Prof. Chen Di

Academic Staff

Associate Professor

ZS809
+852 3400 8290
di2025.chen@polyu.edu.hk

Research Overview

Di Chen’s research focuses on surface and interfacial processes in functional materials, particularly redox reactions and electrocatalysis. By integrating atomically precise synthesis with operando characterisation and electrochemical analysis, he examines how composition, defects, and local structure govern reaction pathways, charge transfer, and catalytic activity at solid–gas interfaces. These mechanistic insights enable the rational design of functional oxides and catalysts with improved activity, selectivity, and durability. His work bridges fundamental studies with practical applications in high-temperature fuel cells, electrolysers, energy conversion, and environmental catalysis, aiming to develop efficient and sustainable materials for clean energy and pollution control.

Research Interests

Academic and Professional Experience

Board Member, Professional Committee on Rare Earth Energy Materials, The Chinese Society of Rare Earths, 2024/11–present.
Panel Member, Expert Review Committee, The Chinese Society of Rare Earths, 2024/02–present.
Member at Large, ECS High-Temperature Energy, Materials, & Processes Division, The Electrochemical Society (ECS), 2024/02–present.

Achievements

“Excellent” rating in Tsinghua University’s Annual Faculty Performance Review (10%), 2021 to 2024.
Chief Scientist of the Young 973 Program
MIT Energy Fellow

Hongyang Su^†, Jie Zheng^†, Wenxiang Mu^†, Zixuan Guan, Pei Wang, Ziyun Zhang, Fanqi Meng, Xiaoying Yan, Peng Liu, Guiping Ji, Tianxiang Nan, Hui Zhang, Yidan Cao, Zhi Liu, Yuan-Hua Lin, Wei-Xue Li, William C. Chueh*, Sulei Hu*, Di Chen*, Atomically precise layer-by-layer titration of perovskite oxides reveals the termination-specific reactivity in oxygen electrocatalysis, Nature Catalysis, 9, 739–749 (2026).
Hongyang Su^†, Jing Chai^†, Zixuan Guan, Hendrik Bluhm, Ziyun Zhang, Yidan Cao, Zhi Liu, Yuan-Hua Lin*, William C. Chueh*, Liang Zhang*, Di Chen*, Tuning f band for Enhanced Surface Redox in Strained Rare Earth Oxides, Journal of American Chemical Society, 147, 40196−40204 (2025).
Min Xu^†, Shuyue Dong^†, Haoran Guo^†, Yukwon Jeon, Ziyun Zhang, Zhongjun Chen, Hongyang Su, Zhi Liu, Yuan-hua Lin, John T.S. Irvine*, Tingshuai Li*, Di Chen*, Defective Perovskite Supported Palladium-Nickel Nanocatalyst for Effective Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction, Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy, 375, 125433 (2025).
C. Liu, S. Li, Y. Zheng, M. Xu, H. Su, X. Miao, Y. Liu, Z. Zhou, J. Qi, B. Yang, D. Chen*, C-W. Nan ,Y-H. Lin*, Advances in high entropy oxides: synthesis, structure, properties and beyond, Progress in Materials Science, 148, 101385 (2025).
D. Chen, Z. Guan, D. Zhang, S. Nemsak, L. Trotochaud, H. Bluhm, E. Crumlin, H. L. Tuller, and W. C. Chueh*, Constructing pathway of mixed ion & electron transfer reactions for O₂ incorporation in Pr_0.1Ce_0.9O_2-x, Nature Catalysis, 116-124, 94 (2020).
Shuo Zhai, Senran Hao, Rubao Zhao, Yufei Song, Xi Chen, Jianhui Shen, Geng Xue, IdrisTemitope Bello, Na Yu, Yifei Sun, Meidan Ye, Yuming Shu, Di Chen, Xingke Cai, BinChen, Daqin Guan, Guangming Yang, Zongping Shao^*, Meng Ni^*, and Heping Xie^*, A constricted potassium evaporation strategypromoting ordered segregation for superior airelectrodes in protonic ceramic fuel cells, Joule, 10, 102435 (2026).
Min Zhang, Shun Lan, Bing B Yang, Hao Pan, Yi Q Liu, Qing H Zhang, Jun L Qi, Di Chen, Hang Su, Di Yi, Yue Y Yang, Rui Wei, Hong D Cai, Hao J Han, Lin Gu, Ce-Wen Nan, Yuan-Hua Lin*, Ultrahigh energy storage in high-entropy ceramic capacitors with polymorphic relaxor phase, Science, 384: 185-189 (2024).
A. Yang^†, G. Zhou^†, X. Kong, R. A. Vila, A. Pei, Y. Wu, X. Yu, X. Zheng, C. Wu , B. Liu, H. Chen, Y Xu, D. Chen, Y. Li, S. Fakra, H. Y. Hwang, J. Qin, S. Chu, Y. Cui*, Electrochemical generation of liquid and solid sulfur on two-dimensional layered materials with distinct areal capacity, Nature Nanotechnology, 18, 1345 (2020).
X. Mao, P. Brown, C. Červinka, G. Hazell, H. Li, Y. Ren, D. Chen, R. Atkin, J. Eastoe, I. Grillo, A. A. H. Padua, M. F. C. Gomes, T. A. Hatton*, Self-assembled nanostructures in ionic liquids facilitate charge storage at electrified interfaces, Nature Materials,18, 1-8 (2019)
J.G. Swallow, J.J. Kim, J.M. Maloney, D. Chen, J.F. Smith, S.R. Bishop, H.L. Tuller, K.J. Van Vliet*, Dynamic chemical expansion of thin film non-stoichiometric oxides at extreme temperatures, Nature Materials, 16, 749 (2017).