Research @ Faculty of Science 2023

DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED BIOLOGY & CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY 40 Email lawrence.ys.lee@polyu.edu.hk Qualification BSc (Concordia University) PhD (McGill University) ORCID ID 0000-0002-6119-4780 Dr LEE Yoon Suk Lawrence Associate Professor Research Overview Our research focuses on sustainable energy conversion and storage. We develop new active catalysts based on earth-abundant elements for various energy conversion and storage applications. Engaging emerging materials such as MOFs, COFs, LDH, singleatomic catalysts and PBA as active catalysts and precursors, their intrinsic properties are modulated to optimise functionality and stability. Using advanced in situ electrospectroscopic techniques, fundamental structure-activity relationships of these materials are investigated to reveal the evolution of active sites. Also, novel electrodes for next-generation batteries and upcycling end-of-life LIBs are actively investigated for a sustainable energy future. Representative Publications • ACS Nano, 2022, 16, 10657 • Adv. Funct. Mater., 2022, 32, 2205142 • Appl. Catal. B Environ., 2022, 15, 121504 • Adv. Funct. Mater., 2021, 31, 213290 • Adv. Energy Mater., 2021, 11, 2101281 • ACS Energy Lett., 2021, 6, 2838 • Small Methods, 2021, 5, 2100215 • Small Methods, 2021, 5, 2001165 • Adv. Energy Mater., 2020, 10, 1903490 Advanced Catalysts based on Earth-Abundant Elements • Development of innovative synthetic methods for band gap engineering, shape and facet control, doping and interface engineering • Composite nanostructures for advanced functionality and long-term stability • Various material systems including metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), layered double hydroxides (LDHs), single-atom and dual-atom catalysts Fundamental Understanding of Catalysis • Elucidation of the structure-activity relationships • In situ characterisations for mechanistic investigations • Focused on the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) Electrode Materials for Next-Generation Batteries • Ultrafast and scalable production of few-layer black phosphorus nanosheets, an emerging 2D material suitable for energy applications, using a pulsed laser in low-boiling point solvents • Novel polymeric disodium phthalocyanines as sodium-ion battery anodes to provide stable coordination sites for Na ions and enhance the stability at high current density Upcycling of Electrode in used Li-ion batteries • Currently, the majority (90%) of LIB wastes are stockpiled or landfilled • Instead of a pyrometallurgical process, a simple acid treatment was developed to convert waste cathodes into active ORR electrocatalysts

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjc5OTU=