(6fn) New Frontiers in Materials Chemistry for Sustainable Energy Technologies

Andrew
B. Wong, Postdoctoral Scholar, Stanford University, Thomas Jaramillo Group

Research Interests:

Development of new materials has driven society’s progress. The goal
of a sustainable energy future necessitates continued breakthroughs in
materials development. I will explore new material chemistries that will become
enabling technologies relevant to clean energy and to environmental
sustainability by developing new catalytic and semiconducting materials. I will
also explore novel catalytic systems. Particular reactions of interest include capture
and utilization of CO₂, which is a vital area to develop in order create
technologies for carbon negative emissions.

Research Experience:

Postdoctoral
Scholar, Stanford University with Prof. Thomas Jaramillo, 2017 - Present

• Synthesis of novel 2D PdPt ‘nanoclams’ for electrochemical CO₂ Reduction (In Preparation)
• Study of the fundamental properties of PdPt alloys for CO₂ Reduction (In Preparation)
• Integration of microorganisms with electrochemical systems for overall CO₂ Reduction
• MOCVD of InGaN for PEC applications

Graduate
Student Researcher, University of California, Berkeley, with
Prof. Peidong Yang, 2011 - 2016

• Investigated light-induced halide migration in halide perovskite semiconductor materials and developed new cation exchange method to control halide migration (JPCL, under revision, 2018)
• Developed new synthetic methods for lead-free halide perovskite semiconductors and developed new methods to improve the stability of this material (Nano Letters, 2018)
• Discovered the first ever example of a crystalline material with ultralow thermal conductivity but high electrical conductivity (PNAS, 2017)
• Co-originated study to photosensitize non-photosynthetic microbes for the first time by bio-synthesis of CdS nanoparticles for novel cyborgian microbes (Science, 2016)
• Investigated atomically-thin two-dimensional hybrid perovskites, revealing novel optical and structural properties in ultrathin hybrid perovskites (Science, 2015)
• Demonstrated first hybrid perovskite nanorod array while demonstrating a novel anion exchange reaction to tune composition and maintain morphology, independently developed synthesis of CH₃NH₃PbI₃ nanostructures (Nano Letters, 2015)
• Developed cation exchange synthesis and fabrication strategy for CdS–Cu₂S core–shell nanorod array solar cells (Nano Letters, 2015)

Joint
Undergraduate/Masters Student, University of Chicago, with Prof. Laurens Mets, 2009 - 2011

• Investigated hydrogen production using microorganisms

Selected Successful
Proposals:

·       
DOE Basic Energy Sciences, FWP:
‘Physical Chemistry of Inorganic Nanostructures’

·       
LAM Research Graduate Student
Fellowship

·       
Department of Energy Office of Science
Graduate Fellowship, Finalist, 2012

Teaching Interests:

In addition to my research career, I have had extensive opportunities
to teach courses on diverse topics. Before beginning my PhD, I served as a
teaching assistant for PHSC 13400: Global Warming, Understanding the Forecast
for two quarters at the University of Chicago. In this course, I mentored non-science
majors to understand scientific concepts in order to approach scientific
problems.

As a PhD student, I served as a graduate student instructor for:

·       
CHEM 1A: General Chemistry I

·       
CHEM 3B: Organic Chemistry II

·       
CHEM 4A: Honors General
Chemistry I

While teaching these courses, I encouraged students to work through
problems by using probing questions. I also utilized active learning techniques
while lecturing. In recognition of my teaching effectiveness, I was awarded an
Outstanding Graduate Student Award after teaching CHEM 3B: Organic Chemistry,
despite the fact that my research focus was in physical chemistry and inorganic
nanostructures.

Additionally, during the final year of my PhD, I co-instructed and
co-wrote the course materials for CHEM 98/198: Space: An Applied Role-Playing
Game, which I co-designed with a fellow graduate student. In this course, we
used a series of fun, imaginary scenarios set in outer space to teach students
how to critically understand research claims, justify their own scientific
claims using quantitative reasoning, and solve scientific problems in groups
under time constraints in situations with no single “correct” answer. Although
the course was by design highly unconventional, it was a highly unique and
valuable teaching experience. Through course evaluations, students expressed
that they felt that this unconventional teaching method allowed them to improve
their scientific problem solving skills significantly as
well as improve their ability to assimilate new scientific knowledge.

Future Plans:

My career goal is become a principle investigator
at an academic institution that is at the forefront of developing sustainable
energy technologies. I see my future research group as being based around: (1)
the synthesis and utilization of novel semiconductor and catalytic materials and
(2) the exploration of new, unconventional catalytic systems. I have a
particular interest in CO₂ capture and CO₂ catalysis
given the pressing need for carbon negative technologies. Consequently, I see an
ideal academic institution as one that has potential for synergistic and
collaborative research in semiconducting materials, catalytic materials, and applied
systems involving the biotic-abiotic interface. Collaborations with theorists
will have the potential to be mutually beneficial in these areas.

