Tang Group@Tsinghua University
Laboratory of Photon-Phonon Co-driven Catalysis

Prof. Jae Sung Lee from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) Delivers Invited Lecture at Tsinghua Industrial Catalysis Forum

On September 15, as part of the Tsinghua University Department of Chemical Engineering 80th Anniversary Academic Series and the Catalysis Tsinghua Forum on Industrial Catalysis (Lecture 9), Prof. Jae Sung Lee from the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Korea, visited our group and delivered an invited lecture titled "Towards Photoelectrochemical Solar Hydrogen Production at Industrial Scale."

Drawing on his laboratory's work over the past two decades, Prof. Lee reviewed solar water splitting for green hydrogen, highlighted photoelectrochemistry (PEC) as the most promising route, and shared his vision to reach the DOE target of 1 $/kg H₂ with low-cost, high-efficiency devices. The lecture was held at Room 201, Yingshi Building, and was followed by productive discussions with our researchers.

Five Postdoctoral Researchers from Tang Group Awarded NSFC Young Scientists Fund (Category C) Grants

We are delighted to announce that five postdoctoral researchers from our group—Dr. Ma, Jin, Dr. Zhao, Jiangting, Dr. Mao, Liuhao, Dr. Chen, Yuexing, and Dr. Feng, Fan—have each been awarded a Young Scientists Fund (Category C) grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).

The Young Scientists Fund (Category C) supports early-career researchers in independently pursuing investigator-initiated basic research, strengthens their ability to lead innovative research projects, and fosters the next generation of scientific talent. These awards recognize the five researchers' academic potential and research achievements. We warmly congratulate them and look forward to their continued progress and new discoveries.

Our Group Published a Research Paper in Journal of the American Chemical Society: Catalytic Combustion of Extremely Low Concentrations of Methane by Pt/CeO₂ {111} Nanocrystals Driven by the Synergy of Photons and Phonons

Our group has published a new study in Journal of the American Chemical Society, with Wang, Chao, Guo, Junjun, and Xiong, Lunqiao as co-first authors. The work develops Pt/CeO₂ {111} nanocrystals for photon-phonon co-driven catalytic combustion of extremely low concentrations of methane.

By combining photon-induced charge separation with phonon-assisted charge detrapping, the catalyst achieves a light-off temperature T₈₀ of 98 °C and 95% one-pass methane conversion with nearly 100% CO₂ selectivity at 200 °C. It also delivers an apparent quantum efficiency of 36.5% and stable operation for over 100 hours, providing a promising route for treating dilute methane emissions under mild conditions.

Link: https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.6c05483

Our Group Published a Review Article in Carbon Future: Microwave-Driven Conversion of Waste Plastics to High-Value Chemicals: Progress, Challenges, Prospects

Our group has published a review article in Carbon Future, with Qin, Jibo as the first author. The article systematically summarizes recent progress in microwave catalytic conversion of waste plastics, including the synergistic effects of microwave dielectric heating and catalytic reactions, the depolymerization pathways of representative plastics, and the design principles of microwave-absorbing catalysts.

The review discusses how reaction parameters regulate product distribution and highlights major challenges such as incomplete mechanistic understanding, catalyst deactivation, and scale-up. It further proposes future directions involving multiscale mechanistic studies, highly stable catalysts, and continuous microwave reactor design.

Link: https://doi.org/10.26599/CF.2026.9200082

Our Group Published a Research Paper in Advanced Science: Synergy of Pd Clusters and TiO₂ {101} for Photocatalytic Nonoxidative Coupling of Methane

Our group has published a research paper in Advanced Science, with Yang, Jianlong as the first author. The study investigates the synergistic interaction between Pd clusters and the TiO₂ {101} facet for photocatalytic nonoxidative coupling of methane under mild conditions.

The work clarifies how facet-selective Pd cluster sites promote charge separation, methane activation, and C–C coupling while suppressing overoxidation. These findings provide new guidance for designing efficient and stable photocatalysts for the direct conversion of methane into higher-value C₂ products.

