Centre for Clean Energy Technology (CCET)

Dr. Tao Huang is a postdoctoral researcher specializing in cell structure innovation and industrialisation for flexible batteries. He has extensive experience in battery development, from research to manufacturing, and is currently leading efforts in cell industrialisation. Concurrently, he is exploring the integration of artificial intelligence and battery research.

Granted Patent list:

1.     Flexible electrode of lithium ion battery and preparation method and application thereof.

Tao Huang, Dongqing Wu.
CN112151766B· Issued May 31, 2022

2.     All-organic magnesium ion battery and preparation method thereof.

Deng Lu, Dongqing Wu, Guangfeng Zhang, Lie Ma, Tao Huang, Fan Jing, Peng Yang.
CN108470940B · Issued Jan 1, 2021

3.    Lithium battery negative electrode material based on condensed ring compound and preparation method thereof.

Lie Ma, Dongqing Wu, Deng Lu, Peng Yang, Tao Huang, Fan Jing.

CN108172786B · Issued Apr 3, 2020

4.     The preparation method and applications of imidodicarbonic diamide and graphene composite material.

Dongqing Wu, Tao Huang, Lie Ma, Deng Lu.
CN106876674B · Issued Jun 4, 2019

5.     A kind of nitrogenous carbon material of sheet and preparation method thereof.

Dongqing Wu, Deng Lu, Tao Huang, Lie Ma.
CN107032318B · Issued Mar 12, 2019

6.     A kind of preparation method and applications of vanadic anhydride/graphene oxide composite membrane.

Dongqing Wu, Xinliang Feng, Haiqing Liu, Tao Huang.
CN106941049B · Issued Jan 22, 2019

7.     A kind of material based on bismuthyl carbonate or oxidation bismuth nanotube and preparation method thereof.
Xinliang Feng, Dongqing Wu, Yanping Tang, Chongqing Yang, Yiyong Mai, Fan Zhang, Tao Huang, Fan Jing.
CN105271405B · Issued Oct 17, 2017

My research focuses on developing advanced interfacial engineering strategies to improve the performance, stability, and lifespan of rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs). Although zinc-ion batteries are promising candidates for next-generation energy storage due to their inherent safety, cost-effectiveness, abundance, and environmental advantages, their practical application is hindered by challenges associated with zinc metal anodes. These include non-uniform zinc deposition, dendrite formation, hydrogen evolution, corrosion, and undesirable side reactions, which can compromise battery performance and cycling stability.

My research investigates the design and development of artificial protective interfacial layers to regulate zinc-ion transport, promote uniform zinc deposition, and suppress detrimental interfacial reactions. In particular, I explore polymer-based protective coatings, functional materials, and electrolyte interface engineering approaches to establish stable and ion-conductive interfaces on zinc metal anodes.

Dr. Karim Khan is an award-winning materials scientist conducting cutting-edge research in low-dimensional materials, with extensive post-PhD research experience spanning more than a decade (since June 2015). He is recognized among the World’s Top 2% Highly Cited Scientists (since 2021), reflecting his sustained impact and visibility in the field. He joined the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in 2024 and brings a strong combination of academic, postdoctoral, and industrial experience, integrating fundamental materials chemistry and physics with advanced device engineering.

His research program focuses on establishing fundamental structure–property–performance relationships to enable the rational design of high-efficiency, durable, and scalable systems for energy storage and conversion (including batteries and hydrogen fuel cells), as well as sensing technologies. He also maintains active engagement in university-level teaching, laboratory development, and research supervision.

In summary, Dr. Khan’s expertise lies in the controlled synthesis, physicochemical characterization, and device integration of low-dimensional nanomaterials, including two-dimensional MXenes, Xenes, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and functional inorganic nanostructures such as mayenite electrides, oxides, nitrides, and carbides. These materials exhibit exceptional electrical conductivity, tunable surface chemistry, catalytic activity, and chemical stability, making them highly promising for electrochemical energy storage, electrocatalysis, and gas sensing applications. His work emphasizes the precise tuning of composition, defect chemistry, interfacial engineering, and nanoarchitecture to optimize charge transport kinetics, ion diffusion, and surface reaction mechanisms.

He employs advanced synthesis and processing methodologies, including sol–gel chemistry, hydrothermal and solvothermal routes, and scalable additive manufacturing techniques such as 3D printing, to engineer hierarchical and architected nanostructures with controlled spatial organization. These are complemented by thin-film and coating technologies such as magnetron sputtering, atomic layer deposition (ALD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and solution-based deposition methods. Comprehensive in situ and ex situ characterization techniques—including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA), and Hall effect measurements—are employed to establish detailed structure–composition–property correlations.