In the long term, I see success stories from my
group’s research as advancing a virtuous cycle based on: (1) applying knowledge
to create new systems, (2) experimentally characterizing these systems, (3)
interpreting these results, and (4) creating new knowledge. This virtuous cycle
of knowledge creation can drive new innovation towards a more sustainable
future.

Another critical part of this endeavor of knowledge
creation is to mentor the students, who will perform the work. A major focus of
mine will be mentorship of my students through research, so that they will join
the next generation of scientists and engineers. I will seek out academic,
governmental, and industrial collaborations that will create an interdisciplinary
environment and enable students to pursue career trajectories that will match
with their career goals while providing opportunities to enter the workforce as
professional researchers.

Selected Publications:

(*
Denotes equal contribution, papers in each section listed in chronological order)

A. Synthesis and Fundamental
Properties of Semiconducting Halide Perovskites

1. C. G. Bischak*, A. B. Wong*, E. Lin, D. T. Limmer, P. Yang, N. S. Ginsberg, Photoinduced phase separation in single-crystalline mixed halide perovskites, JPCL, (Under Revision), 2018.

2. A. B. Wong*, Y. Bekenstein*, J. Kang, C. Kley, D. Kim, N. A. Gibson, D. Zhang, Y. Yu, S. R. Leone, L. W. Wang, A. P. Alivisatos, P. Yang, Strongly Quantum Confined CsSnI₃ Nanoplates: Lessons for Improved Stability, Nano Letters, 18, 2060–2066, 2018.

3. W. Lee*, H. Li*, A. B. Wong*, D. Zhang, M. Lai, Y. Yu, Q. Kong, E. Lin, J. J Urban, J. C. Grossman, P. Yang, Ultralow Thermal Conductivity in All-Inorganic Halide Perovskites, PNAS, 114, 8693–8697, 2017.

4. L. Dou*, A. B. Wong*, Y. Yu*, M. Lai, N. Kornienko, S. W. Eaton, A. Fu, C. G. Bischak, J. Ma, T. Ding, N. S. Ginsberg, L.-W. Wang, A. P. Alivisatos, P. Yang, Atomically Thin Two-dimensional Organic-inorganic Hybrid Perovskites, Science, 349, 1518–1521, 2015.

B. Synthesis and Fabrication of
Novel Nanostructured Solution Processable Optoelectronics

1. A. B. Wong, M. Lai, S. W. Eaton, Y. Yu, E. Lin, L. Dou, A. Fu, P. Yang, Growth and Anion Exchange Conversion of CH₃NH₃PbX₃ Nanorod Arrays for Light-Emitting Diodes, Nano Lett., 15, 5519–5524, 2015.

2. A. B. Wong, S. Brittman, Y. Yu, N. P. Dasgupta, P. Yang, Core–Shell CdS–Cu₂S Nanorod Array Solar Cells, Nano Lett., 15, 4096–4101, 2015.

C. Nanostructured Electrodes for
Renewable Energy

1. A. B. Wong, C. Hahn, A. M. Spormann, T. F. Jaramillo, Synthesis and CO₂ reduction activity of Quasi-2D PdPt Nanoclams, (In Preparation).

2. L. Wang, S. A. Nitopi, A. B. Wong, J. Snider, A. C. Nielander, C. G. Morales-Guio, M. Orazov, D. C. Higgins, C. Hahn, T F. Jaramillo, Engineering Effective Strategies for Reducing Carbon Monoxide into Liquid Fuels by Copper Catalysts, ACS Catalysis, (Under Revision), 2018.

3. L. Zhang*, C. Liu*, A. B. Wong,J. Resasco, P. Yang, MoS₂-wrapped silicon nanowires for photoelectrochemical water reduction, Nano Research, 8, 281–287, 2015.

4. L. Zhang, K. Liu, A. B. Wong, J. Kim, X. Hong, C. Liu, T. Cao, S. G. Louie, F. Wang, P. Yang, Three-Dimensional Spirals of Atomic Layered MoS₂, Nano Lett., 14, 6418–6423, 2014.

D. Integration of Nanoscale
Electrochemical and Biological Systems for Renewable Energy

1. A. B. Wong, F. Kracke, A. D. Antoniuk-Pablant, C. Hahn, A. M. Spormann, T. F. Jaramillo, PdPt for Stepwise CO₂ Reduction in Tandem with Microbial Communities, (In Preparation)

2. K. Sakimoto, A. B. Wong, P. Yang, Self-photosensitization of non-photosynthetic bacteria for artificial photosynthesis, Science, 351, 74–77, 2016.