Biography

• Associate Research Fellow, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University (2022-present)

• Research Fellow, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University，Singapore (2017-2022)

• Ph.D., Condensed State Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (2011-2016)

• B.S., Applied Chemistry. Department of Material and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences (2007-2011)

Research Interests

• Focus on magneto-electrocatalysis. It was pioneering in investigations into the spin properties of electrons in the electrocatalytic process. Found that the spin-polarized electrons could contribute to electrocatalysis. We were exploring the OER mechanisms involved in spin polarization.

• Tailoring catalyst surfaces to fit the chemical reaction. We used electrochemical surface restructure and electrochemical delithium to form stable active oxygen species on the catalyst surface for high-efficiency water oxidation.

• Expert in chemical synthesis of magnetic nanomaterials with different sizes and shapes. Expert in magnetic measurement and magnetic properties of magnetic materials.

Selected Publications

1. Ruiqi Zhang, Xingwu Liu, Ningning Song, Jiahao, He, Zeyan Cen, Chengyu Li, Maolin Wang, Haoyi Tang, Wei Liu, Xiao Ren*, Ding Ma*. Magnetic Induction Heating-Driven Rapid Cold Start of Ammonia Decomposition for Hydrogen Production. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 28635−28641. (co-corresponding author)

2. Yuwei Zhang, Qian Wu, Justin Zhu Yeow Seow, Yingjie Jia, Xiao Ren*, Zhichuan J Xu*. Spin states of metal centers in electrocatalysis. Chem. Soc. Rev., 2024, 53, 8123-8136. (co-corresponding author)

3. Jin Wang, Justin Zhu Yeow Seow, Zhichuan J. Xu *, Xiao Ren *. Selective electrochemical oxidation of alkene: Recent progress and perspectives. Chin. J. Catal., 2023, 53: 34–51. (co-corresponding author)

4. Xiao Ren, Tianze Wu, Zizhao Gong, Lulu Pan, Jianling Meng, Haitao Yang, Freyja Bjork Dagbjartsdottir, Adrian Fisher, Hong-Jun Gao, Zhichuan J. Xu. The origin of magnetization-caused increment in water oxidation. Nat. Commun. 2023 14, 2482.

5. Xiao Ren, Tianze Wu, Yuanmiao Sun, Yan Li, Guoyu Xian, Xianhu Liu, Chengmin Shen, Jose Gracia, Hong-Jun Gao, Haitao Yang, and Zhichuan J. Xu. Spin-polarized oxygen evolution reaction under magnetic field. Nat. Commun. 2021, 12, 2608.

6. Xiao Ren, Chao Wei, Yuanmiao Sun, Xiaozhi Liu, Fanqi Meng, Shengnan Sun, Shibo Xi, Yonghua Du, Zhuanfang Bi, Guangyi Shang, Adrian C. Fisher, Lin Gu, Zhichuan J. Xu. Constructing adaptive heterojunction as a highly active catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction. Advanced Materials, 2020, 32, 2001292.

7. Jingjie Ge#, Xiao Ren#, Riccardo Ruixi Chen, Yuanmiao Sun, Tianze Wu, Samuel Jun Hoong Ong, Zhichuan J. Xu. Multiple-Domain versus Single-Domain: a Magnetic Field is not a must for Promoting Spin-Polarized Water Oxidation. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2023, 26, e202301721. (co-first author)

8. Tianze Wu#, Xiao Ren#, Yuanmiao Sun, Shengnan Sun, Guoyu Xian, Günther G. Scherer, Adrian C. Fisher, Daniel Mandler, Joel W. Ager, Alexis Grimaud, Haitao Yang, Jose Gracia, Hongjun Gao, Zhichuan J. Xu. Controlled surface reconstruction on ferromagnetic oxides: spin pinning effect to the oxyhydroxide layer and its enhanced oxygen evolution activity. Nat. Commun. 2021, 12, 3634. (co-first author)

9. Yuanmiao Sun#, Xiao Ren#, Shengnan Sun, Zheng Liu, Shibo Xi, Zhichuan J. Xu. Engineering High‐Spin State Cobalt Cations in Spinel Zinc Cobalt Oxide for Spin Channel Propagation and Active Site Enhancement in Water Oxidation. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2021, 60, 14536-14544. (co-first author)