Group biography

The industrial evolution since the 19th century has led us to technological breakthrough but also brought environmental issues such as the excessive emission of carbon dioxide. Renewable electricity, from solar panels or wind turbos, could be used as alternative energy source. The intermittency nature of these renewable energy calls for the development of new technologies for energy storage, such as electrochemical energy storage. 

 

The scenario of building renewable energy systems based on electrochemistry (De Luna et al., Science 364, 350)

 

The group of electrochemistry and Raman spectroscopy (GEARS), led by Dr. Dan Ren in Xi'an Jiaotong University, aims at pushing the boundaries of our understanding on the electrochemical process as well as resolving technological problems related to electrochemical engineering. The major research interest is to develop efficient systems for electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals. The group is especially interested in investigating the dynamic electrochemical process at the catalytic interfaces by employing multiple in situ techniques for probing the interface. 

 

The group is also working on other electrochemistry processes such as water splitting and cycles of nitrogen-based ions.  

Meet the PI

Curriculum Vitae

Employment

Since Jan.2024, Professor, Xi'an Jiaotong University

Jan.2022-Dec.2023, Associate Professor, Xi'an Jiaotong University

Jan.2018-Dec.2021, Postdoc Fellow (Collaborator: Prof. Michael Grätzel), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

 

Education

Jul.2013-Dec.2017, Ph.D. (Supervisor: Prof. Boon Siang Yeo), National University of Singapore

Sep.2009-Jun.2013, B.Eng., Shanghai Jiao Tong University

 

Location of our lab:

#221, 5 South Xingqing Road, Xi'an 710049.

 

Mailing address:

#3212, Hongrun Building, iHarbour, Xi'an 712000

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Email: 

dan.ren@xjtu.edu.cn

 

Personal identifiers:

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3738-6421

Researcher ID: http://www.researcherid.com/rid/L-4047-2016

Opportunities

The group now has several positions available. Interested candidates are encouraged to contact the principal investigator via email: dan.ren@xjtu.edu.cn   

 

1. Graduate student

Requirement: 1) team player, 2) bachelor’s degree or bachelor student in his/her final year, 3) strong interest in research, especially in electrochemistry.

For international students, please see the link for available scholarships and application procedure (http://sie.xjtu.edu.cn/en/PG2022EN.pdf).

2. Undergraduate researcher

Interest in electrochemistry-related research is the only requirement.

Grants as PI

​At XJTU:

  • Fundamental Research Funding, Xi’an Jiaotong University, CNY 80,000 (10/2024-09/2025)
  • NSFC Young Scientist Fund, Natural Science Foundation of China, CNY 300,000 (01/2025-12/2027)
  • Young Talent Support Plan (Phase 2), Xi’an Jiaotong University, CNY 1,000,000 (01/2024-12/2029)
  • Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Overseas), Natural Science Foundation of China, CNY 1,000,000 (12/2023-12/2026)
  • Fundamental Research Funding, Xi’an Jiaotong University, CNY 80,000 (07/2022-06/2024)
  • Qinchuangyuan Talent Programme, Shaanxi Provincial Department of Science & Technology, CNY 370,000 (07/2022-06/2025)
  • Public Research Funding, Key Laboratory of AEMC (MOE), CNY 30,000 (06/2022-05/2024)
  • Young Talent Support Plan, Xi’an Jiaotong University, CNY 1,000,000 (01/2022-12/2027)

Before XJTU:

  • Solar-Bio Fuels Grant, Gebert Ruf Stiftung, CHF 287,000 (03/2020-11/2022)

Teaching

GNED101416 – Guided Reading of <Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms>

                            public elective course for undergraduate (23-24 special semester, 24-25 semester 1 & semester 2)

