanomaterials.

Education

• Ph.D, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry   2007/09-2012/06

• University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) Santa Cruz, CA

• Dissertation title:

• “Metal Nanoparticles Functionalized with Metal-Ligand Covalent Bonds”,

• Supervised by Prof. Shaowei Chen

• University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) Hefei, China2003/09-2007/06

• Bachelor, Materials Science and Engineering (MSE)

Research Experience

• Postdoctoral Fellow in School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology Supervisor: Mostafa El-Sayed       2012/10- 2015/06

• Dye sensitized solar cell: examine the charge transfer dynamics at the interface of dye sensitized titanium dioxide through transient absorption spectroscopy based on femtosecond laser and its impact on the quantum efficiency and solar to electricity power conversion efficiency.

Awards

• Daniel Cubicciotti Award Honorable Mention       2012

• SEAC Student Travel Award  for Pittcon 2012      2012

Research Funds

1. National Natural Science Foundation of China, “Modulated electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction by surface organic functional organic groups: unraveling the reaction mechanism by the synchrotron radiation -based operando infrared spectroscopy”, 2020/01-2023/12, supported by 600,000 CNY

2. National Natural Science Foundation of China, “High performance perovskite solar cell in large surface area based on CuSCN hole transporting layer”, 2016/01-2019/12, supported by 200,000 CNY

3. South China University of Technology “Outstanding introduction of talent program”, 2016/01-2021/12, supported by 700,000 CNY

4. Fundamental Funds for Central Universities-South China University of Technology, “Modulated electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction of metal nanomaterials by surface functionalization of organic layers”, 2019/01-2020/12, supported by 200,000 CNY

5. Fundamental Funds for Central Universities-South China University of Technology, “Surface functionalization of metal nanoparticles: Metal-organic interfacial charge transfer dynamics”,  2017/01-2018/12, supported by 80,000 CNY

6. Southern Power Grid, “Investigation of the electrolyte and separator of lithium ion batteries”, 2018/01-2018/08, supported by 168,000CNY

Selected publications

1. Hongcheng Gao, Shunlian Ning, Yuan Zhou, Shuang Men and Xiongwu Kang*, “Polyacrylonitrile-induced Formation of Core-Shell Carbon Nanocages: Enhanced Redox Kinetics towards polysulfides by Confined Catalysis in Li-S Batteries”, Chemical Engineering Journal, 2020, in press

2. Jigang Wang, Jiasui Zou, Xiao Hu, Shunlian Ning, Xiujun Wang, Xiongwu Kang* and Shaowei Chen*, 'Heterostructured Intermetallic CuSn Catalyst: High Performance towards the Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 to Formate', J. Mater. Chem. A, 2019, 7, 27514–27521.

3. Lin Huang, Jiasui Zou, Zhang Lin, Xiongwu Kang*, Prashant K. Jain*, and Shaowei Chen, “Synergy between plasmonic and electrocatalytic activation of methanol oxidation on Pd-Ag alloy nanotubes”, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2019, 58, 8794 –8798.

4. Zhiwei Guo; Xiongwu Kang*; Xusheng Zheng; Jie Huang* and Shaowei Chen, 'PdCu Alloy Nanoparticles Supported on CeO2 Nanorods: Enhanced Electrocatalytic Activity by Synergy of Compressive Strain, PdO and Oxygen Vacancy', Journal of Catalysis, 2019, 374, 101.

5. Jiasui Zou, Min Wu, Shunlian Ning, Lin Huang, Xiongwu Kang*, and Shaowei Chen, 'Ru@Pt Core-Shell Nanoparticles: Impact of the Atomic Ordering of Ru Metal Core on the Electrocatalytic Activity of Pt Shell',ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2019,7, 9007

6. Zhaoqian Wei, XiaoHu, Shunlian Ning, Xiongwu Kang*, and Shaowei Chen*, 'Supported Heterostructured MoC/Mo2C Nanoribbons and Nanoflowers as Highly Active Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction', ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2019, 7, 8458

7. Fengqi Zhang, Jingjing Fang, Lin Huang, Wenming Sun, Zhang Lin, Zhenqing Shi, Xiongwu Kang*, and Shaowei Chen*, 'Alkyne-Functionalized Ruthenium Nanoparticles: Impact of Metal-Ligand Interfacial Bonding Interactions on the Selective Hydrogenation of Styrene', ACS Catal., 2019, 9, 98-104.

8. Jun Yang, Hongcheng Gao, Shuang Men, Zhenqing Shi, Zhang Lin, Xiongwu Kang* and Shaowei Chen*, “CoSe2 nanoparticles encapsulated by N-doped carbon framework intertwined with carbon nanotubes: high-performance dual-role anode materials for both Li and Na ion batteries”, Advanced Science, 2018, 1800763.

9. Lin Huang, Jun Yang, Min Wu, Zhenqing Shi, Zhang Lin, Xiongwu Kang* and Shaowei Chen, “PdAg@Pd core-shell nanotubes: superior catalytic performance towards electrochemical oxidation of formic acid and methanol”, J. Power Sources, 2018, 398, 201.

10. Xiongwu Kang†, Junxiang Zhang†, Daniel O’Neil, Anthony J. Rojas, Wayne Chen, Paul Szymanski, Seth R. Marder* and Mostafa A. El-Sayed*, 'The effect of molecular structure perturbations on the performance of the D-A-π-A dye sensitized solar cells', Chemistry of Materials, 2014, 26, 4486−4493.

11. Xiongwu Kang, Junxiang Zhang, Anthony J. Rojas, Daniel O’Neil, Paul Szymanski, Seth R. Marder* and Mostafa A. El-Sayed*, 'Deposition of loosely bound organic D-A-π-A’ dyes on sensitized TiO2 film: a possible strategy to suppress charge recombination and enhance power conversion efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cells', J. Mater. Chem. A, 2014, 2, 11229-11234.

12. Xiongwu Kang, Nathaniel B. Zuckerman, Joseph P. Konopelski, and Shaowei Chen, “Alkyne-protected ruthenium nanoparticles: ruthenium-vinylidene on metal-ligand interface”, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2012, 134, 1412

13. Xiongwu Kang, Nathaniel B. Zuckerman, Joseph P. Konopelski, Shaowei Chen, 'Alkyne-Stabilized Ruthenium Nanoparticles: Manipulation of Intraparticle Charge Delocalization by Nanoparticle Charge States', Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2010, 49, 9496.