Prof. Meng Li

Photochemistry LaboratoryInstitute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Office Address: Room 1418, Building 6, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences

E-mail: mengli@iccas.ac.cn

Personal Profile

Meng Li is a Research Professor and PhD Supervisor at the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ICCAS), and a recipient of the National High-Level Young Talents Program. She obtained her PhD degree from ICCAS in 2019, and subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (Germany) and the University of California, San Diego (USA). She joined ICCAS as a full-time faculty member in 2024. Her research focuses on the interfacial properties and interfacial photochemical reactions of atmospheric particulate matter, with a series of achievements made in the fields of interfacial chemical reactions in microdroplets, acidity measurement of microdroplets, and photochemical aging mechanisms of black carbon. In recent years, she has published 9 papers as the first or corresponding author in prestigious journals including Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. (1 paper), J. Am. Chem. Soc. (1 paper), Chem (2 papers), Environ. Sci. Technol. (4 papers) and Chem. Sci. (1 paper).

Research Interests

Interfacial photochemistry of atmospheric particulate matter and its environmental effects

Educational Background

2014.09–2019.07 | PhD, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences | Supervisors: Academician Jincai Zhao, Research Professor Chuncheng Chen2010.09–2014.06 | Bachelor’s Degree, Northwest University

Professional Experience

2024.12–Present | Research Professor, PhD Supervisor, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences2024.09–2024.12 | Senior Visiting Scholar, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences2022.08–2024.08 | Postdoctoral Researcher, University of California, San Diego, USA | Co-supervisors: Prof. Vicki Grassian2019.08–2022.08 | Postdoctoral Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Germany | Co-supervisors: Prof. Yafang Cheng, Prof. Hang Su, Prof. Ulrich Pöschl

Student & Postdoc Recruitment

2 positions for Master/PhD students are available annually, preferred candidates with backgrounds in Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Photochemistry, Environmental Chemistry, or Atmospheric Chemistry. Postdoctoral researchers in Chemistry and Environmental Science-related disciplines are recruited year-round. Welcome to join our research team!

Representative Publications

1. Meng Li, Christian Boothby, Robert E. Continetti*, and Vicki H. Grassian*, "Size-Dependent Sigmoidal Reaction Kinetics for Pyruvic Acid Condensation at the Air−Water Interface in Aqueous Microdroplets", Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2023, 145(41), 22317–22321

2. Meng Li^#, Yelena Kan^#, Hang Su, Ulrich Pöschl, Sapun H. Parekh*, Mischa Bonn*, Yafang Cheng*, "Spatial Homogeneity of pH in Aerosol Microdroplets", Chem, 2023, 9(4), 1036−1046

3. Meng Li, Jiachun Li, Yifan Zhu, Jianhua Chen, Meinrat O. Andreae, Ulrich Pöschl, Hang Su, Markku Kulmala, Chuncheng Chen*, Yafang Cheng*, and Jincai Zhao, "Highly Oxygenated Organic Molecules Formed upon Photochemical Aging of Soot", Chem, 2022, 8(10), 2688−2699

4. Meng Li, Fengxia Bao, Yue Zhang, Wenjing Song, Chuncheng Chen*, and Jincai Zhao, "Role of Elemental Carbon in the Photochemical Aging of Soot", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2018, 115(30), 7717−7722  

5. Meng Li, Hang Su*, Guangjie Zheng, Uwe Kuhn, Najin Kim, Guo Li, Nan Ma, Ulrich Pöschl, and Yafang Cheng*, "Aerosol pH and Ion Activities of HSO₄^- and SO₄^2- in Supersaturated Single Droplets", Environmental Science & Technology, 2022, 56(18), 12863−12872  

6. Meng Li, Fengxia Bao, Yue Zhang, Hua Sheng, Chuncheng Chen*, and Jincai Zhao, "Photochemical Aging of Soot in the Aqueous Phase: Release of Dissolved Black Carbon and the Formation of ¹O₂", Environmental Science & Technology, 2019, 53(21): 12311−12319

7. Meng Li ^#, Shu Yang ^#, Meenal Rathi, Satish Kumar, Cari S. Dutcher*, and Vicki H. Grassian*, "Enhanced Condensation Kinetics in Aqueous Microdroplets Driven by Coupled Surface Reactions and Gas-Phase Partitioning", Chemical Science, 2024, 15(33), 13429-13441

8. Yifan Zhu, Jiachun Li, Yufan Zhang, Xiaojie Ji, Jianhua Chen, Di Huang, Jikun Li, Meng Li*, Chuncheng Chen*, and Jincai Zhao, "Distinct Photochemistry of Odd-Carbon PAHs from the Even-Carbon Ones During the Photoaging and Analysis of Soot", Environmental Science & Technology, 2024, 58(26), 11578−11586

9. Jiachun Li, Yifan Zhu, Xiaojie Ji, Di Huang, Maofa Ge, Weigang Wang, Jikun Li, Meng Li*, Chuncheng Chen*, and Jincai Zhao, "Oxidation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Triggered by a Photochemical Synergistic Effect between High- and Low- Molecular-Weight PAHs", Environmental Science & Technology, 2024, 58(40), 17807−17816