Hua Sheng

Ph.D., Professor / Principal Investigator

Key Laboratory of Photochemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences

Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Address: 2 Zhongguancun North First St, Beijing 100190, PR China

E-mail: hsheng@iccas.ac.cn

ORCID: 0000-0002-5605-2630

Web of Science ResearcherID: A-2228-2019 (Author Profile)

Google Scholar

Education:

2004.09 ~ 2008.07     B.S.         University of Science and Technology of China

2008.09 ~ 2014.07     Ph.D.       Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Professional Experience：

2014.10 ~ 2018.5       Postdoctoral Research Fellow         Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

2018.9 ~ 2024.7         Associated Professor                      Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences

2024.5 ~                     Professor                                     Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Research Interests:

1. The application of photocatalysis and electrocatalysis in environmental remediation and energy conversion, especially focused on integrated CO₂ capture and conversion, and O₂ activation for water remediation.

2. The mechanistic approaches of the interfacial reaction procedure in photocatalysis and electrocatalysis, especially through the method of in-situ FT-IR spectroscopy.

Selected Publications:

17.  Zhang, Z. Y.; Cao, T. X.; Chen, R. M.; Zhang, B. Y.; Zhao, J. Y.; Wang, X.; Su, M.; Yang, M.; Chen, C. C.; Sheng, H.* and Zhao, J. C., "Engineering Dynamic Heterogeneous-Homogeneous Hybrid Interfaces for Solar-Driven in-situ Water Remediation", Nat. Water 2026, 4, 917-928.

16.  Huang, X. M.; Li, Y. F.; Xie, S. J.*; Chen, C. C.; Sheng, H.* and Zhao, J. C., "Controlled Interruption of Electrochemical Nitrite Reduction for Switchable NH₂OH and Formamide Synthesis", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2026, 65, e5328209.

15. Zhang, Z. Y.; Sheng, H.* and Zhao, J. C., "Beyond High-Purity CO₂: Materials Innovations and Mechanstic Insights for Photocatalytic CO₂ Reduction under Close-to-Realistic Conditions", Adv. Mater. 2026, 38, e00013. (Invited Review for Special Issue: Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences 70th Anniversary)

14.  Zhang, Z. Y.; Huang, Q.; Xie, Y. E.; Zhang, B. Y.; Zhao, Q.; Huang, X. M.; Yang, N.; Ji, H. W.; Chen, C. C.; Sheng, H.* and Zhao, J. C., "Solar-Driven Direct Coupling of Atmospheric CO₂ with Ammonia for Urea Synthesis", Nat. Commun. 2025, 16, 10493. (Featured on Nature Communications Editors' Highlight Webpage for "Materials Science and Chemistry")

13. Zhao, Q.^#; Huang, Q.^#; Duan, R.; Zhang, Z. Y.; Xie, Y. E.; Song, W. J.; Sheng, H.* and Zhao, J. C., "Dynamic Identification of Reactive Iron-Oxo Species in Heterogeneous Fenton-like Reaction via Operando Stopped-Flow IR Spectroscopy", Nat. Commun. 2025, 16, 9227.

12. Sheng, B.*; Huang, X. M.; Zhao, Q.; Zhang, Z. Y.; Duan, R.; Zhang, J.; Chen, C. C.; Zhao, J. C. and Sheng, H.*, "Discriminative Peroxymonosulfate Activation on Iron Carbides for Redox-Neutral Singlet Oxygen Generation", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2025, 64, e202519774. (Selected as "Hot Paper" by Editor)

11. Huang, X. M.^#; Xie, S. J.^#; Sheng, B.; Xiao, B. W.; Chen, C. C.; Sheng, H.* and Zhao, J. C., "Air-Level Oxygen Enables 100% Selectivity in Urea Synthesis via Photocatalytic C-N Coupling of CO and Ammonia", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2025, 64, e202505630. (Selected as "Hot Paper" by Editor)

10. Zhang, Z. Y.; Wang, Y.; Xie, Y. E.; Tsukamoto, T.; Zhao, Q.; Huang, Q.; Huang, X. M.; Zhang, B. Y.; Song, W. J.; Chen, C. C.; Sheng, H. and Zhao, J. C., "Floatable Artificial Leaf to Couple Oxygen-Tolerant CO₂ Conversion with Water Purification", Nat. Commun. 2025, 16, 274. (ESI Highly Cited Paper)

9. Zhang, W. Y.^#; Deng, C. Y.^#; Wang, W.*; Sheng, H.* and Zhao, J. C., "Achieving Almost 100% Selectively in Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction to Methane via In-situ Atmosphere Regulation Strategy", Adv. Mater. 2024, 36, 2405825.

