Research

LOGICS Design of Energy-driven Material Architecture

LOGICS = Linearly Optimized, Geometrically Interfaced Chemical Systems

• Linearly Optimized: Developing streamlined and automated methodologies to enhance performance, efficiency and reliability of energy-driven material systems. 

• Geometrically Interfaced: Tailoring material interfaces throughout multi-scale system integration of complex architectural geometries. 

• Chemical Systems: Bridging the physical-chemical interactions across molecular and material scales within engineered systems to achieve specific functionality toward energy-chemical conversion.

Dr. Yu's research program at UofToronto will integrate fundamental electrochemistry, surface science, and functional material-interface design to innovate next-generation technologies for sustainable chemical and energy conversion. Researchers will work on projects that push the boundaries of current knowledge in the following areas:

1. Interphase Optimization of Next-Generation Battery Materials: Developing stable and high-performance solid-electrolyte interphases (SEI) and cathode-electrolyte interphases (CEI) for next-generation batteries.

2. Electrocatalytic Molecular Manufacturing for Circular Economy: Exploring new electrocatalytic processes for sustainable and efficient chemical manufacturing that supports a circular economy.

3. Solar-driven Chemical Reforming for Environmental Sustainability: Utilizing solar energy to drive chemical reforming processes aimed at achieving environmental sustainability through clean energy.

4. High-throughput and Autonomous Experimentation Accelerated by AI: Harnessing AI-driven autonomous experimentation platforms to rapidly discover and optimize new materials, dramatically reducing the time required for innovation.

Past Research Areas

My PhD thesis at Caltech has delivered three key mechanisms for understanding the stability of semiconductor photoelectrodes for solar fuels. First, accelerating catalytic kinetics of fuel-forming reactions can suppress corrosion pathways at semiconductor surface that are competitive but less favored by thermodynamics. Also, their photo-electrochemical behaviors are sensitive to altered surface stoichiometry producing unfavorable surface states. Architectural integrity is equally significant for multi-layered solar-fuel devices where corrosion of specific functional layer can cause individual failure mode. 

To follow, my postdoc works at Stanford is bridging a knowledge gap from interfacial electrolyte reactivity to the formation of solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) at Li metal anode (LMA). By innovating X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), I managed to reveal underlying electron-transfer pathways causing electrolyte breakdown, and its kinetic dependence on thermodynamic driving force. These fundamentals of SEI chemistry further illustrate the dynamic assembly of passivating layer against dissolution.

During my PhD at Caltech, I also extensively collaborated with Prof. Harry B. Gray and Dr. Nathan Dalleska on analytical verification of N2-reduction electrocatalysis. We established a new protocol of isotopic quantification of ammonia with low detection-limit and high sensitivity.