SyracuseCoE recently hosted a Research & Technology Forum featuring Weiwei Zheng, Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Syracuse University. Held on January 30th, “Nanotechnology for Renewable Energy” highlighted Professor Zheng’s research on the use of semiconductor nanocrystals for renewable energy harvesting.
Semiconductor nanocrystals have unique size-dependent electrical and optical properties, making them valuable for applications in light-emitting devices, solar cells, photodetectors, photocatalysis and quantum computing. When properly functionalized, they can act as efficient, metal-free photocatalysts for solar energy conversion. However, their performance is often limited by rapid electron-hole recombination.
In this R&T forum, Professor Zheng presented his research goals to enhance the photocatalytic activity of semiconductor nanocrystals to create stable, long-lived photoexcited carriers. He explained how the composition, band gap engineering and assembly of semiconductor nanomaterials affect their properties, while exploring new functions of doped nanocrystals for visible-light photocatalysis and light devices to improve efficiency and lower costs for renewable energy harvesting.
More information on Professor Zheng’s research is available on his lab website.
Watch a recording of the forum below.
SPEAKER:
Dr. Weiwei Zheng is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Syracuse University. He received his doctorate in Inorganic Chemistry from Florida State University in 2011, under the supervision of Geoffrey F. Strouse. In 2012, he joined Emory University as a postdoctoral fellow, working with Khalid Salaita on the properties of hybrid organic/inorganic interfaces and the biological applications of semiconductor nanocrystals. Dr. Zheng began his current appointment at Syracuse University in 2015.
His research interests include the synthesis and properties of novel functional nanomaterials for emerging applications in renewable energy. He is particularly interested in the optical, electronic, and magnetic properties of transition metal ion-doped nanomaterials, selective surface functionalization of nanoparticles, hybrid nanocomposites, and material assembly for advanced-shaped nanocrystals. Dr. Zheng has received several awards, including the ACS-PRF New Investigator Award (2018), the NSF CAREER Award (2020), and the Faculty Fellow of the Syracuse Center of Excellence (CoE) (2023–2025), in recognition of his research at Syracuse University.