Yao Zheng

Professor Yao Zheng is an ARC Future Fellow at the University of Adelaide's School of Chemical Engineering, within the Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology. He specializes in catalysis and materials chemistry, focusing on energy conversion applications such as fuel cells, hydrogen production, and CO₂ conversion. His work integrates experimental and theoretical approaches, emphasizing electrocatalytic refineries and the local reaction environment theory.

Key achievements include developing a scalable method for producing ultrapure hydrogen from untreated seawater via electrolysis, eliminating the need for deionized water. This innovation, protected by patents, leverages localized reaction environment control on catalyst surfaces. His research bridges materials engineering, physical chemistry, and quantum chemistry, enabling novel electrocatalysts for reactions like oxygen/hydrogen evolution and CO₂ reduction.

Publications include over 200 refereed articles in top journals like Nature Energy, Science Advances, and Journal of the American Chemical Society, with an h-index of 93 (Web of Science, 2024). He has been recognized as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher in Chemistry since 2019.