Link: https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202524322

Prof. Tang, Junwang Joins Tsinghua "Academicians & Experts Park Tour" in Chengdu, Covered by Chengdu Daily and Pengzhou Radio & TV Station

On July 13, the Tsinghua University "Academicians and Experts Park Tour" came to Chengdu, Sichuan. Prof. Tang, Junwang investigated the local new materials and hydrogen energy industry, with government, enterprises, and the university discussing green hydrogen recycling and new materials conversion.

During the visit, Prof. Tang was interviewed by local official media—Chengdu Daily and Pengzhou Radio & Television Station. He noted that Tsinghua's advanced technology and talent, combined with local policy and enterprise demand, create a win-win for regional new energy development, and that the local green hydrogen practices offer unique large-scale electrolyzer experience worth scaling up.

Project Progress Seminar on "Solar-Driven Biomass Conversion to Chemicals" Held in Yulin

On July 12, the project progress seminar and expert review meeting on "Solar-Driven Biomass Conversion to Chemicals: Theory and Methods" (a National Key R&D Program of China) was held in Yulin, Shaanxi. Prof. Tang, Junwang, together with Dr. Li, Xiyi, Dr. Chen, Yuexing, and Dr. Cui, Hongjie from the group, attended the meeting.

The meeting was hosted by Tsinghua University and co-organized by Yulin Zhongke Clean Energy Innovation Research Institute and Beijing Perfectlight Technology Co., Ltd. Participating institutions included Tsinghua University, Heilongjiang University, East China University of Science and Technology, Beijing Perfectlight Technology Co., Ltd., Xi'an Jiaotong University, and Sun Yat-sen University.

Our Group Published a Review Article in Materials Horizons: Recent Progress and Perspective of Catalytic Ammonia Synthesis

Our group has published a review article in Materials Horizons, with Feng, Fan as the first author. The article surveys recent advances in catalytic ammonia synthesis, covering advanced thermal catalysts, emerging reaction pathways, and new mechanistic understanding aimed at moderating the harsh operating conditions and reducing the carbon footprint of the conventional Haber-Bosch process.

The review identifies major barriers to industrial deployment, including catalyst cost, stability, impurity tolerance, and economic viability. It also outlines opportunities in AI-assisted catalyst discovery, deeper mechanistic analysis, and green ammonia production based on renewable hydrogen.

Link: https://doi.org/10.1039/D6MH00812G

Prof. Francisco Zaera from University of California, Riverside Delivers Invited Lecture at Tsinghua Industrial Catalysis Forum

On June 8, as part of the Tsinghua University Department of Chemical Engineering 80th Anniversary Academic Series and the Catalysis Tsinghua Forum on Industrial Catalysis, Prof. Francisco Zaera from the University of California, Riverside, visited our group and delivered an invited lecture titled "The Route to Better Catalysts: From Surface Science to Nanotechnology."

Prof. Zaera presented his research on surface chemistry and heterogeneous catalysis, highlighting how the synergy between surface-science studies and novel nanomaterial synthesis enables the design of highly selective catalysts. The lecture was held at Room 201, Yingshi Building, and was followed by productive discussions with our researchers.

Prof. R. Sebastian Sprick from University of Strathclyde Visits Tang Group for Academic Exchange

On May 12, as part of the Tsinghua University Department of Chemical Engineering 80th Anniversary Academic Series and the Catalysis Tsinghua Forum on Industrial Catalysis, Prof. R. Sebastian Sprick from the University of Strathclyde, UK, visited our group and delivered an invited lecture.

Prof. Sprick presented his talk titled "The Application of Conjugated Photocatalysts in Sustainable Solar Fuels Generation." He discussed his work on the application of conjugated materials, including conjugated microporous polymers, unbranched conjugated polymers, and covalent organic frameworks, in photocatalytic hydrogen production, carbon dioxide reduction, and hydrogen peroxide generation. The talk provided a broad overview of the field and highlighted new opportunities such as preparing photoactive films and 3D printing photoactive composites.

