Professor
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Personal Profile
Dr. Qi-Fa Chen is a full professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology since 2026. Dr. Chen obtained his Bachelor's degree from Harbin Institute of Technology in 2015 and was awarded Ph.D. from Tsinghua University in 2020 under the supervision of Professor Ming-Tian Zhang. In 2020-2026, He conducted postdoctoral research at Tsinghua University (collaborating with CAS academician Jin-Pei Cheng), National University of Singapore (collaborating with Professor Lei Wang), and The University of Hong Kong (collaborating with Professor Ho Yu Au-Yeung).
He now works within the State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals at Dalian University of Technology as a member of Professor Tao Liu’s research team on “Photo-responsive Intelligent Molecular Materials”, and also leads his own independent group on “Intelligent Molecular Engineering and Energy Catalysis”. The research primarily centers on employing methodologies from physical organic and physical inorganic chemistry to investigate the catalytic mechanisms of energy-relevant small molecules, including water oxidation, oxygen reduction, and carbon dioxide reduction.
He focuses on the mechanistic study of catalytic dynamic evolution and the targeted construction of molecular catalysts. Following the research approach of “intermediate capture - structure-activity relationship - catalyst design,” he aims to dynamically monitor key intermediates, elucidate catalytic mechanisms, and design efficient and stable molecular catalysts. The current main research directions include: (1) rational design of biomimetic molecular catalysts and investigation of structure-activity relationships; (2) mechanistic studies on electronic spin state regulation and magnetic field effects in small-molecule activation reactions. The relevant research results have been published in 9 papers (as first or co-first author) in journals such as CCS Chem. (×2), JACS (×3), Angew and Nat. Commun..
Chen Group website: https://www.x-mol.com/groups/chenqifa
Liu Tao Resreach Team website: https://liutao.dlut.edu.cn/cn.htm
WORK EXPERIENCE
2025- 2026 Research Fellow
Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong.
Advisor: Prof. Ho Yu Au-Yeung
2022- 2025 Research Fellow
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore.
Advisor: Prof. Lei Wang
2020-2022 Postdoctoral Researcher
Center of Basic Molecular Science, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University
Advisor: Prof. Jin-Pei Cheng (CAS Academician)
EDUCATION
2015-2020 Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry
Center of Basic Molecular Science, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University
Advisor: Prof. Ming-Tian Zhang (a beam of light on my research journey!)
2011-2015 B.S. in Electrochemistry
Harbin Institute of Technology
HONORS AND AWARDS
2023 Poster Award (Silver) at Southeast Asia Catalysis Conference, Singapore
2022 Outstanding Postdoctoral Excellent Award (Tsinghua University)
2021 Outstanding Postdoctoral Innovation Award (Tsinghua University)
2019-2021 IKA Scholarship (Tsinghua University), three times
2015 Provincial Outstanding Graduate (Harbin Institute of Technology)
2012-2014 National Scholarship (Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China), three times
2009 Liu Wei Scholarship (Shao Yang No1. Middle School)
REPRESENTATIVE WORKS
[1] Chen, Q.-F.#; Zhang, X.#; Shi, J.#; Zhan, J.; Xie, F.; Zhang, H.-T.; Deng, J.; Li, M.; Shao, Y.*; Zhang, M.-T.*; In situ revelation the dynamic evolution of molecular water oxidation catalyst, CCS Chem.2025, 7, 893-904.(#contributed equally，* corresponding author)
[2] Chen, Q.-F.; Xiao, Y.; Liao, R.-Z.*; Zhang, M.-T.* Trinuclear nickel catalyst for water oxidation: Intramolecular proton-coupled electron transfer triggered trimetallic cooperative O-O bond formation. CCS Chem.2023, 5, 245-256.
[3] Chen, Q.-F.#; Xiao, Y.#; K. Hua, Zhang H.-T.*; Zhang, M.-T.* Bimetallic synergy in oxygen reduction: how tailored metal−metal interactions amplify cooperative catalysis. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2025, 147, 14504-14518.
[4] Chen, Q.-F.; Cheng, Z.-Y.; Liao, R.-Z.*; Zhang, M.-T.* Bioinspired trinuclear copper catalyst for water oxidation with a turnover frequency up to 20000 s-1. J. Am. Chem. Soc.2021, 143, 19761-19768. (The most cited publications on JACS from 2020-2021)
[5] Chen, Q.-F.; Xian, K.-L.; Zhang, H.-T.*; Su, X.-J.; Liao, R.-Z.*; Zhang, M.-T.* Pivotal role of geometry regulation on O−O bond formation mechanism of bimetallic water oxidation catalysts. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.2024, 63, e202317514.
