School of Energy and Environment

Prof. Jiawei LIU

PhD in Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Assistant Professor
(Joint appointment with Department of Chemistry)

Prof. Jiawei Liu received her B.Eng. degree (with first-class honours) in Chemical Engineering and her Ph.D. degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) in 2017 and 2021, respectively. She then conducted three years of postdoctoral research at Nanyang Technological University and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore. In 2024, she worked as a Research Assistant Professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, before joining City University of Hong Kong as an Assistant Professor in April 2026. Prof. Liu’s research focuses on advancing Electrochemical Molecular Transformation—integrating advanced nanomaterials, interfacial electrocatalysis, and electrochemical devices to upgrade diverse feedstocks (e.g., CO2, nitrogenous species, biomass, and plastics) into high-value chemicals for sustainable chemical synthesis. She has published >50 peer-reviewed papers in top-tier journals, with 5600+ citations and an h-index of 35.

Research Interests

Prof. Liu’s research is dedicated to advancing renewable-energy-driven Electrochemical Molecular Transformation as a platform for the electrification and decarbonization of the chemical industry. Her team bridges fundamental materials science with sustainable manufacturing, focusing on upgrading diverse feedstocks (e.g., CO2, nitrogenous species, biomass, and plastics) into high-value chemicals. By integrating atomic-scale materials synthesis, reaction microenvironment engineering, and electrochemical reactor design, her team works toward a universal framework for electrified synthesis that enables complex molecular architectures and sustainable industrial routes.

Key research interests:

  • Advanced nanomaterials: Designing novel inorganic nanomaterials with atomic-level precision control, with particular emphasis on understanding and actively regulating catalyst dynamic reconstruction under operating conditions.
  • Sustainable electrosynthesis: Developing diverse electrochemical pathways (oxidation, reduction, C–C/C–N coupling, etc.) to produce sophisticated, high-value products from sustainable feedstocks.
  • Interfacial electrocatalysis: Investigating mechanisms of charge transport and molecular activation at electrochemical interfaces.
  • Electrochemical device and process integration: Engineering advanced reactors and optimizing transport phenomena for large-scale chemical electrification.

Positions Available

Prof. Liu welcomes motivated researchers to join her team in the areas of advanced nanomaterials and electrosynthesis. Opportunities are available for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, visiting students/scholars, and undergraduate students. A background in chemistry, materials science, or chemical engineering is required, along with effective written and oral communication skills in English.

Ph.D. Candidates: Prospective students who hold or are about to receive a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree are welcome to contact Prof. Liu with your CV and transcripts (UG/PG transcripts and English proficiency certificate). Applicants will have to go through the centralized admission process at City University of Hong Kong with Prof. Liu’s recommendation. Outstanding candidates will also be recommended to apply for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS).

Postdoctoral Fellows: Candidates with a background in nanomaterials synthesis and electrochemistry are preferred. Applicants should have published in high-impact journals and hold a Ph.D. degree (or be close to completion). A competitive salary will be offered, commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Visiting Graduate Students and Visiting Scholars: We welcome visiting graduate students and visiting scholars to join our group.

Undergraduate Students: We welcome highly motivated undergraduate students to join our lab and participate in group research projects.

To apply, please submit your CV to Prof. Liu. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until positions are filled.

City University of Hong Kong is an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to the principle of diversity. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates, especially applicants who will enhance the diversity of our staff.

Selected Publications

Most Updated List:

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=pwPf_L8AAAAJ&hl=en&inst=1381320739207392350&oi=ao