The lecture was well attended by group members. Following the presentation, Prof. Sprick engaged in productive discussions with our researchers.

Sino-Foreign Engineering and Technology Exchange Project Work Meeting held at Tsinghua

We warmly welcomed the delegation from Beijing Overseas Talents Center and Zhongguancun Overseas Science and Technology Park to Professor Tang Junwang's group.

Dr. Qin, Jibo Successfully Defends Postdoctoral Research at Tsinghua University

On April 17, Dr. Qin, Jibo successfully defended his postdoctoral research at Tsinghua University.

Dr. Qin presented his work on "Microwave Catalysis for Conversion of Waste Plastics into High-Value Products." His research focused on developing efficient microwave-assisted catalytic systems for the depolymerization and upgrading of waste plastics into valuable chemicals and fuels, contributing to white pollution control and carbon resource recycling.

The committee acknowledged the significance of the research and approved the defense.

We congratulate Dr. Qin on this important milestone and wish him continued success in his future scientific career.

Our group published a research paper in Journal of the American Chemical Society: Au^δ+–Au Relay-Promoted Synergy of Light Irradiation and Heating for Highly Selective Activation of C–H Bonds

A new study from the Tang group, demonstrates an elegant strategy to achieve highly selective C–H activation of ethane under mild conditions. By designing a Au–Auδ⁺/CeO₂ catalyst, first author Qin, Ziying and colleagues established a Auδ⁺–Au relay that accelerates hole transfer from the support to the active sites by 1000‑fold—from nanoseconds down to picoseconds. This ultrafast charge separation suppresses unwanted C–C cleavage and overoxidation, directing holes precisely toward the desired C–H activation.

Harnessing the synergy of light irradiation (photons) and heating (mainly phonons) , the system delivers a butane production rate of 166.5 mmol/g/h with 85% selectivity at a high space velocity, along with a turnover number of 410,000 and excellent stability over 100 hours. The process scales readily while maintaining performance and achieves an apparent quantum efficiency of 38%. This work provides a powerful example of how multifield coupling—photons, phonons, and charge relays—can be orchestrated to enable low‑carbon, sustainable synthesis of valuable chemicals.

Link: https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.5c19973

Our Breakthrough in Photo-thermal Co-driven Catalytic Methanol-to-Hydrogen Featured in CCTV Special Report

Recently, our innovative achievement on photothermal synergistic catalytic methanol reforming for hydrogen production, was featured in a special report by CCTV News as a landmark achievement of the first batch of the "Non-Consensus Project" funded by the Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation.

The novel photothermal synergistic catalysis strategy proposed by the team achieves a hydrogen production rate from methanol reforming over 7 times higher than that of the state-of-the-art thermal catalysis technology under mild reaction conditions. Meanwhile, it successfully converts the oxidation product of methanol from carbon dioxide to high-value formaldehyde, realizing the co-production of clean hydrogen energy and high value-added chemicals, and effectively overcomes the core bottlenecks of traditional thermal catalytic hydrogen production processes, including high energy consumption, high carbon emissions, and poor catalyst stability. This achievement provides a new route for the development of green hydrogen production technology, and will offer critical technical support for the realization of China’s "Dual Carbon" goals.

Link: https://content-static.cctvnews.cctv.com/snow-book/video.html?item_id=2910678599157402924&t=1774074803167&toc_style_id=video_default&share_to=wechat&track_id=256dc780-b39d-4922-b6e0-b24f1aeefdb0

Our Breakthrough in Photo-thermal Co-driven Catalytic Methanol-to-Hydrogen Featured in Beijing Daily and Science and Technology Daily

We are pleased to share that our team’s work on innovative solar hydrogen production has been recently featured in two leading national publications: Beijing Daily and Science and Technology Daily.

