Biography
Dr. Feng received his B.S. in Physics from Peking University in 2007, his M.S. in Physics from Tsinghua University in 2009, and his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in December 2013. He spent two and a half years as a Postdoctoral Scholar at Stanford University before joining UCF as an Assistant Professor in August 2016.
Research Areas
Electrocatalysis plays a key role in the energy conversion processes that are central to renewable energy technologies such as fuel cells and electrolyzers. My research focuses on the understanding of structure-activity relationships for electrocatalytic materials and the development of efficient electrocatalysts for energy conversion. In situ scanning probe microscopy (SPM) and synchrotron-based X-ray spectroscopy will be used to characterize the solid-liquid interface and reveal new active sites. Those understandings will then be used to guide the design and synthesis of electrocatalysts (e.g., metal nanostructures, 2D materials) for fuel cells and artificial photosynthesis (water splitting and CO2 reduction).
Publications
- Wang, J.; Yu, L.; Hu, L.; Chen, G.; Xin, H.;* Feng, X.* Ambient ammonia synthesis via palladium-catalyzed electrohydrogenation of dinitrogen at low overpotential. Nat. Commun. 2018, 9, 1795.
- Hu, L.; Khaniya, A.; Wang, J.; Chen, G.; Kaden, W. E.; Feng, X.* Ambient electrochemical ammonia synthesis with high selectivity on Fe/Fe oxide catalyst. ACS Catal. 2018, 8, 9312−9319.
- Wang, J.; Khaniya, A.; Hu, L.; Beazley, M.; Kaden, W. E.; Feng, X.* A bifunctional catalyst for efficient dehydrogenation and electro-oxidation of hydrazine. J. Mater. Chem. A 2018, DOI: 10.1039/C8TA06219F.
- Lechner, B. A. J.; Feng, X.; Feibelman, P. J.; Cerda, J. I.; Salmeron, M.* Scanning tunneling microscopy study of the structure and interaction between carbon monoxide and hydrogen on the Ru(0001) surface. J. Phys. Chem. B 2018, 122, 649−656.
- Beh, E. S.; Basun, S. A.; Feng, X.; Idehenre, I. U.; Evans, D. R.; Kanan, M. W.* Molecular catalysis at polarized interfaces created by ferroelectric BaTiO3. Chem. Sci. 2017, 8, 2790−2794.
- Feng, X.; Jiang, K.; Fan, S.; Kanan, M. W.* A direct grain-boundary-activity correlation for CO electroreduction on Cu nanoparticles. ACS Cent. Sci. 2016, 2, 169−174. (Journal Cover)
- Feng, X.; Jiang, K.; Fan, S.; Kanan, M. W.* Grain-boundary-dependent CO2 electroreduction activity. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015, 137, 4606−4609.
- Feng, X.; Cerdá, J. I.; Salmeron, M.* Orientation-dependent interaction between CO2 molecules adsorbed on Ru(0001). J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2015, 6, 1780−1784.
- Maier, S.; Stass, I.; Feng, X.; Sisto, A.; Zayak, A.; Neaton, J.; Salmeron, M.* Dehydrogenation of ammonia on Ru(0001) by electronic excitations. J. Phys. Chem. C 2015, 119, 10520−10525.
- Feng, X.; Wu, J.; Bell, A. T.; Salmeron, M.* An atomic-scale view of the nucleation and growth of graphene islands on Pt surfaces. J. Phys. Chem. C 2015, 119, 7124−7129.
- Feng, X.; Salmeron, M.* Electronic screening in stacked graphene flakes revealed by scanning tunneling microscopy. Appl. Phys. Lett. 2013, 102, 053116.
- Feng, X.; Kwon, S.; Park, J. Y.; Salmeron, M.* Superlubric sliding of graphene nanoflakes on graphene. ACS Nano 2013, 7, 1718−1724.
- Feng, X.; Maier, S.; Salmeron, M.* Water splits epitaxial graphene and intercalates. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 5662−5668.
- Feng, X.; Chee, S. W.; Sharma, R.; Liu, K.; Xie, X.; Li, Q.; Fan, S.; Jiang, K.* In situ TEM observation of the gasification and growth of carbon nanotubes using iron catalysts. Nano Research 2011, 4, 767−779.
- Feng, X.; Liu, K.; Xie, X.; Zhou, R.; Zhang, L.; Li, Q.; Fan, S.; Jiang, K.* Thermal analysis study of the growth kinetics of carbon nanotubes and epitaxial graphene layers on them. J. Phys. Chem. C 2009, 113, 9623−9631.
- Xie, X.; Ju, L.; Feng, X.; Sun, Y.; Zhou, R.; Liu, K.; Fan, S.; Li, Q.; Jiang, K.* Controlled fabrication of high-quality carbon nanoscrolls from monolayer graphene. Nano Lett. 2009, 9, 2565−2570.
- Liu, K.; Sun, Y.; Chen, L.; Feng, C.; Feng, X.; Jiang, K.;* Zhao, Y.;* Fan, S. Controlled growth of super-aligned carbon nanotube arrays for spinning continuous unidirectional sheets with tunable physical properties. Nano Lett. 2008, 8, 700−705.
- Xiao, L.;* Liu, P.; Liu, L.;* Jiang, K.;* Feng, X.; Wei, Y.; Qian, L.; Fan, S.; Zhang, T. Barium- functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotube yarns as low-work-function thermionic cathodes. Appl. Phys. Lett. 2008, 92, 153108.
- Wei, Y.; Jiang, K.;* Feng, X.; Liu, P.; Liu, L.;* Fan, S. Comparative studies of multiwalled carbon nanotube sheets before and after shrinking. Phys. Rev. B 2007, 76, 045423.
Highlights
American Vacuum Society (AVS) Morton M. Traum Surface Science Award, 2013.
American Vacuum Society (AVS) Graduate Research Award, 2013.
Materials Research Society (MRS) Graduate Student Silver Award, 2013.
Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad, 2012.
Chih-Kung Jen Prize, Tsinghua University, 2009.
Syllabi
- Intermediate Physics Laboratory, PHY 3802L, Fall 2016.