Through this integrated and multidisciplinary approach, Dr. Khan advances next-generation energy storage systems, high-performance electrocatalysts, and selective, high-sensitivity gas sensors. His work bridges fundamental materials discovery with scalable device fabrication, contributing to practical solutions for renewable energy conversion, energy storage, and environmental monitoring, while also contributing to the training and mentoring of the next generation of researchers in advanced materials science and engineering.

Professor Steven Langford joined UTS as the Head of School, Mathematical and Physical Sciences in 2021. With cutting-edge expertise in organic and supramolecular chemistry, Steve uses concepts from nature to build functional materials for diverse uses in materials science, optoelectronics and medicinal chemistry. In this he has been highly successful, securing totals of over $11 million in research grants and over $100 million for university projects.
Prior to joining UTS, Steve held several senior leadership positions at Monash and Swinburne Universities in roles spanning innovation in research and research training, education and industry engagement.
At Monash’s Faculty of Science (1998 - 2017), Steve’s career thrived in roles including Deputy Dean; Associate Dean (Research); Head, School of Chemistry; Associate Dean (International), and Head, School of Sciences in Malaysia. As the Director of Green Chemical Futures, Steve left a $40+million legacy through overseeing the establishment and construction of Monash’s flagship Green Chemical Futures building.
In 2017, Steve accepted the post of Dean, Research and Development for Science, Engineering and Technology at Swinburne University, where he oversaw more than half of the University’s research activities and enterprise, and managed candidature matters for over 750 HDR students.
Steve is an alumnus of the University of Sydney where he undertook his BSc (First Class Honours) and PhD in porphyrin chemistry with Max Crossley. He was awarded a Ramsay Fellow in 1993 to work with Prof Sir Fraser Stoddart (2016 Nobel Prize Laureate) at the University of Birmingham, UK. He then returned to Australia as an ARC Postdoc Fellow working with Mike Paddon-Row at UNSW.
He has published widely and is a co-author of the textbook Chemistry the Central Science – A Broad Perspective, which has sold over 38,000 copies across four editions. With a passion at the nexus of research and teaching, he continues to reshape curricula and teach into all aspects of fundamental and applied organic chemistry.
Steve has received numerous honours and awards for his work including a Young Investigator Award by the Society of Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines; a Dean’s Excellence in Teaching Award; a Centenary of Federation teaching award; and he was one of the first Australian Scientists to be awarded a Carrick Citation.
Nationally, Steve sits on the AAS National Committee for Chemistry, is a Fellow and former board member and Treasurer of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and, in 2023, was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW.
Incredibly passionate about his work, Steve’s ultimate aim is to understand the world around us through chemistry, to take inspiration from nature and control how light interacts with matter for positive change.

Yaojie Lei is a DECRA fellow under the supervision of Prof. Guoxiu Wang in the Centre for Clean Energy Technology, University of Technology Sydney. His research interests include the synthesis of nanostructured materials for solid-state Na ion batteries and Li/Na-S batteries.

He has published 60 papers, including Nature Communications, Advanced Materials, Angewandte Chemie International Edition,Journal of the American Chemical Society, Chemical Society Reviews, etc. So far, he total IF > 4200).

He received his Bachelor of Science major in Chemistry from Lanzhou University, and research master degree in University of Sydney. His Ph.D. from University of Wollongong.

Dongfang Li is a PhD candidate in chemistry at the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the University of Technology Sydney. His research focuses on advanced energy storage and conversion technologies, particularly CO₂ electroreduction and water-splitting electrolysis, with an emphasis on integrating Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and their derivatives as functional materials. He has developed specialized expertise in synchrotron-based characterization techniques, including in-situ X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) and Powder Diffraction (PD), as well as Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and complementary in-situ/operando characterization methods.

Dr. Chao Liu is a Postdoctoral Research Associate under the supervision of Prof. Guoxiu Wang in the Centre for Clean Energy Technology, University of Technology Sydney. His research interests include the synthesis of two-dimensional functional membrane materials for ion transport and energy conversion applications.

In the past five years, he has published 20 SCI papers in J. Am. Chem. Soc.(2), Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., Mater. Today and other journals, including 15 papers with an impact factor greater than 10. He has applied for 7 Chinese invention patents, 3 of which were authorized. And he has participated in 5 research projects, including 3 as the principal investigator.

Professor Hao Liu is interested in the research fields of electrochemistry, nanotechnology and energy storage and conversion. He has developed the synthesis and applications for one-dimensional, mesoporous and novel core-shell structure materials.

