Hua Sheng

Ph.D., Professor / Principal Investigator

Key Laboratory of Photochemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences

Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Address: 2 Zhongguancun North First St, Beijing 100190, PR China

E-mail: hsheng@iccas.ac.cn

ORCID: 0000-0002-5605-2630

 

Education:

2004.09 ~ 2008.07     B.S.         University of Science and Technology of China, Heifei, Anhui, PR China

2008.09 ~ 2014.07     Ph.D.        Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China

 

Professional Experience：

2014.10 ~ 2018.5       Postdoctoral Research Fellow   

                                 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA, U.S.

2018.9 ~                    Principal Investigator, Associated Professor (2018.9-2024.5) / Professor (2024.5-)

                                 Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China

2019.11 ~                  Adjunct Professor   

                                 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China   

 

Research Interests:

1. The application of photocatalysis and electrocatalysis in environmental treatment and energy conversion as CO₂ utilization, nitrogen-cycling and H₂O₂ production/activation (Fenton reaction), especially focused on tuning the electron transfer process in the catalytic reactions by coupled proton transfer or electron-spin-state optimization.

2. The mechanistic approaches of the interfacial reaction procedure in photocatalysis and electrocatalysis, especially through the method  of in-situ FT-IR spectroscopy.

 

Fundings:

1. The National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.22076193, 2021.1~2024.12

2. The National Key Research and Development Program of China, No.2020YFA0710303, 2020.12~2025.11

3. CAS Project for Young Scientists in Basic Research, No.YSBR-004, 2021.6~2026.6

4. The National Natural Science Foundation of China for Excellent Youth, No.22222609, 2023.1~2025.12

 

Publications as Corresponding or First Author:

27. Zhang, Z. Y.; Wang, Y.; Xie, Y. E.; Tsukamoto, T.; Zhao, Q.; Huang, Q.; Huang, X. M.; Zhang, B. Y.; Song, W. J.; Chen, C. C.; Sheng, H. and Zhao, J. C., "Floatable Artificial Leaf to Couple Oxygen-Tolerant CO₂ Conversion with Water Purification", Nat. Commun. 2025, 16, 274.

26. Li, Y. F.; Huang, X. M.; Zhang, B. Y.; Chen, C. C.; Sheng, H.* and Zhao, J. C., "Mixed CO Adsorption Modes Induced by Lattice Strain to Facilitate C-C Coupling during Electrochemical CO Reduction", Appl. Catal. B-Environ. Energy 2025, 361, 124627.

25. Zhang, W. Y.^#; Deng, C. Y.^#; Wang, W.*; Sheng, H.* and Zhao, J. C., "Achieving Almost 100% Selectively in Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction to Methane via In-situ Atmosphere Regulation Strategy", Adv. Mater. 2024, 36(35), 2405825.

24. Halili, R.*; Li, Z. L.; Lu, X.; Sheng, H.*; Bahnemann, D. W. and Zhao, J. C., "Ultrathin Defective Heterojunction for Visible Light NO Removal: Correlation between Microstructure and Reaction Mechanism", Environ. Sci.-Nano 2024, 11(8), 3301-3316.

23. Xie, Y. E.; Wang, M.; Huang, Q.; Huang, Q.; Sheng, B.; Song, W. J.; Sheng, H.* and Zhao, J. C. "A Floatable Photocatalyst to Synergistically Promote CO₂ Reduction and Water Oxidation by Creating Oriented Charge Separation across a Tri-phase Interface", Energy Environ. Sci. 2024, 17(7), 4725-4734.

22. Yin, B. P.; Wang, C.; Xie, S. J.; Gu, J. M.; Sheng, H.*; Wang, D.-X.*; Yao, J. N. and Zhang, C.*, "Regulation Spin Density Using TEMPOL Molecules for Enhanced CO₂-to-Ethylene Conversion by HKUST-1 Framework Derived Electrocatalysts", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2024, 63(29), e202405873.

21. Huang, X. M.; Li, Y. F.; Xie, S. J.*; Zhao, Q.; Zhang, B. Y.; Zhang, Z. Y.; Sheng, H.* and Zhao, J. C., "The Tandem Nitrate and CO₂ Reduction for Urea Electrosynthesis: Role of Surface N-Intermediates in CO₂ Capture and Activation", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2024, 63(24), e202403980.

20. Huang, Q. and Sheng, H.*, "Magnetic-Field-Induced Spin Regulation in Electrocatalytic Reactions", Chem. Eur. J. 2024, 30(17), e202400352.

19. Wang, W.^#; Zhang, W. Y.^#; Deng, C. Y.; Sheng, H.* and Zhao, J. C., "Accerlated Photocatalytic Carbon Dioxide Reduction and Water Oxidation under Spatial Synergy", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2024, 63(7), e202317969.

18. Sheng,.B.; Xie, Y. E.; Zhao, Q.; Sheng, H.* and Zhao, J. C., "Proton Reservoir in Polymer Photocatalysts for the Superior H₂O₂ Photosynthesis", Energy Environ. Sci. 2023, 16(10), 4612-4619.

17. Hu, Z.-T.^#; Fei, Y. F.^#; Wang, Q.-Y.; Zhao, Q.; Loo, S.-L.; Hu, M.; Li, Y. H.; Song, Y. J. Wang, J.-X.; Shen, Z.-G.; Sheng, H.*; Wang, J.-D.*; Zhao, J. C., "Catalytic Disinfection: Quasi-Dynamically Monitoring Bacteria Sterilization Based on CuNPs/ZnIn₂S₄ Disinfectants and in-situ CuNPs Regeneration", Appl. Catal. B-Environ. 2023, 337, 122995.

