2026. 10. 9
On October 9, Prof. Yongpeng Liu from the University of Macau visited our lab and delivered a talk on semi-artificial photoelectrocatalysis. He introduced recent advances in integrating semiconductor light absorbers with enzymes to convert solar energy and diverse waste streams, including CO2, wastewater, plastics, and biomass, into valuable chemicals. The talk highlighted the importance of understanding semiconductor–enzyme interfaces and developing biohybrid systems for efficient, sustainable solar-driven chemical synthesis. We sincerely thank Prof. Liu for sharing his insights and for the stimulating discussions on solar energy conversion and biohybrid catalysis.
2026. 09. 10
We are delighted to welcome Xiya Chen and Yuhao Yan to the MEEC Lab! Both students will focus on covalent organic framework (COF) photocatalysis, exploring new opportunities to advance photocatalytic materials and energy conversion. We look forward to discovering new scientific insights together and making exciting progress in this research area. We hope Yuhao and Xiya enjoy a fulfilling and inspiring Ph.D. journey, gain valuable research experience, and achieve great success in their academic pursuits!
2026. 07. 16
On July 16, the School of Materials Science and Engineering at South China University of Technology hosted a Materials Science Frontier Forum featuring the Editor-in-Chief of Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS), who delivered a lecture titled “Advances in Sustainable Catalysis for Chemical Synthesis.” Prof. Liang Yao also presented his research on “Bottom-up Synthesis of Colloidal Covalent Organic Frameworks: From Controlled Nanostructures to Catalytic Energy Conversion,” highlighting the synthesis of colloidal COFs and their applications in catalytic energy conversion. The forum provided a valuable opportunity for academic exchange and discussion on emerging developments in materials science and sustainable catalysis.
2026. 06. 20
We are delighted to celebrate the graduation of Weiqi Zhang, Shoulong Pan and Ying Wang, from our lab! As they embark on the next stage of their professional journeys in the battery and semiconductor fabrication fields, we wish them every success in their future careers. Congratulations on this important milestone, and may their next chapters be filled with exciting opportunities, continued growth, and great achievements!
.jpg)
2026. 04. 10
On April 10, Prof. Haining Tian from Uppsala University, Sweden, visited our laboratory and delivered an insightful lecture titled “Organic Nanoparticles for Photocatalysis.” During his presentation, Prof. Tian introduced recent advances in organic photocatalysts, highlighting their advantages in cost-effectiveness, tunable bandgaps, and adjustable energy levels. He discussed how transforming conventional hydrophobic polymers and molecular photocatalysts into nanoparticles can significantly enhance photocatalytic performance. His talk covered molecular and polymer design, light harvesting, charge separation, and the generation of long-lived charge-separated states, with applications in photocatalytic hydrogen production and CO₂ reduction. He also shared insights into the effects of nanoparticle morphology, photocatalytic mechanisms, and the development of biohybrid photocatalytic systems.
We sincerely thank Prof. Tian for his visit and for sharing his valuable research insights. His presentation stimulated engaging discussions among our group members and provided new perspectives on the design of organic photocatalysts for sustainable energy conversion.
More details about Prof. Tian can be found here.
2026. 02. 05
Just before the start of the Chinese New Year holiday, our group members enjoyed a relaxing visit to the Botanical Garden near our campus. The tour provided a pleasant opportunity to unwind, appreciate nature, and spend time together outside the laboratory. As we welcome the Spring Festival, we sincerely hope that all group members have a joyful and restful holiday, cherish meaningful moments with their families, and return refreshed for the year ahead. Wishing everyone a Happy Chinese New Year!
2025. 12. 15
Dr. Liang Yao served as a co-organizer of the symposium “Emerging Solar Fuels and Devices” (MAT010) at Pacifichem 2025. The session was jointly organized with Prof. Qian Wang (Nagoya University, Japan) and Prof. Han-Hee Cho (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, UNIST, Republic of Korea). The symposium focused on materials design, device engineering, and key scientific challenges in the field of solar fuels. The successful organization of this symposium strengthened international academic exchange in emerging solar fuels and enhanced collaborative opportunities across the Pacific region. We sincerely thank all the invited speakers and participants for their outstanding contributions and active engagement in the symposium. Their insightful presentations and stimulating discussions greatly enriched the session and fostered meaningful scientific exchange. We are grateful for their support and enthusiasm, and we look forward to continued interactions and future collaborations in advancing research on emerging solar fuels and related devices.
2025. 11. 17
Dr. Liang Yao assisted in organizing the international symposium on Emerging Materials and Characterizations for Optoelectronics. The forum focused on the design of optoelectronic functional materials, device physics, and advanced characterization technologies, aligning with strategic priorities in new materials and information optoelectronics. Discussions highlighted structural regulation, performance optimization, and the coordinated development of multi-scale characterization methods, aiming to promote fundamental discoveries and technological innovation. We sincerely thank all the invited speakers and participants for their valuable contributions and active engagement throughout the symposium. Their insightful presentations and stimulating discussions greatly enriched the event and strengthened the academic exchange between participating institutions. We look forward to continued interactions and future collaborations that will further advance research in optoelectronic materials and characterization technologies.
2025. 09. 10
We are delighted to welcome three Ph.D. students and two Master’s students to the MEEC Lab. We extend our sincere congratulations and warmest welcome to our new members as they begin this exciting stage of their academic journey. We hope that all students will enjoy their time in the lab, engage deeply in their studies, and gain meaningful research experience. We look forward to working together, exploring new scientific challenges, and achieving impactful results!
2025. 08. 27
Dr. Liang Yao attended the 5th International Symposium on Porous Organic Polymers (POPs 2025), where he delivered an invited presentation titled “Covalent Organic Framework Nanoparticles for (Photo-)Electrochemical Energy Conversion.” The conference provided a stimulating platform for exchanging ideas, reconnecting with colleagues, and exploring new collaborations, offering valuable insights into the latest advances in porous organic polymers.