8. Xie, Y. E.; Wang, M.; Huang, Q.; Huang, Q.; Sheng, B.; Song, W. J.; Sheng, H.* and Zhao, J. C. "A Floatable Photocatalyst to Synergistically Promote CO₂ Reduction and Water Oxidation by Creating Oriented Charge Separation across a Tri-phase Interface", Energy Environ. Sci. 2024, 17, 4725-4734.

7. Yin, B. P.; Wang, C.; Xie, S. J.; Gu, J. M.; Sheng, H.*; Wang, D.-X.*; Yao, J. N. and Zhang, C.*, "Regulation Spin Density Using TEMPOL Molecules for Enhanced CO₂-to-Ethylene Conversion by HKUST-1 Framework Derived Electrocatalysts", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2024, 63, e202405873.

6. Huang, X. M.; Li, Y. F.; Xie, S. J.*; Zhao, Q.; Zhang, B. Y.; Zhang, Z. Y.; Sheng, H.* and Zhao, J. C., "The Tandem Nitrate and CO₂ Reduction for Urea Electrosynthesis: Role of Surface N-Intermediates in CO₂ Capture and Activation", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2024, 63, e202403980. (ESI Highly Cited Paper)

5. Wang, W.^#; Zhang, W. Y.^#; Deng, C. Y.; Sheng, H.* and Zhao, J. C., "Accerlated Photocatalytic Carbon Dioxide Reduction and Water Oxidation under Spatial Synergy", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2024, 63, e202317969. (ESI Highly Cited Paper)

4. Sheng,.B.; Xie, Y. E.; Zhao, Q.; Sheng, H.* and Zhao, J. C., "Proton Reservoir in Polymer Photocatalysts for the Superior H₂O₂ Photosynthesis", Energy Environ. Sci. 2023, 16, 4612-4619.

3. Huang, Q.^#; Xie, S. J.^#; Hao, J. J.; Ding, Z. J.*; Zhang, C.*; Sheng, H.* and Zhao, J. C., "Spin-Enhanced O-H Cleavage in Electrochemical Water Oxidation", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, 62(20), e202300469. (Invited Review on Related Topic at Chem. Eur. J. 2024, 30, e202400352)

2. Xie, S. J.^#; Deng, C. Y.^#; Huang, Q.; Zhang, C.*; Chen, C. C.; Zhao, J. C.* and Sheng, H.*, "Facilitated Photocatalytic CO₂ Reduction in Aerobic Environment on a Copper-Porphyrin Metal-Organic Framework", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, 62, e202216717. (Top Viewed Article in ACIE) (ESI Highly Cited Paper) (ACIE Author Profile: "Introducing...Hua Sheng", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, 62, e202301138)

1. Wang, W.; Deng, C. Y.; Xie, S. J.; Li, Y. F.; Zhang, W. Y.; Sheng, H.*, Chen, C. C. and Zhao, J. C., "Photocatalytic C-C Coupling from Carbon Dioxide Reduction on Copper Oxide with Mixed Valence Copper(I)/Copper(II)", J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 2984-2993. (Most Cited Publication in JACS from 2020-2021) (ESI Highly Cited Paper, Hot Paper)

International Conference Talks:

1. 29th IUPAC Symposium on Photochemistry, 14/7-19/7/2024, Valencia, Spain, Oral Presentation "Strategies for the Synergistic Promotion of CO₂ Reduction and Water Oxidation in Artificial Photosynthesis".

2. 24th International Conference on Photochemical Conversion and Storage of Solar Energy (IPS-24), 28/7-2/8/2024, Hiroshima, Japan, Oral Presentation "Photocatalytic CO₂ Reduction with Oxygen-Tolerance".

3. 5th International Solar Fuel Conference (ISF-5), 2/9-5/9/2025, Newcastle, U.K., Oral Presentation "Photocatalytic CO₂ Reduction with Oxygen-Tolerance".

4. 25th International Conference on Photochemical Conversion and Storage of Solar Energy (IPS-25), 13/7-17/7/2026, Seoul, South Korea, Oral Presentation "Integrated Carbon Dioxide Adsorption and Photoreduction for Direct Air Conversion".

5. 5h International Conference on Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer (PCET-2026), 14/9-18/9/2026, Gottingen, Germany, Oral Presentation "Synchronizing Proton-Electron Flux between Water Oxidation and CO₂ Reduction in Artificial Photosynthesis".