16. Huang, Q.^#; Xie, S. J.^#; Hao, J. J.; Ding, Z. J.*; Zhang, C.*; Sheng, H.* and Zhao, J. C., "Spin-Enhanced O-H Cleavage in Electrochemical Water Oxidation", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, 62(20), e202300469.

15. Li, Y. F.^#; Xie, S. J.^#; Huang, X. M.; Song, W. J.; Chen, C. C.; Sheng, H.* and Zhao, J. C., "Spectating the Proton Migration on Catalyst with Noninnocent Ligand in Aqueous Electrochemical CO₂ Reduction", Appl. Catal. B-Environ. 2023, 329, 122542.

14. Xie, S. J.^#; Deng, C. Y.^#; Huang, Q.; Zhang, C.*; Chen, C. C.; Zhao, J. C.* and Sheng, H.*, "Facilitated Photocatalytic CO₂ Reduction in Aerobic Environment on a Copper-Porphyrin Metal-Organic Framework", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, 62(10), e202216717.

13. Sheng, B.^#; Deng, C. Y.^#; Li, Y. F.; Xie, S. J.; Wang, Z. H.*; Sheng, H.* and Zhao, J. C., "In-Situ Hydroxylation of a Single-Atom Iron Catalyst for Preferential ¹O₂ Production", ACS Catal. 2022, 12(23), 14679-14688.

12. Hao, J. J.; Xie, S. J.; Huang, Q.; Ding, Z. J.; Sheng, H.*; Zhang, C.* and Yao, J. N., "Spin-Enhanced C-C Coupling in CO₂ Electroreduction with Oxide-Derived Copper", CCS Chem. 2023, 5(9), 2046-2058.

11. Hailili, R.*; Ji, H. W.; Wang, K.W.; Dong, X. A.; Chen, C. C.; Sheng, H.*; Bahnemann, D. W.* and Zhao, J. C., "ZnO with Controllable Oxygen Vacancies for Photocatalytic Nitrogen Oxide Removal", ACS Catal. 2022, 12(16), 10004-10017.

10. Xie, S. J.^#; Li, Y. F.^#; Sheng, B.; Zhang, W. Y.; Wang, W.; Chen, C. C.; Li, J. K.*; Sheng, H.* and Zhao, J. C., "Self-Reconstruction of Paddle-Wheel Copper-Node to Facilitate the Photocatalytic CO₂ Reduction to Ethane", Appl. Catal. B-Environ. 2022, 310, 121320.

9. Hailili, R.; Wang, Z. Q.; Ji, H. W.; Chen, C. C.; Gong, X. Q.*; Sheng, H.* and Zhao, J. C., "Mechanstic Insights into the Photocatalytic Reduction of Nitric Oxide to Nitrogen on Oxygen-Deficient Quasi-Two-Dimensional Bismuth-Based Perovskites", Environ. Sci.-Nano 2022, 9(4), 1453-1465.

8. Wang, W.; Deng, C. Y.; Xie, S. J.; Li, Y. F.; Zhang, W. Y.; Sheng, H.*, Chen, C. C. and Zhao, J. C., "Photocatalytic C-C Coupling from Carbon Dioxide Reduction on Copper Oxide with Mixed Valence Copper(I)/Copper(II)", J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143(7), 2984-2993.

7. Zhang, H. N.; Li, Y. F.; Wang, J. Z.; Wu, N. N.; Sheng, H.*; Chen, C. C.* and Zhao, J. C., "An Unprecedent Hydride Transfer Pathway for Selective Photocatalytic Reduction of CO₂ to Formic Acid on TiO₂", Appl. Catal. B-Environ. 2021, 284, 119692.

6. Cornejo, J. A.^#; Sheng, H.^# ; Edri, E.^#; Ajo-Franklin, C. M.* and Frei, H.*, "Nanoscale Membranes that Chemically Isolate and Electronically Wire Up the Abiotic/Biotic Interface", Nat. Commun. 2018, 9, 2263.

5. Sheng, H.; Oh, M. H.; Osowiecki, W. T.; Kim, W.; Alivisatos, A. P. and Frei, H.*, "Carbon Dioxide Dimer Radical Anion as Surface Intermediate  of Photoinduced CO₂ Reduction at Aqueous Cu and CdSe Nanoparticle Catalysts by Rapid-Scan FT-IR Spectroscopy", J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140(12), 4363-4371.

4. Sheng, H. and Frei, H.*, "Direct Observation by Rapid-Scan FT-IR Spectroscopy of Two-Electron-Reduced Intermediate of Tetraaza Catalyst [Co^IIN₄H(MeCN)]²⁺ Converting CO₂ to CO", J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138(31), 9959-9967.

3. Sheng, H.; Zhang, H. N.; Song, W. J.; Ji, H. W.; Ma, W. H.; Chen, C. C.* and Zhao, J. C., "Activation of Water in Titanium Dioxide Photocatalysis by Formation of Surface Hydrogen Bonds: An in situ IR Spectroscopy Study", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2015, 54(20), 5905-5909.

2. Sheng, H.; Ji, H. W.; Ma, W. H.; Chen, C. C.* and Zhao, J. C., "Direct Four-Electron Reduction of O₂ to H₂O on TiO₂ Surfaces by Pendant Proton Relay", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2013, 52(37), 9686-9690.

1. Sheng, H.; Li, Q.; Ma, W. H.; Ji, H. W.; Chen, C. C.* and Zhao, J. C., "Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants on Surface Anionized TiO₂: Common Effect of Anions for High Hole-Availability by Water", Appl. Catal. B-Environ. 2013, 138, 212-218.