2025. 04. 18
Dr. Liang Yao attended the 19th National Conference on Photochemistry , took place in Chengdu, China, and delivered a presentation titled “Organic π-Conjugated Materials for Photo/Electrocatalytic Energy Conversion.”
2025. 03. 27
We were honored to host Prof. Zhuoran Kuang from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications in our laboratory, where he delivered an insightful lecture titled “Excited-State Regulation and Applications in Optoelectronic Functional Materials”. The talk provided a comprehensive overview of strategies for controlling excited states in functional materials and highlighted their significance in advancing optoelectronic applications. Prof. Kuang’s visit stimulated fruitful discussions and offered valuable inspiration for our ongoing research.
2024. 11. 30
To celebrate the upcoming New Year, our group members enjoyed a fun bowling outing together. This marks the second time our team has gathered for bowling, making it a growing tradition that strengthens our bonds beyond the lab. Everyone had a fantastic time, sharing laughter and friendly competition. Looking forward to more memorable moments together in the year ahead!
2024. 10. 11
We were honored to host Prof. Reverant Crispin from Linköping University, Sweden, for a visit to our laboratory. During the visit, Prof. Crispin delivered an insightful lecture titled "Electrochemical Hydrogenation of Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers," sharing valuable perspectives on this important research area. The talk sparked engaging discussions and provided new inspiration for our ongoing work in electrochemical energy conversion.
More information about Prof. Reverant Crispin's research can be found here.
2024. 09. 27
We were pleased to host Prof. Zhanxi Fan from Hong Kong City University for a visit to our laboratory. During the visit, Prof. Fan delivered an insightful talk titled "Controllable Synthesis of Low-Dimensional Metal Nanomaterials for Electrocatalysis." The lecture provided valuable perspectives on the precise design and synthesis of nanomaterials for catalytic applications, sparking engaging discussions among our team members. We sincerely appreciate Prof. Fan’s visit and look forward to future collaborations!
More information about Prof. Fan's research can be found here.
2024. 09. 01
Welcome to the New Group Members! We are delighted to welcome our newest group members to our research team at the South China University of Technology! We hope you find this an inspiring and collaborative environment where you can explore new ideas, tackle exciting scientific challenges, and grow as researchers. May your time in our group be both productive and fulfilling, and we look forward to achieving great success together.
_edited.jpg)
2024. 08. 12
New tool ready to work! We are excited to announce the arrival of a spray system in our lab, a significant enhancement that will greatly expand our capabilities. This state-of-the-art equipment allows us to produce uniform, high-quality films with exceptional precision, ensuring consistency across our experiments. One of its primary applications will be spraying nanoparticle catalyst inks, enabling the creation of films that will be pivotal in our research on electrochemical CO2 reduction. We anticipate that this new technology will offer us both convenience and efficiency, streamlining our workflows while improving the overall quality of our results.
2024. 06. 18
Dr. Liang Yao was invited to give a talk at the 34th Chinese Chemical Society (CCS) Congress, where he presented his research on the synthesis and (photo-)electrochemical applications of covalent organic framework colloids.
2024. 05. 31
Congratulations to Chuangye Lu for successfully defending his PhD thesis titled 'New Preparation Method of Conjugated Coordination Polymers and Its Application in Electrocatalytic Water Splitting.' His dedication and hard work have been instrumental in helping build and advance our lab's research capabilities. We wish him continued success in all his future endeavors. His contributions will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact, and we look forward to seeing his future successes.
2024. 05. 25
Dr. Liang Yao presented research works related to organic semiconductor materials for photoelectrochemical energy conversion on the Second Forum on Innovation and Development of New Energy Materials, held in Nanjing, China, and achieved a oral presentation award.
2024. 03. 28
In a recent Perspective, Dr. Liang Yao, Prof. Bettina Lotsch, and colleagues summarized the key design concepts and strategies for constructing COF-based single-site photocatalysts (SSPCs). With their high porosity and molecularly tailored structures, COFs serve as an ideal platform for developing SSPCs. If you're interested in COF functionalization and their applications in photocatalysis, you can read the full Perspective here: 10.1021/jacs.3c11539.
2024. 02. 01
Dr. Kenichi Endo, Dr. Liang Yao, Prof. Bettina Lotsch and other colleagues at Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research developed a synthetic methodology to prepare colloidal porphyrinic COFs. This work provides a novel solution to control the morphology of electrochemically active COFs, and a significant increase in electrocatalytic performance of COF-366-Co. We envisage this research will provide valuable insights into morphology control in COFs and advance their application in electrocatalysis.
More details can be found here: 10.1002/adma.202313197
2024. 01. 19
Before the New Year vacation, our group took a break from the lab and enjoyed a fun outing of bowling together. For some, it was their first time playing, but everyone quickly got the hang of it and had a fantastic time. It was a great way to bond and celebrate the end of the year.
2023. 10. 09
We were delighted to welcome Prof. Nestor Guijarro from the University of Alicante, Spain, to our research group. Prof. Guijarro delivered an inspiring lecture titled "Water, Carbon Dioxide, Biomass... on How Photo(electro)catalytic Systems Could Turn Abundant Resources into Sustainable Feedstocks for Industry," offering valuable insights into the potential of renewable resources for sustainable chemical production.
Beyond the academic exchange, this visit was also a special reunion, as Prof. Guijarro and Dr. Yao share a long-standing friendship and collaborated for four years in Switzerland. It was a pleasure to reconnect and discuss new opportunities for advancing research in this exciting field.
More information about Prof. Nestor Guijarro's research can be found here.
