(4lm) From Organic Frameworks to Polymeric Networks - Controlling Stability and Dynamicity in Developing New Solutions to Clean Energy and Sustainability

The quest for decarbonization of the global energy landscape is intrinsically linked to the foundations of daily life and economic prosperity. Achieving the target of net-zero CO₂ emissions by 2050 necessitates comprehensive innovations across the energy spectrum, which encompasses energy generation, storage, and transport, as well as effective strategies for mitigating and offsetting environmental impacts. This paradigm shift requires the development of next-generation materials that not only meet stringent performance criteria but also prioritize environmental sustainability and cost-efficiency in both preparation and operation.

My current research focuses on the advancements of materials development along with new process developments to meet the all-encompassing requirements by combining synthetic chemical tools and engineering developments. One exemplar involved the design and use of chemically-stable metal-organic framework (MOF) and covalent organic framework (COF) solid sorbent materials for efficient capture of carbon dioxide directly from the air, addressing the crucial aspect of reducing atmospheric CO₂ levels. By addressing the framework stability issue step-by-step, carbon-capturing functionalities can be installed and utilized unprecedentedly. The second endeavor involved the innovation of dynamic polymeric networks, aiming at enhancing the cyclability and overall performance of next-generation lithium-metal and lithium-sulfur batteries, which are essential for advancing energy storage solutions. By balancing the chemical stability and dynamicity, we obtained polymeric solid-state electrolytes that significantly increased the battery performance and the cycling lifetime simultaneously while maintaining low complexity of preparation, application, and operation.

These contributions underscore the critical role of chemical engineering in the decarbonization process, bridging the gap between theoretical innovation and practical application. My work not only contributes to propelling us closer to achieving net-zero emissions but also demonstrating the multifaceted approach required to navigate the complex landscape of sustainable energy transition. However, with the fast pace of electrification and decarbonization, new challenges arise in multiple aspects including increasingly urgent demands of upscaling newly developed materials, and potential shortage of strategic resources. In the next step, the knowledge and experience gained can be utilized to generate new materials for new processes for these processes, such as non-thermal carbon capture and conversion, and beyond-lithium, low-cost battery solutions.

Research Interests

• Design and development of functional framework- and network-type organic materials.
• Understanding structural control and materials properties, such as porosity, ionic/electronic conductivities, mechanical and rheological properties, stability, combining experimental and computational tools.
• New decarbonization processes, including enabled by innovative materials design.
• Electrochemical energy storage, transport, and conversion using low-environmental impact, high-abundance solutions.
• Assessment and optimization of materials scalability relevant to sustainable energy solutions

Teaching Interests

• Polymer chemistry and physics.
• Materials characterization, including spectroscopic techniques, crystallographic methods, electron microscopy, mass-spectrometry, chromatography, mechanical tests, and sorption-based methods.
• Gas sorption, separation, and transport processes.
• Electrochemistry, interface, and kinetics.