Dr Kuang-Hsu Wu

Dr Kuang-Hsu (Tim) Wu received his PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Queensland in 2015, under the supervision of Professor Ian Gentle. Later he collaborated as an Australian-Taiwan International Research Fellow with Professor Dang-Sheng Su at Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences to continue his line of research in oxygen electrocatalysis and liquid-phase catalysis using advanced carbon materials, including graphene, carbon nanotube and nanodiamond derivatives. He research focuses on sustainable (electro)catalytic systems and materials surface chemistry in relation to catalytic reaction mechanisms and is devoted to developing several in situ and on-line electroanalytical methods to study reaction properties. In mid 2017, Dr Wu joined PartCat group as a Faculty Research Fellow, working with ARC Laureate Professor Rose Amal to start on new electrocatalysis and redox flow battery directions.

Dr Wu is the project leader in the advanced energy storage/conversion technology division in PartCat. His current projects is related to high-voltage aqueous organic redox flow batteries and radical-driven electrocatalytic biomass reforming for green hydrogen production.

Professional Experience

2017 - present     UNSW Faculty Research Fellow, The University of New South Wales

2016 - 2017         PIFI Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Research, Institute of Metal Research (IMR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)

                            International Postdoctoral Exchange Scholar Fellowship, IMR, CAS

2015 - 2016         Australian Endeavor Research Fellowship, IMR, CAS

                            Taiwanese Young Scholar Research Fellowship, IMR, CAS

2011 - 2015         UQ Research Scholarship for PhD in Physical Chemistry, The University of Queensland

Research Metrics (Google Scholar, updated on 20/11/2019)

Citations 1,033

h-index 17

i10-index 25

Research Interests

Advanced electrocatalytic systems for chemical conversion and energy storage.

Interface chemistry and engineering, and reaction mechanism for integrated heterogeneous catalysis.

In situ, On-line, In-operando spectroscopies, electroanalysis and kinetics modelling.

Selected publications

Oxygen (and CO2) Electrocatalysis (2015-)

1. K.H. Wu, M. Allen-Ankins, Q. Zeng, B. Zhang, J. Pan, J. Zhang, D.S. Su, I.R. Gentle, D.W. Wang, Benchmarking the Oxygen Reduction Electrochemical Behavior of First-Row Transition Metal Oxide Clusters on Carbon Nanotube. ChemElectroChem, (2018) Early View (doi: 10.1002/celc.201701215). (Invited Paper)

2. J. Xu, J. Li, D. Xiong, B. Zhang, Y Liu, K.H. Wu, I. Amorim, W. Li, L. Liu, Trends in activity for the oxygen evolution reaction on transition metal (M = Fe, Co, Ni) phosphide pre-catalysts. Chemical Science (2018) Advanced Article (doi: 10.1039/C7SC05033J).

3. K.H. Wu, Y. Liu, B. Wang, J. Xu, C. Pham-Huu, D.S. Su, The Coulombic nature of active nitrogen sites in N-doped nanodiamond revealed in situ by ionic surfactants. (2017) ACS Catalysis 7, 3295-3300.

4. K.H. Wu, W. Shi, D. Wang, J. Xu, Y. Ding, Y. Lin, W. Qi, B. Zhang, D.S. Su, In situ electrostatic modulation of path selectivity for the oxygen reduction reaction on Fe-N doped carbon catalyst. Chemistry of Materials (2017) 29, 4649-4653.

5. K.H. Wu, D.W. Wang, X. Zong, B. Zhang, Y. Liu, I.R. Gentle, D.S. Su, Functions in cooperation for enhanced oxygen reduction reaction: the independent roles of oxygen and nitrogen sites in metal-free nanocarbon and their functional synergy. Journal of Materials Chemistry A (2017) 5, 3239-3248. (Hot Paper)

6. J. Xu, B. Zhang, B. Wang, K.H. Wu, Z. Peng, G. Centi, D.S. Su, Decisive intermediates responsible for the carbonaceous products of CO2 electro-reduction on nitrogen doped sp2 nanocarbon catalysts in NaHCO3 aqueous electrolyte. ChemElectroChem (2017) 4, 1274-1278.

7. X. Leng, K.H. Wu, B.J. Su, L.Y. Jang, I.R. Gentle, D.W. Wang, Hydrotalcite-wrapped Co-B alloy with enhanced oxygen evolution activity. Chinese Journal of Catalysis (2017) 38, 1021-1027.

8. J. Xu, Y. Kan, R. Huang, B. Zhang, B. Wang, K.H. Wu, Y. Lin, X. Sun, Q. Li, G. Centi, D.S. Su, Revealing the origin of activity in nitrogen-doped nanocarbons towards electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide. ChemSusChem (2016) 9, 1085-1089.

9. K.H. Wu, D.W. Wang, D.S. Su, I.R. Gentle, A discussion on the activity origin in metal-free nitrogen-doped carbons for oxygen reduction reaction and their mechanisms. ChemSusChem (2015) 8, 2772-2788. (Invited Review Paper)

10. K.H. Wu, Q. Zeng, B. Zhang, D.S. Su, I.R. Gentle, D.W. Wang, Structural origin of the activity in Mn3O4–graphene oxide hybrid electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction. (2015) ChemSusChem 8, 3331-3339.