At UTS, he currently works part-time for high energy electrode materials. He leads a team working on porous carbon based composites for highly efficient energy storage and conversion. His results have been published in peer-reviewed journals, such as Chemical Society Reviews, Nature Sustainability, Nature Communications, Journal of American Chemical Society, Advanced Materials, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, etc. So far, he has published more than 200 papers in peer-viewed journals.

His innovative work has been cited more than 27,000 times, with an h-index of 82 (Google Scholar). More than 30 of his papers have been selected as "ESI Highly Cited papers". He has attracted more than $9.2 million funding as a CI. He is one of "2018 Highly Cited Researchers" selected by Clarivate Analytics. He is one of the "World's Top 2% Scientists". He is listed as the No. 80 scientist in the Materials Science discipline in Australia in 2026 (www.research.com).

Professional Activities:
Associate Editor: Energy Materials (OAE Publish), EnergyZ (OAE Publish), Frontiers in Nanotechnology
Editorial Board Member: Batteries (MDPI), Battery Energy (Wiley)
Referee for peer-reviewed journals, including Nat. Commun., Adv. Mater., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., Adv. Energy Mater., Adv. Funct. Mater., ACS Nano, Nano Energy, Small, Chem. Mater., Nanoscale, J. Mater. Chem. (A), Nano Research etc.
Membership: International Society of Electrochemistry, Chinese Chemical Society

Dr. Asif Mahmood is a Chancellor's Research Fellow at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and a leading researcher in the field of energy storage and materials science. With a robust academic and research background, Dr. Mahmood has been recognized among the top 2% of highly cited researchers worldwide for three consecutive years. His groundbreaking work focuses on the development of next-generation battery technologies, particularly lithium and sodium ion batteries, aimed at reducing reliance on fossil fuels and promoting a carbon-neutral future.

Dr. Mahmood's research contributions are reflected in his impressive citation count, surpassing 10,000, and his H-index of 45. He has secured significant funding, including an ARC Discovery Project and an ARC Linkage Project, to advance the field of solid-state and silicon-based anode materials for renewable energy applications. As an editorial board member and guest editor for several reputable journals, Dr. Mahmood actively shapes the discourse in sustainable and green energy research. His dedication to interdisciplinary collaboration extends to environmental, biomedical, and wastewater treatment research, showcasing his commitment to addressing global challenges.

Dr. Mahmood's achievements have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Higher Education Rising Stars Award and the Outstanding Reviewer Award from Elsevier. His publications have frequently featured in prestigious journals, with several being highlighted as highly cited and impactful works. At UTS, he continues to lead innovative research projects, mentor emerging scientists, and contribute to the global scientific community.

Dr Parvez Mahmud is a Senior Lecturer and Program Director of the Master of Sustainable Energy and Master of Sustainable Leadership at UTS.

Prior to his current position at UTS, he held prestigious postdoctoral research fellowships at the University of Melbourne (2022-2023) and Deakin University (2020-2022), and also worked as a research associate and casual academic at Macquarie University (2016-2020) in Australia.

Parvez has made significant research contributions in the area of Transport Engineering, Environmental Modelling, Life Cycle Assessment, Sustainable Fuel, Sustainable Materials and Techno-Economic Analysis, and published two authored books and more than 215 scholarly articles in peer-reviewed high-impact journals, book chapters, and conference proceedings.

Here are some highlights:

# Achieved PhD in Engineering from Macquarie University with an outstanding Vice-Chancellor Commendation award and Excellence in Higher Degree Research Award.

# Named among the Top 2% Scientists in the world in 2022-2026, Published by Stanford University and Elsevier.

# Awarded the prestigious UTS Vice-Chancellor's Award for Research Excellence 2025 (UTS Medal for Research and Teaching Integration).

# Awarded the Best Presentation Awards at 11 renowned international conferences.

# Developed innovative teaching and learning resources for undergrad and postgrad students considering active learning, flipped classroom learning, work-integrated learning, peer-assisted learning and project-oriented design-based learning (PODBL) approaches.

# Supervised 8 PhD students to completion and is currently supervising 4 PhD students in the area of Transport Engineering, Environmental Modelling, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Sustainable Fuel, Sustainable Materials and Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA). 

# Has been actively working with several international and national professional communities and industries.

# Has been sought worldwide to deliver keynote addresses and presentations at Transport Engineering, Environmental Modelling, Life Cycle Assessment, Sustainable Fuel, Sustainable Materials, Techno-Economic Analysis, and Decarbonisation-related workshops and conferences.

