Zhigang Chen

Professor Zhigang Chen is a Capacity Building Professor of Energy Materials at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), holding appointments in the Faculty of Science and School of Chemistry & Physics. He serves as founding director for the ARC Research Hub in Zero-emission Power Generation for Carbon Neutrality (ZeroPC), Academic Research Lead, and ARC Future Fellow. Previously, he held professorships at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) and University of Queensland (UQ), where he was an ARC Australian Postdoctoral Fellow, QLD Smart Future Fellow, and Honorary Professor. His research program spans sustainable functional materials, thermoelectrics, advanced manufacturing, and advanced microscopy for energy applications.

Professor Chen's research focuses on developing high-performance thermoelectric materials for energy conversion and waste-heat recovery through nanostructure engineering and band engineering. His work has led to world-record figure of merit (ZT) in several thermoelectric systems. He has pioneered cost-effective manufacturing processes like solvothermal and microwave-assisted methods for low-toxic thermoelectric materials achieving energy-conversion-efficiency above 15%. His research integrates advanced microscopy techniques to establish structure-property links in energy materials, resulting in significant scientific breakthroughs.

His publications demonstrate a strong focus on sustainable energy materials, particularly thermoelectrics, with recent work emphasizing flexible thermoelectric devices, hybrid photovoltaic-thermoelectric systems, and novel material systems like SnTe-based compounds. The research spans fundamental materials science to practical applications, with increasing attention to industry implementation and commercialization potential. Many publications address the challenge of balancing high thermoelectric performance with cost-effective manufacturing.

• Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry
• QUT Research Excellence Award, 2023
• ARC Future Fellowship (Level 3) 2022
• Clarivate Web of Science Highly Cited Researchers 2020-2021
• USQ Research Excellence Award 2020
• Mendeley Global Top 2% Researcher 2019-2023

Professor Chen has secured approximately A$50 million in research funding as lead Chief Investigator or Chief Investigator, including 7 ARC Discovery grants (5 as lead CI), 2 ARC Research Hubs, 4 ARC Linkage grants, and numerous industry investments from HBIS groups, NQ Minerals, Cook Medicals, BHP Billiton, and Defense Science and Technology Group. He has successfully supervised numerous HDR students and established significant research collaborations with institutions including CalTech, UCLA, and Shanghai Institute of Ceramics. His research program maintains strong industry connections focused on practical applications of energy materials.

Professor Chen leads multiple research initiatives including the ARC Research Hub in Zero-emission Power Generation for Carbon Neutrality (ZeroPC) and has established advanced materials characterization facilities at QUT. His research team collaborates with international partners at CalTech, UCLA, and Chinese Academy of Sciences, maintaining a strong focus on translating fundamental materials research into practical energy solutions with commercial potential.