National Central University

Energy and Nanomaterials Laboratory

Kuan-Wen Wang
https://nanoandhydrogen.wixsite.com/nano-and-energy/%E6%88%90%E5%93%A1%E4%BB%8B%E7%B4%B9

Research Field

Materials Engineering

Introduction

Professor Wang joined National Central University in 2007, with primary research focusing on hydrogen energy-related materials, including chemical hydrogen storage materials, palladium membrane hydrogen separation systems, and catalysts for low-temperature fuel cells. In recent years, her research has been dedicated to the development of catalysts for water electrolysis, hydrogen production, and CO₂ utilization.

Research Focus
We specialize in energy and nanomaterials, focusing on fuel cell catalysts, nanoalloys, and related microscopic phenomena like surface composition and segregation. The goal is to enhance the efficiency and performance of energy technologies, particularly in clean energy and advanced materials.

 


Research Topics

Research Topic I:
Hydrogen Energy - Modification and Development of High-Efficiency Catalysts for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Anodes and Cathodes.

    Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) are electrochemical devices that directly convert chemical energy from hydrogen and air to electrical energy. They are clean and efficient power sources that can be widely applied in vehicles, mobile devices, and consumer electronics (3C products). However, the commercialization of fuel cells is often hindered by limitations in catalyst reaction kinetics and the high cost of catalyst materials.

    In light of these challenges, our laboratory focuses on research related to fuel cells, including the preparation, modification, and development of binary, ternary, and non-platinum nanomaterial catalysts for both the cathode and anode. We investigate the relationship between their surface composition and activity, aiming to develop high-performance catalysts for fuel cells and accelerate the commercialization of this technology.

Research Topic II:
Electrochemical Water Splitting for Hydrogen Production.

    Hydrogen is one of the ideal clean energy sources and is expected to alleviate the limited storage capacity of fossil fuels and the pollution of combustion products. Therefore, electrocatalytic water decomposition to produce hydrogen (HER) is a crucial method for reducing environmental pollution and achieving renewable, clean energy. The development of efficient and stable hydrogen production catalysts holds significant scientific value and practical importance. Pt, as a traditional HER catalyst, faces the problems of high price, low storage capacity, and poor reaction stability.

    Pd has been receiving much research attention as a promising HER catalyst to replace Pt. The HER performance of Pd-based catalysts can be effectively improved by adding a second metal (M) to form a Pd-based alloy (Pd-M); or by injecting H into the Pd lattice to form a hydride (PdHx). Therefore, our laboratory studies the relationship between the structure and performance of various hydrogen-generating catalysts.

Research Topic III:
Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide.

    By electrochemically converting carbon dioxide (CO2) into value-added fuels and chemicals using renewable energy sources, we can mitigate the increasing concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere and reduce dependence on traditional fossil fuels. Therefore, our laboratory focuses on synthesizing various materials to enhance the selectivity of CO2 reduction products while minimizing the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and improving Faradaic efficiency (FE).


Honor
  • 2014~2022 Outstanding Research Award of NCU.
  • 2023-2028 Distinguished Professor of NCU.

Educational Background

 Ph. D.  Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan,