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The group of electrochemistry and Raman spectroscopy (GEARS), led by Dr. Dan Ren in Xi'an Jiaotong University, aims at pushing the boundaries of our understanding on the electrochemical process as well as resolving technological problems related to electrochemical engineering. The major research interest is to develop efficient systems for electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals. The group is especially interested in investigating the dynamic electrochemical process at the catalytic interfaces by employing multiple in situ techniques for probing the interface. 

Group Photo, taken on 26th April 2025

Curriculum Vitae

Employment

Since Jan.2024, Professor, Xi'an Jiaotong University

Jan.2022-Dec.2023, Associate Professor, Xi'an Jiaotong University

Jan.2018-Dec.2021, Postdoc Fellow (Collaborator: Prof. Michael Grätzel), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Education

Jul.2013-Dec.2017, Ph.D. (Supervisor: Prof. Boon Siang Yeo), National University of Singapore

Sep.2009-Jun.2013, B.Eng., Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Location of our lab:

#221, 5 South Xingqing Road, Xi'an 710049.

Mailing address:

#3212, Hongrun Building, iHarbour, Xi'an 712000

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Email: 

dan.ren@xjtu.edu.cn

Personal identifiers:

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3738-6421

Researcher ID: http://www.researcherid.com/rid/L-4047-2016

The group now has several positions available. Interested candidates are encouraged to contact the principal investigator via email: dan.ren@xjtu.edu.cn   

1. Graduate student

Requirement: 1) team player, 2) bachelor’s degree or bachelor student in his/her final year, 3) strong interest in research, especially in electrochemistry.

For international students, please see the link for available scholarships and application procedure (http://sie.xjtu.edu.cn/en/PG2022EN.pdf).

2. Undergraduate researcher

Interest in electrochemistry-related research is the only requirement.

GNED101416 – Guided Reading of <Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms>

                            public elective course for undergraduate (23-24 special semester, 24-25 semester 1 & semester 2)

WS19016001 –  English for Chemical Engineering

                            course for graduate (24-25 semester 2)

WS19012069 –  Writing for Academic Publication

                            course for graduate (24-25 semester 2)

• Chenglong Wang, Shengzhou Xu, Hexing Yang, Wangjiang Gao, Chunjing Ran & Dan Ren*. Cation Effect on the Dynamics of Intermediates in Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide in Acids. ACS Catal. 15, 15372-15386 (2025).
• Yafei Yao^#, Shengzhou Xu^#, Hangyu Bu^#, Wen Yan, Zhe Zheng, Dan Ren* & Ming Ma*. Unraveling the Impact of Common-Ion Effect on Acidic CO₂ Electroreduction via Exploring Local pH Variation. ACS Catal. 15, 12114-12122 (2025).
• Wangjiang Gao, Chenglong Wang, Hexing Yang, Chunjing Ran, Shengzhou Xu & Dan Ren*. Modulating CO₂/H₂O Ratio at Hydrophobic Catalytic Interface Promotes C-C Coupling in Acidic CO₂ Electroreduction. Adv. Funct. Mater. 35, e09314 (2025).
• Shengzhou Xu, Chenglong Wang, Chunjing Ran, Hexing Yang, Wangjiang Gao, Bitao Dong*, Yuhang Liu & Dan Ren*. Tuning Intermediate Binding Enables Selective Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide to Carbon Monoxide on a Copper-Indium Catalyst. Chem. Sci. 16, 8661-8672 (2025).
• Zi-Hao Zhao & Dan Ren*. Unravelling the Effect of Crystal Facet of Derived-Copper Catalysts on the Electroreducction of Carbon Dioxide under Unified Mass Transport Condition. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 64, e202415590 (2025).
• Meng Xia, Linfeng Pan, Yongpeng Liu, Jing Gao, Jun Li, Mounir Mensi, Kevin Sivula, Shaik M. Zakeeruddin, Dan Ren* & Michael Grätzel*. Efficient Cu₂O Photocathode for Aqueous Photoelectrochemical CO₂ Reduction to Formate and Syngas. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 145, 27939-27949 (2023).
• Jing Gao, Alimohammad Bahmanpour, Oliver Kröcher, Shaik M. Zakeeruddin, Dan Ren* & Michael Grätzel*. Electrochemical Synthesis of Propylene from Carbon Dioxide on Copper Nanocrystals. Nat. Chem. 15, 705-713 (2023).
• Honglei Wang^#, Yunfei Jiao^#, Bing Wu, Dong Wang*, Yueqi Hu, Fei Liang, Chen Shen*, Andrea Knauer, Dan Ren*, Hongguang Wang*, Peter A van Aken, Hongbin Zhang, Michael Grätzel, Zdenek Sofer & Peter Schaaf. Exfoliated 2D Layered and Nonlayered Metal Phosphorous Trichalcogenides Nanosheets as Promising Electrocatalysts for CO₂ Reduction. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 62, e202217253 (2023).

​​​For full publication list, please redirect here.

1. <Frontiers in Energy> Regional Academic Forum - July 2025, Xi'an.
2. 3^rd Intermational Conference on Energy Chemistry - Jun 2025, Shenzhen
3. 2025 Silk Road International Symposium on the Cooperation and Integration of Industry, Education, Research and Application of Energy and Chemicals - May 2025, Xi'an
4. 2025 International Symposium on Electrocatalysis and Electrosynthesis, Chinese Chemical Society - Mar 2025, Xiangtan
5. International Forum on the Micro-Nano Technology and Catalysis by the Chinese Society of Micro-Nano Technology - Aug 2024, Wuhu
6. The 5^th Forum on the National Analytical Instruments for Photoelectronic & Development of Photoelectronic Industry in Huairou – Aug 2024, Beijing
7. Solar Energy Conversion Symposium - Celebrating Prof. Michael Grätzel’s 80^th Birthday - Jun 2024, Tianjin​​​​
8. The Second Forum on Innovation and Development of New Energy Materials – May 2024, Nanjing
9. The First Forum on Innovation and Development of New Energy Materials – Nov 2023, Xi’an
10. World Young Scientist Summit – International Symposium on Carbon Energy – Nov 2023, Wenzhou
11. The 33^rd CCS Congress – Jun 2023, Qingdao
12. Southeast Asia Catalysis Conference – May 2023, Singapore
13. eScience Forum – Apr 2023, Tianjin
14. Electrocatalysis and Electrochemical Synthesis Conference – Apr 2023, Changsha
15. International Young Scholars’ Forum on Photo/electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction – Sep 2022, Online
16. Course Lecture at Linköping University (invited by Dr. Feng Wang) – May 2021, Online
17. Lecture at University of Zurich (invited by Prof. Peter Hamm) – Oct 2020, Online
18. Lecture at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (invited by Dr. Matthew Mayer) – Aug 2020, Online
19. Young Scholar Forum at Central China Normal University (invited by Prof. Wenjing Xiao) – Dec 2019, Wuhan
20. Lecture at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (invited by Prof. Yan Shen) – Oct 2019, Wuhan
21. Young Scholar Forum at Nankai University (invited by Prof. Jingshan Luo) – Oct 2018, Tianjin
22. 256^th ACS Meeting Fall – Aug 2018, Boston
23. 231^st Electrochemical Society (ECS) Meeting – May 2017, New Orleans
24. 9^th Singapore International Chemistry Conference (SICC) – Dec 2016, Singapore
25. 67^th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE) – Aug 2016, The Hague
26. Materials Research Society (MRS) Conference Fall – Nov 2015, Boston