PAIR Distinguished Lecture: Prof. WANG Zhonglin, Director of Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, delivers “Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) for sustainable energy and sensing”

PAIR Distinguished Lecture Series

20260107 DL by Prof WANG Zhonglin 1000 x 540 pxEN

Add to Calendar

Date

07 Jan 2026
Organiser

PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research
Time

14:30 - 16:00
Venue

Chiang Chen Studio Theatre, G/F Chung Sze Yuen Building (Core A), PolyU (Seats will be arranged on a first-come-first-served basis) Map

Speaker

Prof. WANG Zhonglin

Enquiry

PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research info.pair@polyu.edu.hk

Summary

Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) was invented by Wang’s group in 2012, which is based on the coupling of triboelectrification and electrostatic induction effects for converting mechanical energy into electric power. TENG is playing a vitally important role in the distributed energy and self-powered systems, with applications in internet of things, AL, environmental/infrastructural monitoring, medical science, environmental science, and security. TENG is most effective for utilization of high-entropy energy, which is the random, low-density, low-grade mechanical energy widely-distributed in our living environment and in nature. There are now over 16,000 scientists distributed in 90 countries and regions around the globe who have published papers on TENG. This presentation will first focus on the advances in fundamental science made due to the discovery of TENG. Then we will focus on the potential industrial impacts that have been made by TENG. We will show how this new field will benefit to the sustainable development of humankinds.

Prof. WANG Zhonglin

Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Academician of the Academia of Sinica Taiwan
International Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering
Director of the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Prof. Zhonglin Wang is a preeminent physicist and materials scientist whose groundbreaking work has revolutionized the fields of nanotechnology, energy harvesting, and self-powered systems. He currently serves as the Director of the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems and holds the distinguished titles of Regents' Professor and Hightower Chair (Emeritus) at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Prof. Wang is widely recognized as the pioneer of the nanogenerators field, which has enabled advancements in distributed energy, self-powered sensors, and large-scale blue energy. Additionally, he coined and developed the fields of piezotronics and piezo-phototronics, which have significant implications for third-generation semiconductors.

Prof. Wang’s scientific impact is unparalleled. Among 230,000 scientists across all fields worldwide （Top 2%）as ranked by Elsevier and Stanford, he is ranked #1 simultaneously for career-long scientific impact and single-year scientific impact consecutively from 2019-2024. He is also ranked #1 respectively in Materials Science and nanotechnology. His research has garnered over 500,000 citations on Google Scholar, with an extraordinary h-index of 340, underscoring his immense influence and contributions to science.

Throughout his illustrious career, Dr. Wang has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Global Energy Prize (2023), the Albert Einstein World Award of Science (2019), the ENI Award in Energy Frontiers (2018), the James C. McGroddy Prize in New Materials from the American Physical Society (2014), and the MRS Medal from the Materials Research Society (2011). His groundbreaking work has earned him memberships and fellowships in some of the world’s most esteemed scientific academies, including the UK Royal Academy of Engineering, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, US National Academy of Inventors, the European Academy of Sciences, the European Academy of Engineering, the Korea Academy of Science and Technology (as a foreign member), the Academia Sinica, and the Canadian Academy of Engineering (as an International Fellow).

Prof. Wang’s pioneering contributions to nanogenerators, piezotronics, and self-powered systems have not only advanced fundamental science but also paved the way for transformative technologies in energy harvesting, sensing, and semiconductor development. His exceptional scientific impact, numerous accolades, and leadership in the global scientific community underscore his status as one of the most influential materials scientists of our time.

Personal website: http://www.wanggenerator.com/web/#/

Previous Event

You may also like

20251218 DL by Prof Julia M YEOMANS 1000 x 540 pxEN

PAIR Distinguished Lecture: Prof. Julia M. YEOMANS of University of Oxford, U.K. delivers “Active Matter meets Mechanobiology: Evading the decay to equilibrium”

20251217 RCRE DL by Prof Nemkumar BANTHIA 1000 x 540 pxEN

PAIR Distinguished Lecture: Prof. Nemkumar BANTHIA of The University of British Columbia, Canada delivers “Toward Carbon-Neutral Cities: Sensors and Cyber-Physical Networks for Green Infrastructure”

20251209 PAIR Seminar by Prof John D SPENGLER 1000 x 540 pxEN

PAIR Seminar: Prof. John D. SPENGLER of Harvard University, United States delivers “If you think it is hot now — just wait a few years”

20251124Event Recap of PAIR DLS by Prof CHEN Xiaodong 1000 x 540 pxEN

PAIR Distinguished Lecture: Prof. CHEN Xiaodong of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore delivers “Conformal Bioelectronic Interface”

Event recap of DLS by Prof George MALLIARAS 1000 x 540 pxEN

PAIR Distinguished Lecture: Prof. George MALLIARAS of University of Cambridge delivers “How Much Can We Learn from Cortical and Cutaneous Electrophysiology?”

Event Recap of DLS by Prof WANG Yong 1000 x 540 pxEN

Prof. WANG Yong of Washington State University delivers “Catalysis: Advancing Affordable and Clean Energy”

20250915 DL by Prof DAI Jiansheng 1000 x 540 pxEN

PAIR Distinguished Lecture: Prof. Dai Jiansheng of King’s College London delivers “Embedded Intelligence in Robotics

20250704Event Recap of DLS by Prof ZHAO Tianshou 1000 x 540 pxEN

PAIR Distinguished Lecture: Prof. ZHAO Tianshou of Southern University of Science & Technology delivers “Flow Cells for Long-Duration Energy Storage”