ProfessorYuan Chen

Professor Yuan Chen's research aims to translate the superior properties of carbon nanomaterials into applications that will ensure a sustainable future for humankind.

"Throughout history, the materials we have used have primarily defined our quality of life - from stone, bronze, and iron to metal alloys, silicon, and plastics.

"Over the past 20 years, carbon nanomaterials have been discovered to possess many fascinating properties that differ significantly from other materials. For example, a tiny, single-walled carbon nanotube with a diameter of less than one ten-thousandth of human hair has electrical conductivity more than 1000 times greater than that of copper, while a two-dimensional atomic-scale layer of graphene is the strongest material ever tested.

"As a chemical engineer, I want to develop scalable chemical processes to translate these properties into practical applications with minimal environmental and health risks.

"One fascinating example is the development of a new generation of electrochemical energy storage devices. Lithium-ion batteries have been used in a wide range of applications. However, the fast-growing energy storage demands require energy storage devices with higher energy and higher power density and depending on sustainable materials.

"My research aims to develop efficient, cost-effective, and reliable energy storage solutions. This will create commercial opportunities and bring significant environmental benefits in accelerating the shift to renewable energy andachieving carbon neutrality."

"I am also working on synthesising carbon catalysts for efficient energy conversion and water treatment, creating novel carbon nanomaterial-based membranes and antibacterial materials, and controlling the structure of single-walled carbon nanotubes for a new generation of smaller and faster electronics.

"I've been working with carbon nanomaterials since 2002, and I joined the University of Sydney in 2015. The University offers me great academic freedom and a great multidisciplinary research environment to develop my intellectual ability and creativity. I hope my research here can make some important contributions to converting the superior properties of carbon nanomaterials into impactful applications that can create a more sustainable future for humankind."