The University of Queensland – Australia
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🎓 Education & Academic Background
Yanzhao Zhang has built a strong academic foundation in Chemical Engineering and Material Science, earning degrees from some of the most prestigious institutions. He completed his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from The University of Adelaide (2019-2023) under the supervision of Prof. Shi-Zhang Qiao. Prior to this, he pursued his Master of Engineering in Material Science and Engineering at Zhejiang University (2015-2018), where he was mentored by Prof. Xiwen Zhang. His academic journey began with a Bachelor of Engineering in Material Processing and Control Engineering from Wuhan University (2010-2014), where he worked closely with Dr. Yuanxiang Zhu.
🔬 Professional Experience & Research Interests
Currently, Yanzhao Zhang serves as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland (2023-present), where he collaborates with Dr. Zhiliang Wang and Prof. Lianzhou Wang. His research focuses on the modulation and modification of material surfaces to gain a deeper understanding of catalyst design and enhance their catalytic performances. One of his primary research areas involves the fabrication of active sites and single atoms through surface modification. He has employed various strategies, including high-active surface exposure, metal cluster/single-atom loading, surface defect construction, and functional group grafting, to enhance the photocatalytic performance of 2D materials, such as g-C₃N₄, Bi-based materials (BixMOy, BiOX), MoS₂, TiO₂, and carbon-based nanosheets. His research has been published in high-impact journals, including Advanced Materials, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Advanced Energy Materials, Small Science, and Green Chemistry.
Another key focus of his research is the modulation of surface electron redistribution to improve photocatalytic efficiency. By introducing an asymmetric dual-atom system, he has discovered a new charge transfer mechanism. Through a combination of rigorous experiments and simulations, he has been able to analyze the detailed changes in surface electron distribution, with two new manuscripts currently in preparation. Additionally, his work involves the precise investigation of the structure-to-performance correlation in photocatalysis. In particular, he has studied the impact of carbon impurities in CO₂ photoreduction, which arise from the synthesis and use of photocatalysts. Utilizing in situ characterizations, he has proposed elimination approaches and rigorous experimental methodologies to mitigate these impurities, leading to improved photocatalytic performance. His findings have been published in ACS Energy Letters.
🏆 Awards & Recognitions
Yanzhao Zhang has received numerous prestigious awards in recognition of his outstanding research contributions. He was honored with the Dean’s Commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence (2023), acknowledging the high quality of his doctoral research. In the same year, he received the National Scholarship for Outstanding Self-funded International Students, a prestigious award recognizing top international scholars. In addition, he was awarded the ARC Grant Funded Short-Term Scholarship (2022) and the Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship (2019), both of which supported his research endeavors. Earlier in his academic career, he won the Material Microstructure Competition of Zhejiang Province (2018) and multiple Academic Scholarships from Zhejiang University (2016, 2017, 2018) for his academic excellence.
🛠️ Technical Skills & Expertise
With extensive research experience, Yanzhao Zhang has developed a strong technical skill set in advanced characterization techniques, materials synthesis, and computational modeling. He is proficient in vibrational and absorption spectroscopy, including Raman spectroscopy, in situ FTIR, UV-vis, and fluorescence spectroscopy, which are essential for analyzing material properties. He is also skilled in electron microscopy techniques, such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), for studying the morphology and structure of nanomaterials. His expertise extends to 2D material synthesis and surface modification, particularly in the engineering of photocatalytic materials. He has hands-on experience with Density Functional Theory (DFT) simulations using VASP, which allows him to explore electronic structures and charge transfer mechanisms. His knowledge of photo/electrochemical and synchrotron characterizations further enhances his ability to investigate catalytic processes in energy conversion applications.
Moreover, he has experience in photocatalytic reactor design, which plays a crucial role in developing high-performance catalytic systems. He is also proficient in the separation and quantification of species in complex chemical systems using Gas Chromatography (GC) and Liquid Chromatography (LC), which are essential for analyzing reaction products and intermediates. Through his groundbreaking research and technical expertise, Yanzhao Zhang continues to advance the field of material science and photocatalysis, making significant contributions to energy conversion and environmental sustainability.
Notable Publications📝
Hybrid water electrolysis with integrated and cascading reactions using two-dimensional electrocatalysts
Authors: Yao, D.; Zhang, Y.; Zhang, S.; Wan, J.; Yu, H.; Jin, H.
Journal: Journal of Materials Chemistry A
Year: 2023
Reversed Electron Transfer in Dual Single Atom Catalyst for Boosted Photoreduction of CO₂
Authors: Zhang, Y.; Johannessen, B.; Zhang, P.; Gong, J.; Ran, J.; Qiao, S.-Z.
Journal: Advanced Materials
Year: 2023
Two-dimensional building blocks for photocatalytic ammonia production
Authors: Ran, J.; Xia, B.; Zhang, Y.; Qiao, S.-Z.
Journal: Journal of Materials Chemistry A
Year: 2021
Atomic-Level Reactive Sites for Semiconductor-Based Photocatalytic CO₂ Reduction
Authors: Zhang, Y.; Xia, B.; Ran, J.; Davey, K.; Qiao, S.Z.
Journal: Advanced Energy Materials
Year: 2020
In Situ Fragmented Bismuth Nanoparticles for Electrocatalytic Nitrogen Reduction
Authors: Yao, D.; Tang, C.; Li, L.; Xia, B.; Vasileff, A.; Jin, H.; Zhang, Y.; Qiao, S.-Z.
Journal: Advanced Energy Materials
Year: 2020