These reports highlight our development of a novel photothermal catalytic hydrogen production pathway and acknowledge the forward-looking support from Beijing’s “Non-Consensus Innovation” funding program. Being featured in these influential media outlets reflects the broader interest and significance of our approach to sustainable energy. We are encouraged by this attention and remain committed to advancing clean hydrogen technology.

Links:

Beijing Daily: https://news.bjd.com.cn/2026/02/07/11570616.shtml

Science and Technology Daily: https://epaper.stdaily.com/statics/technology-site/index.html#/home?isDetail=1&currentNewsId=a9e8a67d39d0439790664f9c4e64b298&currentVersionName=%E7%AC%AC03%E7%89%88%EF%BC%9A%E8%A6%81+%E9%97%BB&currentVersion=3&timeValue=2026-02-04

Tang Group Wraps Up Annual Meeting with Focused Discussions

Our group successfully held its annual year-end meeting on January 24 at Room 204, Yingshi Building. The meeting was dedicated to reviewing the year's progress and planning future research directions.

Doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows presented their key research findings, challenges, and ongoing work. The session concluded with a presentation and guidance from Prof. Tang, Junwang, outlining priorities and objectives for the upcoming year.

Following the meeting, the group gathered for a lunch to celebrate a year of hard work and collaboration. We thank all members for their contributions and look forward to advancing our research in the coming months.

Dr. Yu, Yang and Dr. Chen, Yong from Sinopec Nanjing Institute and Tang Group Hold Project Exchange Meeting on Green Ammonia

On January 13, Sinopec Nanjing Chemical Industry Research Institute Co., Ltd. and Tsinghua University held a project exchange meeting at Tsinghua University. The meeting focused on the collaborative research progress for "Green Ammonia Synthesis under Mild Conditions."

Both parties reviewed the project's advancements, discussed key technical challenges such as catalyst optimization and industrialization pathways, and planned the next steps for research and development. The meeting concluded with a clear division of tasks to ensure the project's high-standard completion.

This regular exchange further solidifies the industry-academia partnership, driving the joint project forward toward its application goals.

Dr. Feng, Fan Selected for Shuimu Tsinghua Scholar Program

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Feng, Fan from our group has been selected for the second batch of 2025 Shuimu Tsinghua Scholar Program.

The Shuimu Tsinghua Scholar Program, established in 2019, is Tsinghua University's flagship initiative to attract and cultivate outstanding early-career researchers. It provides selected scholars with a high-level development platform, comprehensive training, and competitive support, including an annual stipend and research funding. This prestigious selection recognizes the researcher's academic excellence and research potential. It will provide valuable resources and opportunities to further advance their work within our group's research projects.

We extend our warmest congratulations and look forward to their continued contributions to our team's scientific endeavors.

Dr. Yang, Jianlong Successfully Defends Postdoctoral Research at Tsinghua University

On December 23, Dr. Yang, Jianlong successfully defended his postdoctoral research at Tsinghua University. The defense committee was chaired by Academician Guo, Lin and included Professors Zhao, Lidong, Li, Chun, and Tang, Junwang.

Dr. Yang presented his work on "Modulation of TiO₂ Interface and Crystal Facets for Photocatalytic Methane Conversion." His research focused on designing and optimizing TiO₂-based photocatalysts to enhance efficiency and selectivity in converting methane into valuable chemicals. The two main projects involved synergistic crystal facet engineering with Pd nanoclusters and constructing a chemical cycling system to avoid over-oxidation.

Following the presentation, the committee engaged in a thorough discussion, providing valuable insights and suggestions for further deepening the mechanistic understanding and experimental design. The committee acknowledged the significance of the research and approved the defense.

We congratulate Dr. Yang on this important milestone and wish him continued success in his future scientific career.

