Xijun is a Research Associate at Northwestern University, co-mentored by Professors Edward H. Sargent, Randall Q. Snurr, and Omar K. Farha. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2017 under Prof. Jun Jiang. He previously worked as a visiting scholar at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and later served as a postdoctoral researcher at North Carolina State University. With a background spanning computational chemistry, machine learning, materials science, and catalysis, Dr. Wang’s current research focuses on modeling metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs) for CO₂ capture, as well as machine learning-accelerated material discovery for catalysis and solar cell applications.
Dr. Aamir Shah
Originally from Pakistan, Dr. Aamir Hassan Shah completed his PhD in the Xiangfeng Duan group at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in June 2024. His doctoral research focused on the fundamental interfacial electrochemistry of the hydrogen evolution reaction, aiming to enhance renewable energy technologies. In July 2024, he joined Professor Ted Sargent’s lab as a postdoctoral fellow, where he is pioneering research in plasma-hybrid electrocatalysis. Dr. Shah’s work advances cleaner energy solutions by exploring innovative catalytic methods, bridging nanotechnology and sustainable chemistry.
Dr. Pengju Shi
pengju.shi@northwestern.edu
Pengju received his Ph.D. degree under the supervision of Prof. Rui Wang, Prof. Jingjing Xue and Prof. Yang Yang in June. 2024, from the School of Engineering, Westlake University/Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Dr. Guixiang Li
Guixiang Li is a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University, jointly advised by Prof. Mercouri G. Kanatzidis and Prof. Edward H. Sargent. Previously, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, from 2023 to 2024, co-advised by Prof. Paul J. Dyson and Prof. Mohammad K. Nazeeruddin. He received his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 2023 under the supervision of Prof. Antonio Abate at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin for Materials and Energy (HZB), Germany. His research primarily focuses on the degradation and stability mechanisms of Pb and Pb-Sn perovskites and devices, as well as the effects of transport layers and external stresses, with applications in all-perovskite tandem photovoltaics.
Dr. Jaerim Kim
Jaerim Kim received her Ph.D. degree in Feb. 2024 from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), South Korea, under the guidance of Prof. Jong Kyu Kim. Jaerim joined the Sargent group as a postdoctoral fellow in March 2024. Her research has focused on the design of electrocatalysts based on tailoring adsorption abilities and surface morphologies for efficient hydrogen production. Her current research topics in the Sargent group include the design of electrocatalysts and electrochemical systems for efficient and robust oxygen evolution.
Dr. Yiwei Zheng
Yiwei Zheng obtained her MSc. in Prof. Dario Dekel’s group from Technion, Israel and Ph.D. in 2021 from University of South Carolina under the supervision of Prof. William E. Mustain with the topic of AEM fuel cell. After that, she joined Prof. Xile Hu’s group in EPFL, Switzerland as post-doc fellow working in AEM water electrolyser. Since 2024, she has been a postdoctoral fellow in Northwestern University. Her research focuses on designing and synthesizing novel redox-active polymer for gas capture and separation.
Dr. Hongtao Sun
Hong-Tao is currently a visiting scholar in the Sargent group and a Principal Researcher at the Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan. He earned his Ph.D. in materials science from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2007. His research interests encompass the synthesis of colloidal nanocrystals, the structural chemistry of functional materials, and their applications in optoelectronics.
Dr. Guangcan Su
Dr. Guangcan Su received his Ph.D. degree in 2024 from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Nurin Wahidah Mohd Zulkifli. His Ph.D. studies primarily focused on biochar modification, industrial decarbonization, and carbon capture and utilization technologies. He joined the Sargent group as a postdoctoral fellow in March 2024, and is jointly advised by Prof. Jennifer B. Dunn. His current research interests include the techno-economic analysis and life-cycle assessment of novel carbon capture and utilization technologies.
Dr. Mengjie Liu
Mengjie Liu received her B.S. degree in Functional Materials from Tianjin University, and Ph.D. degree in chemistry from Hong Kong Polytechnic University under the direction of Prof. Lawrence Yoon Suk Lee. She joined Sargent team as a post-doctor in 2024, her research focused on developing the acidic-stable Ir-free PEMWE catalyst.
Dr. Shuang Yang
Dr. Shuang Yang received her Ph.D. in Chemistry at Utrecht University in the Netherlands in January 2024, under the supervision of Professor Bert M. Weckhuysen. Her research focused on the structure-performance relationship of post transition metals in the electrochemical CO2 reduction. She joined the Sargent team in June 2024 as a postdoctoral researcher, with a research interest in electrochemical CO2 conversion to fuels.