  1. J. Liu, Y. Xu, R. Duan, M. Zhang, Y. Hu, M. Chen, B. Han, J. Dong, C. Lee, L. S. R. Kumara, O. Seo, J. Tseng, T. Watanabe, Z. Liu, Q. Zhu, J. Xu, M.-F. Ng*, D. Wu*, and Q. Yan*, Reaction-driven formation of anisotropic strains in FeTeSe nanosheets boosts low-concentration nitrate reduction to ammonia. Nat. Commun. 2025, 16, 3595.
  2. J. Liu, R. Duan, Y. Xu, C. Zhang, C. Lv, E. Hu, J. Gao, B. Han, C. Lee, Z. Liu, L. Li, D. Wu*, M.-F. Ng*, and Q. Yan*, Decoupled control of CO2 and nitrate reduction intermediates to enable efficient tandem urea electrosynthesis. ACS Nano 2025, 19, 29646-29656.
  3. J. Liu, W. Niu, G. Liu, B. Chen, J. Huang, H. Cheng, D. Hu, J. Wang, Q. Liu, J. Ge, P. Yin, F. Meng, Q. Zhang, L. Gu, Q. Lu, and H. Zhang*, Selective epitaxial growth of Rh nanorods on 2H/fcc heterophase Au nanosheets to form 1D/2D heterostructures for efficient hydrogen evolution. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 4387‐4396.
  4. J. Liu, J. Huang, W. Niu, C. Tan, and H. Zhang*, Unconventional‐phase crystalline materials constructed from multiscale building blocks. Chem. Rev. 2021, 121, 5830‐5888.
  5. J. Liu, Q. Ma, Z. Huang, G. Liu, and H. Zhang*, Recent progress in graphene‐based noble metal nanocomposites for electrocatalytic applications. Adv. Mater. 2019, 31, 1800696.
  6. J. Liu, Z. Li, C. Lv, X-Y. T, X. J. Loh, M. H. Chua, Z. Li, H. Pan, J. Chen*, Q. Zhu*, J. Xu*, and Q. Yan*, Electrocatalytic upgrading of nitrogenous wastes into value-added chemicals: A Review. Mater. Today 2024, 73, 208-259.
  7. J. Liu, C. Lee, Y. Hu, Z. Liang, R. Ji, X. Y. D. Soo, Q. Zhu, and Q. Yan*, Recent progress in intermetallic nanocrystals for electrocatalysis: From binary to ternary to high‐entropy intermetallics. SmartMat. 2023, e1210.
  8. T. Gao, W. Wang, Z. Zhang, W. Li, H. Gao, J. Liu*, X. Zhao*, Z.-H. Liu,* and Y. Chen*, Dual-anion regulation engineering enhances the chloridion corrosion resistance for long-lasting industrial-scale seawater splitting. Chem. Sci. 2025, 16, 15684-15696.
  9. M. Zhou#, J. Liu#, Y. Ge, B. Chen, C. Tan, Z. Fan, J. Huang, J. Chen, Z. Liu, Z. Huang, H. Cheng, Y. Chen, L. Dai, P, Yin, X. Zhang, Q. Yun, and H. Zhang*, Controlled synthesis of Pd3Sn and PdCuSn nanorods with tunable crystal phases and aspect ratios for highly efficient electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation. Adv. Mater. 2022, 34, 2106115.
  10. C. Lv#, J. Liu#, C. Lee, Q. Zhu, J. Xu, H. Pan, C. Xue*, and Q. Yan*, Emerging p‐block‐element‐based electrocatalysts for sustainable nitrogen conversion. ACS Nano 2022, 16, 15512‐15527.
  11. X. Y. Tan, J. Dong*, J. Liu#, D. Zhang, S. F. D. Solco, K. Sağlık, N. Jia, I. J. W. J. You, S. W. Chien, X. Wang, L. Hu, Y. Luo, Y. Zheng, D. X. Y. Soo, R. Ji, K. C. H. Goh, Y. Jiang, J.-F. Li, A. Suwardi, Q. Zhu, J. Xu*, and Q. Yan*, Synergistic combination of Sb2Si2Te6 additives for enhanced average ZT and single-leg device efficiency of Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3-based composites. Adv. Sci. 2024, 11, 2400870.

JiaweiLIU_b
Contact Information
Office: YEUNG-B5424
Phone: +(852)-3442-7070
Fax: +(852)-3442-0688
Email: jiawei.liu@cityu.edu.hk
Research Interests
  • Advanced nanomaterials
  • Precision synthesis
  • Catalyst dynamic reconstruction
  • Electrosynthesis
  • Interfacial electrocatalysis
  • Reactor engineering

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