Our group published a research paper in Advanced Materials: Infrared and Thermo Co-Driven Catalysis for CO₂ Conversion to Valuable Chemicals

Our group has achieved a breakthrough in converting CO₂ into dimethyl carbonate (DMC). By utilizing a novel photon-thermal synergy process with a defect-engineered, noble-metal-free cerium oxide catalyst, first author Chen, Enqi and colleagues have attained a remarkable DMC production rate of 30 mmol/g/h with 100% selectivity. This work overcomes the performance bottlenecks of conventional thermal catalysis and introduces a new strategy of IR-driven catalysis for CO₂ utilization.

Link: https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202512626

The research group achieves fruitful results at the 18th National Solar Photochemistry and Photocatalysis Conference

Our group achieved fruitful results at the 18th National Conference on Solar Photochemistry and Photocatalysis held in Tianjin. Professor Tang, Junwang present a Plenary Lecture titled "From Photocatalysis to Photon-Phonon Co-Driven Catalysis," which garnered significant attention from attending experts. Dr. Xiong, Lunqiao presented an oral presentation in a parallel session entitled "Application of Single-Atom/Atom Cluster Photocatalysts in Glycerol Oxidation." Furthermore, the academic poster presented by Zheng, Yaxuan, received the Best Poster Award.

Link: https://news.tju.edu.cn/info/1012/566149.htm

Professor Junwang Tang was awarded the International Science Award for Crossing Boundaries by Falling Walls Foundation

Professor Junwang Tang has been named a 2025 Falling Walls Breakthrough Winner in Engineering and Technology. This prestigious award, presented by Germany's Falling Walls Foundation, honors top scientific breakthroughs selected from more than 1,500 international nominations.

Link: https://falling-walls.com/engineering-technology

Prof. Marc Robert from Sorbonne Université Delivers Invited Lecture at Tsinghua Industrial Catalysis Forum

On September 22, as part of the Tsinghua Industrial Catalysis Forum (Lecture 2), Prof. Marc Robert from Sorbonne Université, France, visited our group and delivered an invited lecture titled "Ticking the CO2 Clock with Molecular Control: From Fuels to Complex Molecules."

Prof. Robert discussed his work on the electrochemical and photochemical reduction of CO2 using earth-abundant metal (Fe, Co) porphyrins and phthalocyanines as molecular catalysts. His talk covered the generation of C1 products (including formaldehyde, methanol, and methane), C2+ products, and more complex molecules through systematic tuning of the catalyst electronic properties and coordination sphere, based on thorough mechanistic studies.

Prof. Robert is a Professor at Sorbonne Université, Senior Member of the Institut Universitaire de France, and a Highly Cited Researcher. The lecture was held at Room 201, Yingshi Building, and was well attended by group members.

Prof. Dr. Aishah Abdul Jalil from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Visits Tang Group for Academic Exchange

In May 2025, Prof. Dr. Aishah Abdul Jalil from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) visited our group and delivered an invited lecture. He shared an overview of his research work and achievements in the fields of renewable energy, carbon reduction, and hydrogen energy.

Prof. Aishah Abdul Jalil earned his Ph.D. from Hokkaido University, Japan, and currently serves as the Director of the Centre of Hydrogen Energy at UTM. The lecture was well attended and followed by engaging discussions with group members.

Our group published a research paper in Nature: Methane Oxidation to Ethanol by a Molecular Junction Photocatalyst

Professor Tang Junwang's team proposed a novel concept of molecular junction and developed the CTF-1 catalyst. Leveraging the synergy between triazine and benzene ring units, this catalyst enables the highly efficient, one-step conversion of methane to ethanol at room temperature and pressure under light irradiation. This technology provides a groundbreaking pathway for the high-value utilization of natural gas resources, which not only helps reduce the chemical industry's heavy reliance on petroleum but also contributes to achieving carbon neutrality goals.

This achievement is the result of nearly a decade of highly efficient collaboration among a multinational team comprising five universities from China and the UK, highlighting the essential role of global scientific cooperation in addressing critical energy challenges. The related research, entitled "Methane oxidation to ethanol by a molecular junction photocatalyst," was published online in Nature on January 20 (Nature 2025, 639, 368–374).

Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08630-x