Hong Yang

Hong Yang is the Richard C. Alkire Chair Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Illinois. His research focuses on nanomaterials for energy and biotechnology, particularly designing nanostructures for electrocatalytic applications such as fuel cells and water splitting. He holds editorial roles in journals like Science Advances and Nano Today.

Education: B.S. from Tsinghua University (1989), M.S. from University of Victoria (1994), Ph.D. from University of Toronto (1998), and postdoctoral training at Harvard University (1998-2001). Before joining University of Illinois (2012), he taught at the University of Rochester.

Research Interests: Synthesis of bimetallic nanostructures, electrocatalytic properties, and catalytic systems for CO₂ conversion. His work emphasizes surface engineering and nanoscale material design for energy applications. Key themes include nanocatalyst durability, high-performance electrodes, and sustainable energy materials.

Publications: Over 200 peer-reviewed articles, including high-impact studies on electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution/reduction reactions and novel nanomaterial synthesis methods. Recent work focuses on molybdenum carbide catalysts for CO₂ valorization and pyrochlore-based electrocatalysts.

• Awards: AAAS Fellow, NSF CAREER Award, Most Cited Article in Nano Today (2014-2019).
• Grants: NSF-DFG projects on green hydrogen production, DOE-funded energy initiatives.
• Labs/Teams: Director of the Yang Research Group, collaborating on advanced nanomaterials and electrochemical systems.