Recent publications

  • Zi-Hao Zhao & Dan Ren*. Unravelling the Effect of Crystal Facet of Derived-Copper Catalysts on the Electroreducction of Carbon Dioxide under Unified Mass Transport Condition. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 63, DOI:10.1002/anie.202415590 (2024).
  • Meng Xia, Linfeng Pan, Yongpeng Liu, Jing Gao, Jun Li, Mounir Mensi, Kevin Sivula, Shaik M. Zakeeruddin, Dan Ren* & Michael Grätzel*. Efficient Cu2O Photocathode for Aqueous Photoelectrochemical CO2 Reduction to Formate and Syngas. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 145, 27939 (2023).
  • Jing Gao, Alimohammad Bahmanpour, Oliver Krocher, Shaik M. Zakeeruddin, Dan Ren* & Michael Grätzel*. Electrochemical Synthesis of Propylene from Carbon Dioxide on Copper Nanocrystals. Nat. Chem. 15, 705 (2023).
  • Honglei Wang, Yunfei Jiao, Bing Wu, Dong Wang*, Yueqi Hu, Fei Liang, Chen Shen*, Andrea Knauer, Dan Ren*, Hongguang Wang*, Peter A van Aken, Hongbin Zhang, Michael Grätzel, Zdenek Sofer & Peter Schaaf. Exfoliated 2D Layered and Nonlayered Metal Phosphorous Trichalcogenides Nanosheets as Promising Electrocatalysts for CO2 Reduction. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 62, e202217253 (2023).
  • Jing Gao*, Jun Li, Yuhang Liu, Meng Xia, Y. Zou Finfrock, Shaik M. Zakeeruddin, Dan Ren* & Michael Grätzel*. Solar Reduction of Carbon Dioxide on Copper-tin Electrocatalysts with Energy Conversion Efficiency near 20%. Nat. Commun. 13, 5898 (2022).
  • Jing Gao, Hong Zhang, Xueyi Guo, Jingshan Luo, Shaik M. Zakeeruddin, Dan Ren* & Michael Grätzel*. Selective C-C Coupling via Efficient Spillover of Intermediates as Supported by Operando Raman spectroscopy. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 141, 18704 (2019).
  • Dan Ren, Jing Gao, Linfeng Pan, Zaiwei Wang, Jingshan Luo, Shaik M. Zakeeruddin, Anders Hagfeldt & Michael Grätzel*. Atomic Layer Deposition of ZnO on CuO Enables Selective and Efficient Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide to Liquid Fuels. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 58, 15036 (2019).

 

For full publication list, please redirect here.

Invited presentations

  1. ​​​​International Forum on the Micro-Nano Technology and Catalysis by the Chinese Society of Micro-Nano Technology - Aug 2024, Wuhu
  2. The 5th Forum on the National Analytical Instruments for Photoelectronic & Development of Photoelectronic Industry in Huairou – Aug 2024, Beijing
  3. Solar Energy Conversion Symposium - Celebrating Prof. Michael Grätzel’s 80th Birthday - Jun 2024, Tianjin​​​​
  4. The Second Forum on Innovation and Development of New Energy Materials – May 2024, Nanjing
  5. The First Forum on Innovation and Development of New Energy Materials – Nov 2023, Xi’an
  6. World Young Scientist Summit – International Symposium on Carbon Energy – Nov 2023, Wenzhou
  7. The 33rd CCS Congress – Jun 2023, Qingdao
  8. Southeast Asia Catalysis Conference – May 2023, Singapore
  9. eScience Forum – Apr 2023, Tianjin
  10. Electrocatalysis and Electrochemical Synthesis Conference – Apr 2023, Changsha
  11. International Young Scholars’ Forum on Photo/electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction – Sep 2022, Online
  12. Course Lecture at Linköping University (invited by Dr. Feng Wang) – May 2021, Online
  13. Lecture at University of Zurich (invited by Prof. Peter Hamm) – Oct 2020, Online
  14. Lecture at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (invited by Dr. Matthew Mayer) – Aug 2020, Online
  15. Young Scholar Forum at Central China Normal University (invited by Prof. Wenjing Xiao) – Dec 2019, Wuhan
  16. Lecture at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (invited by Prof. Yan Shen) – Oct 2019, Wuhan
  17. Young Scholar Forum at Nankai University (invited by Prof. Jingshan Luo) – Oct 2018, Tianjin
  18. 256th ACS Meeting Fall – Aug 2018, Boston
  19. 231st Electrochemical Society (ECS) Meeting – May 2017, New Orleans
  20. 9th Singapore International Chemistry Conference (SICC) – Dec 2016, Singapore
  21. 67th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE) – Aug 2016, The Hague
  22. Materials Research Society (MRS) Conference Fall – Nov 2015, Boston