Yachao Zeng (曾亚超) received his BS (2011) from Harbin Engineering University and PhD (2018) from University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. He worked as postdoctoral research associate at University of New South Wales, The State University of New York at Buffalo and University of Delaware from 2018 to 2025. Dr. Zeng's research focuses on developing high-performance and durable catalysts, electrodes, devices, and system for electrochemical energy conversion and storage, and gaining fundamental understanding in electrochemical process.
Education
2011.09 - 2018.06, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian Institute of Chemistry Physics, Supervisors Profs. Zhi-Gang Shao, Hongmei Yu, PhD
2007.9 - 2011.06, Harbin Engineering University, School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Supervisors Profs. Dianxue Cao, Guiling Wang, BS
Work Experience
2025.07 – present, Tianjin University, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Professor
2023.05 – 2025.05, University of Delaware, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Supervisor Prof. Yushan Yan, PostDoc
2020.02 - 2023.05, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Supervisor Prof. Gang Wu, PostDoc
2018.06 - 2020.02, University of New South Wales, Department of Chemistry, Supervisor Prof. Chuan Zhao, PostDoc
Selected Publications
1. Yachao Zeng, Manman Qi, Jiashun Liang, Raphael P. Hermann, Haoran Yu, Michael J. Zachman, Chun-Wai Chang, Marcos Lucero, Zhenxing Feng, David A. Cullen, Deborah J. Myers*, Jean-Pol Dodelet & Gang Wu*. Regulating in situ gaseous deposition to construct highly durable Fe–N–C oxygen-reduction fuel cell catalysts. Nature Catalysis, 9, 196–210 (2026).
2. Yachao Zeng†, Chenzhao Li†, Boyang Li†, Jiashun Liang†, Michael J. Zachman, David A.Cullen, Raphael P.Hermann, E.Ercan Alp, Barbara Lavina, Stavros Karakalos, Marcos Lucero, Bingzhang Zhang, Maoyu Wang, Zhenxing Feng, Guofeng Wang, Jian Xie*, Deborah J. Myers*, Jean-Pol Dodelet & Gang Wu*. Tuning the thermal activation atmosphere breaks the activity–stability trade-off of Fe–N–C oxygen reduction fuel cell catalysts. Nature Catalysis, 6, 1215–1227 (2023). (Co-first Author)
3. Shengwen Liu†, Chenzhao Li†, Michael J. Zachman†, Yachao Zeng†, Haoran Yu, Boyang Li, Maoyu Wang, Jonathan Braaten, Jiawei Liu, Harry M. Meyer, Marcos Lucero, A. Jeremy Kropf, E. Ercan Alp, Qing Gong, Qiurong Shi, Zhenxing Feng, Hui Xu, Guofeng Wang*, Deborah J. Myers*, Jian Xie*, David A. Cullen*, Shawn Litster* and Gang Wu*. Atomically dispersed iron sites with a nitrogen–carbon coating as highly active and durable oxygen reduction catalysts for fuel cells. Nature Energy, 7, 652 (2022). (Co-first Author)
4. Jiashun Liang, Haoran Yu, Michael J Zachman, Sooyeon Hwang, Manman Qi, Yachao Zeng*, Bingzhang Zhang, Jialu Li, Jinghua Guo, Chaochao Dun*, Natalia Macauley*, Gang Wu*. Creating Favorable Pt/Co Interfaces via a Two‐Step Approach for Constructing Highly Durable PtCo Intermetallic Fuel Cell Catalysts. Advanced Materials, 8, no. 7 (2026): e10847. (Co-corresponding Author)
5. Yachao Zeng*, Gang Wu**. Innovative surface nanostructures to stabilize single metal site catalysts. National Science Review, 12 (12), nwaf436 (2025). (First & Co-corresponding Author)
6. Jia Yu, Gong Zhang, Yachao Zeng, Xiao Ma, Dingbo Lai, Junqing Zhang, Yangning Zhang, Tuo Wang, Zhi-Jian Zhao, Peng Zhang*, Jinlong Gong*. Selective Electrochemical C–N Coupling via Synergetic Chemical and Electrochemical Microenvironment Regulation Strategies. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 147, 47, 43594-43603 (2025).
7. Yachao Zeng†, Jiashun Liang†, Chenzhao Li†, Zhi Qiao, Boyang Li, Sooyeon Hwang, Nancy N. Kariuki, Chun-Wai Chang, Maoyu Wang, Mason Lyons, Sungsik Lee, Zhenxing Feng, Guofeng Wang, Jian Xie*, David A. Cullen, Deborah J. Myers* & Gang Wu*. Regulating Catalytic Properties and Thermal Stability of Pt and PtCo Intermetallic Fuel-Cell Catalysts via Strong Coupling Effects between Single-Metal Site-Rich Carbon and Pt. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 145, 17643-17655 (2023). (Co-first Author)
8. Manman Qi†, Michael J.Zachman†, Yingxin Li†, Yachao Zeng†, Sooyeon Hwang, Jiashun Liang, Mason Lyons, Qian Zhao, Yu Mao, Yuyan Shao, Zhenxing Feng, Ziyun Wang*, Yong Zhao*, Gang Wu*. Highly dense atomic Fe–Ni dual metal sites for efficient CO2 to CO electrolyzers at industrial current densities. Energy & Environmental Science, 18, 11, 5643-56 (2025). (Co-first Author)
9. Yachao Zeng†, Jiashun Liang†, Boyang Li†, Haoran Yu, Bingzhang Zhang, Kimberly S. Reeves, David A. Cullen, Xing Li, Dong Su, Guofeng Wang, Sichen Zhong, Hui Xu, Natalia Macauley & Gang Wu. Pt Nanoparticles on Atomic-Metal-Rich Carbon for Heavy-Duty Fuel Cell Catalysts: Durability Enhancement and Degradation Behavior in Membrane Electrode Assemblies. ACS Catalysis, 13, 11871-11882 (2023). (Co-first Author)
10. Yachao Zeng, Xiaoqian Guo, Zhigang Shao*, Hongmei Yu*, Wei Song, Zhiqiang Wang, Hongjie Zhang, Baolian Yi, A cost-effective nanoporous ultrathin film electrode based on nanoporous gold/IrO2 composite for proton exchange membrane water electrolysis, Journal of Power Sources, 2017, 342: 947-955.
List of publications
https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=zh-CN&user=c01vWcQAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate
个人简介：
曾亚超，本科（2011年）毕业于哈尔滨工程大学材料科学与化学工程学院。2018年博士毕业于中国科学院大学，导师为中科院大连化学物理研究所邵志刚研究员、俞红梅研究员。2018-2025年，分别在澳大利亚新南威尔士大学赵川课题组、纽约州立大学布法罗分校武刚课题组、特拉华大学严玉山教授（美国工程院院士）课题组进行博士后研究工作。2025年回国加入天津大学化工学院巩金龙教授课题组，负责课题组电催化反应工程研究方向。曾亚超主要围绕电催化剂、电极和电解池的设计与电能-化学能的转化开展研究，作为主要发明人申请中国、美国发明专利共17项，授权发明专利14项。迄今为止在Nat. Energy、Nat. Catal.、J. Am. Chem. Soc.、Energy Environ. Sci.、Adv. Mater.等国际权威杂志发表SCI学术论文40余篇，累计引用5000余次。