Dr. Chen is an Associate professor at the Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology. He received his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) in 2012. Later, he got his PhD degree in Physical Chemistry at University of California at Berkeley (UCB) in 2017. Between 2017 and 2021, Dr. Chen was a postdoctoral researcher at National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the U.S. His research focuses on developing ultrafast spectroscopy for energy conversions systems including solar to electricity conversion (solar cells), solar to fuel conversion (including water splitting, CO2 reduction and solar driven organic synthesis). He has published over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles in international journals including Science, Nature Catalysis, ACS Energy Letters, Journal of the American Chemical Society, etc. He has received over 2500 citations with H index of 24. Dr. Chen has served as reviewers for various international journals including Nature Materials, Advanced Materials and more.
 
Work Experience:
◆2022/6 – Present  Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology.
◆2021/3 – 2022/5  Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology.
◆2017/8 – 2021/2  Postdoctoral Researcher, National Renewable Energy Lab
 
Education：
◆2012 – 2017 Ph.D. University of California at Berkeley
◆2008 – 2012 B.S. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
 
Honors and Awards：
◆2018 Oversea High-Caliber Personnel (Level B) in Shenzhen
◆2020 NREL Postdoc Publication Award
◆2019 NREL Director’s Award
 
Research Field：
Solar energy represents one of the most promising renewable energy sources. The conversion of solar energy to electricity through solar cells, fuels through photoelectrochemical devices and chemicals through photoredox catalysis are probably the most valuable to human society since they form the infrastructure of modern society. The interfaces of solar energy conversion material play a vital role. Interfacial properties such as, surface-carrier recombination dynamics, surface-charge separation, charge transfer, and the formation of photochemical reaction intermediates play a key role in determining the final solar energy conversion efficiencies as well as the stability. The key challenge is to identify the factors that governs solar energy conversion efficiency and selectivity under operating conditions (in-situ) such that real-time feedback can be obtained towards the design of next generation renewable energy conversion devices. In my research program, I aim to tackle this key challenge with the development of in-situ interfacial transient spectroscopy. The use of transient spectroscopy (i.e. pump-probe) could directly track the transformation dynamics as well as identifying the key intermediates. I plan to utilize interfacial spectroscopy to identify key factors that determine the efficiency and selectivity of solar energy conversion process.
 
Representative Publication：
After Joining SUSTech:
1. Zhenhua Yu#, Xihan Chen#, Steven P. Harvey, Zhenyi Ni, Bo Chen, Shangshang Chen, Canglang Yao, Xiao Xun, Shuang Xu, Guang Yang, Yanfa Yan, Joseph J. Berry, Matthew C. Beard, Jinsong Huang* “Gradient Doping in Sn-Pb Perovskites by Barium Ions for Efficient Single-junction and Tandem Solar Cells” Adv. Mater. 34, 2110351 (2022) (co-first author)
2. Xihan Chen*#, Haipeng Lu#, Kang Wang#, Yaxin Zhai, Valdimir Lunin, Peter C. Sercel, Matthew C. Beard* “Tuning Spin Coherence Lifetime in Two-Dimensional Metal Halide Perovskite Through Exciton Binding Energy” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 143, 19438–19445 (2021)
3. Qiushi Hu, Xuemeng Yu, Shaokuan Gong, Xihan Chen* “Nanomaterial catalysts for organic photoredox catalysis-mechanistic perspective” Nanoscale 13, 18044-18053 (2021)
4. Xihan Chen*, Tanja Cuk “One-Electron Water Oxidation Intermediate on TiO2 P25 Probed by Ultrafast Attenuated Total Reflection” J. Phys. Chem. C 33, 18204-18209 (2021)
 
Before joining SUSTech：
1. Jingjing Xue#, Rui Wang#, Xihan Chen#, Canglang Yao, Xiaoxun Jin, Kaili Wang, Wenchao Huang, Tianyi Huang, Yepin Zhao, Yaxin Zhai, Dong Meng, Shaun Tan, Ruzhang Liu, Zhao-Kui Wang, Chenhui Zhu, Kai Zhu, Matthew C. Beard, Yanfa Yan, Yang Yang “Reconfiguring the band-edge states of photovoltaic perovskites by conjugated organic cations” Science 371, 636-640 (2021) (co-first author
2. Xihan Chen, Ryan T. Pekarek, Jing Gu, Andriy Zakutayev, Katherine E. Hurst, Nathan R. Neale, Ye Yang, Matthew C. Beard “Transient Evolution of the Built-in Field at Junctions of GaAs” ACS Applied Mater. Interfaces 12, 40339-40346 (2020)
3. Kang Wang, Haipeng Lu, Xiaolin Zhu, Yixiong Lin, Matthew C. Beard, Yong Yan; Xihan Chen* “Ultrafast reaction mechanisms in perovskite based photocatalytic CC coupling” ACS Energy Lett. 5, 566-571 (2020)（corresponding author）
4. Tianyang Li#, Xihan Chen#, Xiaoming Wang#, Haipeng Lu, Yanfa Yan, Matthew C. Beard; David B. Mitzi “Origin of Broad-Band Emission and Impact of Structural Dimensionality in Tin-Alloyed Ruddlesden–Popper Hybrid Lead Iodide Perovskites” ACS Energy Lett. 3, 2273-2279 (2020) (co-first author)
5. Xihan Chen, Daniel J. Aschaffenburg, Tanja Cuk. “Selecting between two transition states by which water oxidation intermediates decay on an oxide surface” Nat. Catal., 2, 820–827 (2019).
6. Haipeng Lu#, Xihan Chen#, John E Anthony, Justin C Johnson; Matthew C Beard “Sensitizing Singlet Fission with Perovskite Nanocrystals” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 141, 4919-4927 (2019) (co-first author)
7. Xihan Chen, Kang Wang, Matthew C Beard “Ultrafast probes at the interfaces for solar energy conversion materials” Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 21, 16399-16407 (2019)
8. Xihan Chen, Haipeng Lu, Zhen Li, Yaxin Zhai, Paul F. Ndione, Joseph J. Berry, Kai Zhu, Ye Yang, Matthew C. Beard “Impact of layer thickness on the charge carrier and spin coherence lifetime in two-dimensional layered perovskite single crystals” ACS Energy Lett. 3, 2273-2279 (2018).
9. Xihan Chen, Haipeng Lu, Ye Yang, Matthew C. Beard “Excitonic effects in methylammonium lead halide perovskites” J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 9, 2595-2603 (2018)
10. Xihan Chen, Stephanie N. Choing, Daniel J. Aschaffenburg, CD Pemmaraju, David Prendergast, Tanja Cuk “The Formation Time of Ti–O• and Ti–O•–Ti Radicals at the n-SrTiO3/Aqueous Interface during Photocatalytic Water Oxidation” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 139，1830-1841 (2017) （cover article）