About

Welcome to the research group of Prof. Alex Yan Qingyu at the School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. Our group is dedicated to advancing materials science and energy technologies through cutting-edge research in battery materials, electrocatalysis, thermoelectrics, and functional nanomaterials. This website provides an overview of our ongoing research projects, publications, teaching activities, group-members, and opportunities to join the team. We aim to foster a collaborative and interdisciplinary research environment that addresses global challenges in sustainable energy and materials innovation.

Join Us

We are always looking for highly motivated individuals to join our team. If you are interested in cutting-edge research in materials science, energy storage and conversion, or nanotechnology, we welcome your application!

Postdoctoral Researchers

Postdoctoral positions are available for candidates with a strong background in electrochemistry, battery research, electrocatalysis, or thermoelectrics. Please contact us for potential openings.

PhD Students

We are actively recruiting PhD students through NTU's graduate program. If you are passionate about research and have a strong foundation in materials science, chemistry, or physics, we encourage you to apply and contact us for potential openings.

Undergraduate Students

We offer Final Year Project (FYP) and URECA opportunities to NTU undergraduate students who are interested in hands-on research experience. Students can participate in ongoing projects related to batteries, catalysis, or thermoelectrics.

Research

Our group conducts research at the intersection of materials science and energy technologies, with a focus on developing advanced battery systems, electrocatalysts, and thermoelectric materials. We aim to address pressing global energy and sustainability challenges by designing and investigating new materials with superior performance and durability. Our research integrates experimental synthesis, electrochemical analysis, and structural characterization to drive innovations in clean energy storage and conversion.

Our research has been generously supported by various funding agencies and institutions, including Singapore's A*STAR SERC, NRF CREATE Programme, the Maritime and Port Authority, Energy Market Authority, DSO National Laboratories, the NTU-Rolls-Royce Joint Laboratory, the Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE), and others.

Advanced Battery Technologies and Novel Materials

Our research group is actively engaged in the development of next-generation battery technologies, with a strong focus on the discovery and engineering of advanced materials. We aim to significantly enhance energy density, cycle life, and safety across a broad spectrum of applications, from portable electronics to electric vehicles and grid-scale energy storage.

We explore a variety of electrode and electrolyte materials for lithium-ion, sodium-ion, and all-solid-state batteries. In addition, we are highly interested in aqueous battery systems—including redox flow batteries, aqueous aluminum batteries, and aqueous zinc batteries—as safe, cost-effective, and scalable solutions for large-scale energy storage. Our methodology integrates material synthesis, electrochemical evaluation, and multiscale characterization techniques.

We also investigate the fundamental mechanisms driving electrochemical performance, employing advanced in situ and ex situ spectroscopy and microscopy. These insights support the rational design of materials with engineered microstructures and interfaces to optimize ion transport and long-term stability.

Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion Reactions

Our group designs and develops electrocatalysts for critical energy conversion processes, including the nitrate reduction reaction (NO₃RR) and small molecule oxidation. These reactions play vital roles in sustainable energy technologies such as fuel cells, electrolyzers, and electrochemical reactors for green synthesis.

We aim to identify highly active, stable, and affordable catalysts composed of earth-abundant elements. Using strategies such as compositional tuning, defect engineering, and heterostructure design, we tailor nanostructured catalysts to enhance their catalytic activity, selectivity, and durability. Advanced electrochemical testing and spectroscopic characterization enable us to unravel reaction mechanisms and optimize catalyst design for real-world performance.

High-Performance Thermoelectric Semiconductors

We conduct research on thermoelectric materials capable of directly converting waste heat into electricity, offering a sustainable approach to energy recovery in industrial and automotive systems. Our efforts aim to enhance the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) by optimizing the interplay between electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity.

Our work focuses on the synthesis and optimization of thermoelectric materials. We employ advanced techniques—including nanostructuring, doping, and band structure engineering—to tune transport properties and phonon scattering mechanisms. Ultimately, we aim to develop thermoelectric materials with high efficiency and compatibility with scalable fabrication techniques.

Publications

Teaching

• MS 4014: Nanomaterials: fundamentals and applications
  This course aims to provide a comprehensive overview of nanomaterials in terms of the synthesis, characterization, properties, and applications. It will cover the fundamental scientific principles for the different synthesis techniques, assembly of nanostructured materials and, new physical and chemical properties at the nanoscale. Existing and emerging applications will also be discussed through case studies.



• MS 4630: Photovoltaic Devices and Energy Storage
  The course aims to introduce the concept of energy harnessing and energy storage technology through photovoltaics and batteries. It would teach students the challenges in boosting the efficiency of PV devices through understanding of PV device principles and the factors affecting the PV cell efficiency. The course would also teach students energy storage, supercapacitor and batteries concepts, lithium ion battery technology, essential techniques and technology of batteries/supercapacitors through understanding the underlying kinetics and thermodynamics of electrode processes occurring in various batteries.

Group Members