Dr. Bing Sun is an associate professor at Centre for Clean Energy Technology, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Faculty of Science. He is the recipient of Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) 2018 and ARC Future Fellowship 2022.
A/Prof Sun’s research covers multiple disciplines: materials science and engineering, electrochemistry, materials chemistry, nanotechnology, solid-state physics, physical chemistry, and nano-fabrications. So far, he has published 2 book chapters and 140 peer-reviewed articles in international high-rank journals, including Nature Energy, Nature Communications, Science Advances, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Advanced Materials, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Energy & Environmental Science, Nano Letters, ACS Nano, Advanced Energy Materials, Advanced Functional Materials, Small, etc. His publications have attracted over 15,100 citations with an h-index of 40 (ISI Web of Science).

Dr Ayesha Khan Tareen is a motivated and results-driven chemist with experience across university laboratories, a national research institute, and an industry start-up. Equally effective working collaboratively or independently on technically demanding tasks. Demonstrates strong attention to experimental detail while maintaining focus on broader research objectives. Become a good chemist/researcher in my field that provides opportunities for career growth and professional development and also to groom the overall personality; my research expertise is in the synthesis of various nanomaterials, especially nanoparticles, and 2D materials (Graphene family, Xenes, MXenes, TMDCs), and their nanocomposites synthesis. I also characterized those nanomaterials using various analyses like, spectroscopic techniques (XRD, NMR, UV, FTIR, XPS, RAMAN), chromatography techniques (HPLC, GCMS), electron microscopy techniques (SEM, TEM), TG/DTA and electrochemical analysis (ORR, OER, HER), and I also studied their different potential applications such as fuel cells, batteries, sensors, water splitting, and solar cells.

I am a researcher in energy materials and clean technology, focused on turning advanced materials science into practical solutions for next-generation batteries and sustainable energy systems. At the Centre for Clean Energy Technology, University of Technology Sydney, I work on lithium-ion, sodium-sulfur, and solid-state batteries, as well as single-atom catalysts and nanostructured materials for energy storage and conversion. With 50+ peer-reviewed publications (17 First Author) in journals including Nature Communications, Advanced Materials, and National Science Review, I am passionate about building research and industry partnerships that accelerate the commercialization of safer, higher-performance energy technologies.

My contributions have been recognized by the Journal of Materials Chemistry A Emerging Investigator Award and Chemical Communications Emerging Investigator Award. 

Professor Guoxiu Wang is a UTS Distinguished Professor(2012-Present), an ARC Industry Laureate Fellow, Australian Academy of Science Fellow(FAA), and Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering (ATSE). Director of the Centre for Clean Energy Technology (2010-Present). He is also a Royal Society Wolfson Visiting Fellow at The University of Manchester, UK, from 2024 to 2027.

Professor Wang is a materials scientist and a chemist. He is an expert in battery technologies, materials chemistry, electrochemistry, and energy storage. His research interests include lithium-ion batteries, lithium-air batteries, sodium-ion batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, supercapacitors, hydrogen storage materials, graphene and MXenes.

Professor Wang has won a large number of external research grants. He has published 11 book chapters, been awarded two Australian patents, and authored over 800 refereed journal papers, including publications in Nature Energy (1), Nature Catalysis (1), Nature Communications (15), Nature Nanotechnology (1), Nature Reviews Materials (1), Science Advances (3), Advanced Materials (24), Angewandte Chemie International Edition (29), Journal of the American Chemical Society (8), Chemical Society Reviews (3), Chemical Reviews (1), Nano Letters (10), Energy & Environmental Science (6), Advanced Energy Materials (32), Advanced Functional Materials (18), Chem (6), ACS Nano (9), Journal of Materials Chemistry A (38), Advanced Science (7), Small (18), Nano Energy (15), Electrochemical Energy Reviews (2), Energy Storage Materials (17) and PNAS (2). He has delivered over 100 invited talks worldwide. Wang's publications have attracted over 85000/100000 citations with an H-index of 160/180 (Web of Science/Google Scholar). He has received many awards and recognitions for his research accomplishments, some of which include: 2017 Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC); 2018 Fellow of the International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE); 2020 Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences(EurASc). He was listed as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics for 8 years consecutively in 2018-2025, and 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2024 in two categories of Chemistry and Materials Science. 2022-2026 Research.com Materials Science in Australia Leader Award and the 2026 Best Scientists Award.

Currently, he serves as an Associate Editor for Energy Storage Materials (Elsevier) and Electrochemical Energy Reviews(Springer-Nature).