Personal Profile
Prof. Ruqiang Zou is a Boya Distinguished Professor at Peking University, Dean of the College of Materials Science and Engineering at Peking University, recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, Chief Scientist of the National Key R&D Program, Principal Investigator of the National Major Scientific Research Instrument Development Project, and Principal Investigator of the Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation. He is also recognized as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher. Prof. Zou has long been dedicated to the research of energy materials, focusing on fundamental scientific issues and critical technological challenges in functional porous materials for energy storage, catalysis, and intelligent thermal management. He has published over 350 SCI papers, which have been cited more than 38,000 times, with an H-index of 98, and has filed more than 50 patents. He also serves as the Secretary-General and Vice President of the Nano Materials and Devices Branch of the Chinese Materials Research Society, as well as the Secretary-General of the Energy Chemistry Division of the Chinese Chemical Society.
Education Background
2004-2008, Doctor of Engineering degree from the Institute of Industrial Technology, Kobe University, Japan.
2001-2004, Master of Science degree from the School of Chemistry, Nankai University.
Work Experience
2023-Present: Dean of the School of Advanced Materials, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University.
2022-Present: Dean of the School of Materials Science and Engineering, Peking University.
2021-2023: Party Secretary of the School of Materials Science and Engineering, Peking University.
2021-2022: Vice Dean of the School of Materials Science and Engineering, Peking University.
2020-2021: Vice Dean of the College of Engineering, Peking University.
2019-Present: Dean of the Institute of Clean Energy, Peking University.
2019-2021: Tenured Professor of the School of Engineering, Peking University.
2012-2016: Researcher of the Singapore Peking University Research Centre for a Sustainable Low-Carbon Future.
2010-2019: Researcher of the School of Engineering, Peking University.
2008-2010: Chief Postdoctoral Researcher of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA.
2006-2008: JSPS Special Researcher (DC) of the AIST& Kobe University, Japan.
Research Interests
The research team led has constructed a series of novel porous carbon-based electrocatalysts using metal-organic frameworks as self-sacrificing templates and precursors, which have significant application prospects in energy storage and conversion fields such as fuel cells and electrolyzed water, and have expanded the research scope in the field of new energy materials.
By using three-dimensional nanoporous materials as the carrier and encapsulating and modifying phase change energy storage materials, the conversion between electric heat and solar heat has been achieved. The application technical bottlenecks such as encapsulation, subcooling and low thermal conductivity of phase change materials have been successfully solved, and the developed phase change energy storage technology has been industrialized.
Prof. Zou and his team have also achieved significant research breakthroughs in all-solid-state batteries, revealed the structure and ion transport mechanisms of solid electrolytes by neutron scattering techniques, developed all-solid-state battery systems designed for operation under extremely cold conditions and proposed strategies to optimize the interfacial compatibility between solid electrolytes and lithium metal anode.
Honors & Awards
1. Leader of Key Projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (2024)
2. Project Leader of National Major Scientific Research Instrument Development Project (2023)
3. Recipient of the Qingshan Science and Technology Award (2022)
4. Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Supervisor of Beijing Municipality (2022)
5. Clarivate Analytics Global Highly Cited Researcher (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)
6. Model Communist Party Member of Peking University (2021)
7. Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Supervisor of Peking University (2016, 2018, 2019, 2021)
8. Project Leader of the National Key Research and Development Program (2020)
9. Recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars of China (2018)
10. Wang Xuan Young Scholar Award of Peking University (2017)
11. ISAMR2017 Outstanding Achievement Award (2017)
12. Young Scholar of the "Chang Jiang Scholars" of the Ministry of Education (2016)
13. The National Youth Talent (2014)
14. Recipient of the National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars (2013)
15. "Science and Technology New Star" of Beijing (2012)
16. "Outstanding Talents of the New Century" by the Ministry of Education (2011)
17. Director's Postdoc Fellow of Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA (2008)
Selected publications
1. Hong, B.; Gao, L.*; Li, C.; Lai, G.; Zhu, J.*; Huang, D.; Zuo, Y.; Yin, W.; Sun, M.; Zhao, S.; Zheng, J.; Han, S.*; Zou, R.*, All-solid-state batteries designed for operation under extreme cold conditions. Nat. Commun. 2025, 16 (1), 143.
2. Liu, Y.; An, Y.; Fang, C.; Ye, Y.; An, Y.; He, M.; Jia, Y.; Hong, X.; Liu, Y.; Gao, S.; Hao, Y.; Chen, J.; Zheng, J.; Lu, Y.; Zou, R.*; Pang, Q.*, Surface-localized phase mediation accelerates quasi-solid-state reaction kinetics in sulfur batteries. Nat. Chem. 2025, 17 (4), 614-623.
3. Chen, W.; Bao, M.; Meng, F.; Ma, B.; Feng, L.; Zhang, X.; Qiu, Z.; Gao, S.; Zhong, R.; Xi, S.; Hai, X.*; Lu, J.*; Zou, R.*, Designer topological-single-atom catalysts with site-specific selectivity. Nat. Commun. 2025, 16 (1), 574.
4. Xiong, F.; Zhou, J.; Jin, Y.; Zhang, Z.; Qin, M.; Han, H.; Shen, Z.; Han, S.; Geng, X.; Jia, K.; Zou, R.*, Thermal shock protection with scalable heat-absorbing aerogels. Nat. Commun. 2024, 15 (1), 7125.
5. Gao, L., Zhang, X., Zhu, J., Han, S.,* Zhang, H., Wang, L., Zhao, R., Gao, S., Li, S., Wang, Y., Huang, D., Zhao, Y., &Zou, R.* Boosting lithium ion conductivity of antiperovskite solid electrolyte by potassium ions substitution for cation clusters. Nat. Commun., 2023, 14, 6807.
6. Wan, Y., Chen, W., Wu, S., Gao, S., Xiong, F., Guo, W., Feng, L., Cai, K., Zheng, L., Wang, Y., Zhong, R.,* Zou, R.* Confinement Engineering of Zinc Single-Atom Triggered Charge Redistribution on Ruthenium Site for Alkaline Hydrogen Production. Adv. Mater. 2023, 2308798.
7. Shen, Z., Qin, M., Xiong, F., Zou, R.,* & Zhang, J.* Nanocellulose-based Composite Phase Change Materials for Thermal Energy Storage: Status and Challenges. Energy & Environ. Sci. 2023, 16, 830-861.
8. Usman, A., Xiong, F., Aftab, W., Qin, M., &Zou, R.*Emerging Solid-to-Solid Phase-Change Materials for Thermal-Energy Harvesting, Storage, and Utilization” Adv. Mater., 2022, 34, 2202457.
9. Liang, Z., Qiu, T., Gao, S., Zhong, R., &Zou, R.*Multi‐Scale Design of Metal–Organic Framework‐Derived Materials for Energy Electrocatalysis. Adv. Energy. Mater., 2021, 12, 2003410.
10. Aftab W., Usman A., Shi, J., Yuan, K., Qin, M., &Zou, R.*Phase Change Material-Integrated Latent Heat Storage Systems for Sustainable Energy Solutions. Energy Environ. Sci., 2021, 14, 4268-4291.
Message to Prospective Students
We are a dynamic and inclusive team passionate about pushing the boundaries of materials science. Our lab is built on a culture of curiosity, collaboration, and innovation, and we strongly encourage students to explore interesting ideas. If you join us, you will find not only a supportive academic environment but also a space where your passion for science can truly thrive. We aim to spark and sustain your interest in scientific discovery, empowering you to grow as an independent thinker and researcher. Together, we will explore the unknown and work toward advancing the frontiers of materials research.