11. K.H. Wu, D.W. Wang, I.R. Gentle, Revisiting oxygen reduction reaction on oxidized and unzipped carbon nanotubes. (2015) Carbon 81, 295-304.

Heterogeneous Catalysis (2016-)

1. J. Zhang, X. Cai, Y. Zhang, J. Wang, J. Diao, N. Wang, H. Liu, D.S. Su, Nanodiamond core reinforced graphene shell immobilized Pt nanoparticles as a highly active catalyst for low temperature dehydrogenation of n-butane. ChemCatChem (2018) 10(3), 520-524.

2. R. Huang, B. Zhang, J. Wang, K.H. Wu, W. Shi, Y. Zhang, Y. Liu, A. Zheng, R. Schlögl, D.S. Su, Direct insight into ethane oxidative dehydrogenation over boron nitride. ChemCatChem (2017) 9(17), 3293–3297.

3. L. Zhang, Y. Ding, K.H. Wu, Y. Niu, J. Luo, X. Yang, B. Zhang, D.S. Su, Pd@C core-shell nanoparticles on carbon nanotube as highly stable and selective catalysts for hydrogenation of acetylene to ethylene. Nanoscale (2017) 9, 14317-14321.

4. W. Shi W, K.H. Wu, J. Xu, Q. Zhang, B. Zhang, D.S. Su, Enhanced Stability of Immobilized Pt Nanoparticles through Nitrogen Heteroatoms on Doped Carbon Supports. Chemistry of Materials (2017) 29(20) 8670-8678.

5. W. Liu, B. Chen, X. Duan, K.H. Wu, W. Qi, X. Guo, B. Zhang, D.S. Su, Molybdenum carbide modified nanocarbon catalysts for alkane dehydrogenation reactions. ACS Catalysis (2017) 7, 5820-5827.

6. Y. Lin, K.H. Wu, S. Heumann, D.S. Su, Efficient and highly selective solvent-free oxidation of primary alcohols to aldehydes using bucky nanodiamond. ChemSusChem (2017) 10(17), 3497-3505.

7. Q. Gu, G. Wen, Y. Ding, K.H. Wu, C. Chen, D.S. Su, Reduced graphene oxide: a metal-free catalyst for aerobic oxidative desulfurization. Green Chemistry (2017) 19, 1175-1181.

8. Y. Liu, H. Ba, J. Luo, K.H. Wu, J.M. Nhut, D.S. Su, C. Pham-Huu, Structure-performance relationship of nanodiamonds@nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon in the direct dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene. Catalysis Today(2017) 301, 38-47.

9. Y. Ding, L. Zhang, K.H. Wu, Z. Feng, W. Shi, Q. Gao, B. Zhang, D.S. Su, The influence of carbon surface chemistry on supported palladium nanoparticles in heterogeneous reactions. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science (2016) 480, 175-183.

Materials Synthesis and Modification (2012-)

1. J. Luo, Y. Liu, H. Wei, B. Wang, K.H. Wu, B. Zhang, D.S. Su, A green and economical vapor-assisted ozone treatment process for surface functionalization of carbon nanotubes. Green Chemistry (2017) 19, 1052-1062. 

2. K.H. Wu, F.Y. Fong, J.Z. Luk, I.R. Gentle, D.W. Wang, Metal–ligand complexes as molecular metal-ion reservoirs for highly promoted growth of β-Co(OH)2 microplates. Crystal Growth & Design (2016) 16, 8-11.

3. K.H. Wu, H.H. Cheng, M.A. Ali, I. Blakey, K. Jack, I.R. Gentle, D.W. Wang, Electron-beam writing of deoxygenated micro-patterns on graphene oxide film. Carbon (2015) 95, 738-745.

4. K.H. Wu, X. Leng, D.W. Wang, I.R. Gentle, Enhanced electroactivity of facet-controlled Co3O4 nanocrystals for enzymeless biosensing. Journal of Materials Science & Technology (2015) 32(1), 24-27.

5. K.H. Wu, D.W. Wang, I.R. Gentle, The value of mixed conduction for oxygen electroreduction on graphene–chitosan composites. Carbon (2014) 73, 234-243.

6. K.H. Wu, D.W. Wang, Q. Zeng, Y. Li, I.R. Gentle, Solution phase synthesis of halogenated graphene and the electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction. Chinese Journal of Catalysis (2014) 35, 884-890.

7. D.W. Wang, K.H. Wu, I.R. Gentle, G.Q. Lu, Anodic chlorine/nitrogen co-doping of reduced graphene oxide films at room temperature. Carbon (2012) 50, 3333-3341.

(Electro)Analytical Methods (2016-)

1. K.H. Wu, D.W. Wang, D.S. Su, An extension to the analytical evaluation of oxygen reduction reaction based on the electrokinetics on a rotating ring-disk electrode. ChemElectroChem (2016) 3, 622-628.