Rui Wang

Graduate Student, Materials Chemistry

Department of Chemistry

University of Wisconsin - Madison

rwang484@wisc.edu

Biographical Sketch

B.S. Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, 2019

Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2019-2024

Research

Rui works on materials for energy conversion and storage. 

Electrochemical synthesis of high-value chemicals using renewable electricity could bring sustainability advantages over conventional chemical manufacturing. Pairing useful half-reactions could produce high-value chemicals simultaneously; however, the tight coupling between paired half-reactions requires identical conditions (e.g., reaction conditions and rates) and constrains the products and efficiency. Modular electrochemical synthesis (ModES) using redox reservoirs (RRs)1, which are solid energy-storage materials that can store/release electrons and desired ions, offers a promising membrane-free approach to improve energy efficiency and reduce waste by pairing multiple independent electrochemical half-reactions that are not comparable in conventional processes. My graduate research focuses on: (1) the design principles for sustainable ModES of value-added chemicals using ion-selective RRs; (2) the investigation of resource recovery and electrosynthesis using ion-selective RRs; (3) the development of highly rate-mismatched ModES for dynamic electricity markets using fast proton RRs.

Publications

9. Wang, R.; Yang, K.; Wong, C.; Aguirre-Villegas, H.; Larson, R.; Brushett, F.; Qin, M.*; Jin, S.* Electrochemical Ammonia Recovery and Co-Production of Chemicals from Manure Wastewater. (Nature Sustainability, 10.1038/s41893-023-01252-z)

8. Michael, K.; Su, Z.; Wang, R.; Sheng, H.; Li, W.; Wang, F.; Stahl, S.*; Jin, S.* Pairing of Aqueous and Nonaqueous Electrosynthetic Reactions Enabled by a Redox Reservoir Electrode. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 22641-22650.

7. Wang, R.; Sheng, H.; Wang, F.; Li, W.; Roberts, D.; Jin, S.* Sustainable Coproduction of Two Disinfectants via Hydroxide-Balanced Modular Electrochemical Synthesis Using a Redox Reservoir. ACS Central Sci 2021, 7, 2083-2091. 

6. Wang, F.; Li, W.; Wang, R.; Guo, T.; Sheng, H.; Fu, H.; Stahl, S.; Jin, S.* Modular Electrochemical Synthesis Using a Redox Reservoir Paired with Independent Half-Reactions. Joule 2021, 5, 149-165.

5. Chen, Q.; Wang, R.; Lu, F.; Kuang, X.; Tong, Y.; Lu, X.* Boosting the Oxygen Evolution Reaction Activity of NiFe₂O₄ Nanosheets by Phosphate Ion Functionalization. ACS Omega 2019, 4, 3493–3499.

4. Wang, R.; Han, Y.; Wang, Z.; Jiang, J.*; Tong, Y.; Lu, X.* Nickel@Nickel Oxide Core–Shell Electrode with Significantly Boosted Reactivity for Ultrahigh‐Energy and Stable Aqueous Ni–Zn Battery. Adv Funct Mater 2018, 28, 1802157.

3. Wang, R.;† Lu, Y.;† Zhou, L.; Han, Y.; Ye, J.; Xu, W.; Lu, X.* Oxygen-Deficient Tungsten Oxide Nanorods with High Crystallinity: Promising Stable Anode for Asymmetric Supercapacitors. Electrochim Acta 2018, 283, 639–645.

2. Zhang, H.; Wang, R.; Lin, D.; Zeng, Y.; Lu, X.* Ni‐based Nanostructures as High‐performance Cathodes for Rechargeable Ni−Zn Battery. Chemnanomat 2018, 4 (6), 525–536.

1. Chen, Q.; Wang, R.; Yu, M.; Zeng, Y.; Lu, F.; Kuang, X.; Lu, X.* Bifunctional Iron–Nickel Nitride Nanoparticles as Flexible and Robust Electrode for Overall Water Splitting. Electrochim Acta 2017, 247, 666–673.

Patents

Jin, S.; Wang, R.; “Ammonia and Nutrient Ion Recovery from Manure Wastewater and Electrosynthesis of Value-Added Chemicals Using Ion Selective Redox Material” US Patent filed on Aug 17, 2023.