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Qiucheng Xu

qiucheng.xu@epfl.ch +41 21 693 56 63

Expertise

1. Operando Water and Ion Transport: I pioneered operando high-energy X-ray scattering and fluorescence (WAXS/SAXS/XRF) to directly visualize water and ion transport in membrane–electrode assemblies. These studies revealed how water movement, flooding, and salt formation govern degradation in CO/CO2 electrolysis, establishing the dynamic transport mechanisms in confined electrochemical environments. (Nat. Nanotechnol. 2025; Joule 2024; Nat. Catal. 2023)

2. Design of Membrane-Electrode Interface: I advanced the understanding of water chemistry in anion-exchange-membrane (AEM) systems by quantifying local pH effects on CO2 mass transfer and benchmarking oxide stability under alkaline conditions. These efforts enabled rigorous evaluation of how local water environments dictate activity and stability, yielding design rules for optimizing water and CO/CO2 electrolysis. (Angew. Chem. 2025; Angew. Chem. 2023)

3. Catalyst Innovation for Water Reactions: I developed a general strategy to create F-functionalized oxides with outstanding activity and stability for water oxidation. Moreover, I clarified water dissociation mechanisms of bipolar membranes (BPM) catalysts, providing fundamental principles for optimizing their performance under high-current operation. (ACS Nano 2024; Joule 2023; Nat. Commun. 2022; Nano Lett. 2021)

Mission

My research aims to establish fundamental principles for controlling ion and water transport, and their coupling to reactions at electrified interphases, enabling sustainable applications in energy conversion, separation, and sensing. 

Current Work

1. Machine learning assisted electrochemical performance predication.
2. Dynmaic membrane properties under realistic operation. 
3. Enhancing the stability of electrolysis system, leveraging the application of H2O and CO2 electrolyzer.

04/2024 - present              École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)               Switzerland
                                                   Supervisor: Prof. Xile Hu
10/2021 - 03/2024             Technical University of Denmark (DTU)                                       Denmark
                                                  Supervisor: Prof. Brian Seger and Prof. Ib Chorkendorff
12/2019 – 12/2020              University of Oregon (UO)                                                                Eugene, USA
                                                  Supervisor: Prof. Shannon W. Boettcher (now, Prof. in UC Berkeley)

Education

Defect Engineering of Electrocatalysts for Enhanced Water Splitting Performance

| Materials Science and Engineering

2016 – 2021 East China University of Science and Technology
Directed by Prof. Chunzhong Li and Prof. Hao Jiang

Awards

Carbon Future Young Investigator Award

Tsinghua University Press

2025

Seal of Excellence (MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships)

European Commission

2023

Outstanding Graduate Student Award in Shanghai

Education Committee of Shanghai

2021