Jianfeng Mao

Dr Jianfeng Mao

ARC Future Fellow

School of Chemical Engineering

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.


Dr. Jianfeng Mao is a Senior Lecturer, ARC Future Fellow and the inaugural Discipline Lead in Materials Engineering at the School of Chemical Engineering. His research centers on energy storage. He received a PhD in Materials Engineering from the University of Wollongong (UoW). His PhD research was focused on hydrogen storage materials. It was recognized by a Postgraduate Thesis Award as the best thesis from the Faculty of Engineering of UoW, and followed by the postdoctoral appointments at the Max Planck Institute, Germany and the University of Glasgow, UK. He has then developed his career in the field of electrochemical energy storage (battery) at the University of Maryland, USA. His battery research has been honored by an ARC Future Fellowship (FT23, Level 2), 2023 Executive Dean's Staff Award for Mid-Career Research, 2023 Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher, 2022 Journal of Materials Chemistry A Emerging Investigator, and two leading ARC Discovery Projects (DP20, DP24). He is an Associate Editor for Sustainable Materials and Technologies (IF 9.6, Elsevier) and Australian Synchrotron Advisory Committee Member for Powder Diffraction Program.

He has filed 5 patents and published over 110 papers (60+ as the first or corresponding author) in the leading discipline journals, including J. Am. Chem. Soc., Angew. Chem., Adv. Mater., Energy Environ. Sci., Nat. Commun., Sci. Adv., and so on. His publications have attracted more than 10,000 citations with a H-index of 50 (Google Scholar).

His current research interests are in developing advanced electrolytes and materials for next-generation batteries, as well as the green battery recycling methods for promoting the sustainability of battery supply chain. He has also interests in hydrogen storage materials for hydrogen storage and transport.

Aqueous electrolytes (PhD Scholarships available)

  1. Y. Q. Lyu, J. A. Yuwono, P. T. Wang, Y. Y. Wang, F. H. Yang, S. L. Liu, S. L. Zhang, B. F. Wang, K. Davey, J. F. Mao*, Z. P. Guo*, Organic pH Buffer for Dendrite-Free and Shuttle-Free Zn-I2 Batteries, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2023, 62, e202303011.
  2. S. L. Liu, J. Vongsvivut, Y. Y. Wang, R. Z. Zhang, F. H. Yang, S. L. Zhang, K. Davey, J. F. Mao*, Z. P. Guo*, Monolithic Phosphate Interphase for Highly Reversible and Stable Zn Metal Anode, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2023, 62, e202215600.
  3. H. J. Huang, D. M. Xie, J. C. Zhao, P. H. Rao*, W. M. Choi*, K. Davey, J. F. Mao*, Boosting reversibility and stability of Zn anodes via manipulation of electrolyte structure and interface with addition of trace organic molecules, Advanced Energy Materials, 2022, 12, 2202419. [Front cover]
  4. X. H. Zeng, K. X. Xie, S. L. Liu, S. L. Zhang, J. N. Hao, J. T. Liu, W. K. Pang, J. W. Liu, P. H. Rao, Q. H. Wang*, J. F. Mao*, Z. P. Guo*, Bio-inspired design of an in-situ multifunctional polymeric solid-electrolyte interphase for Zn metal anode cycling at 30 mA cm-2 and 30 mA h cm-2, Energy & Environmental Science, 2021, 14, 5947-5957.
  5. X. H. Zeng, J. F. Mao*, J. N. Hao, J. T. Liu, S. L. Liu, Z. J. Wang, Y. Y. Wang, S. L. Zhang, T. Zheng, J. W. Liu, P. H. Rao, Z. P. Guo*, Electrolyte design for in-situ construction of highly Zn2+-conductive solid electrolyte interphase to enable high-performance aqueous Zn-ion batteries under practical conditions, Advanced Materials, 2021, 33, 2007416.

Organic electrolytes (PhD Scholarships available)

  1. J. F. Mao*, C. Y. Wang, Y. Q. Lyu, R. Z. Zhang, Y. Y. Wang, S. L. Liu, Z. J. Wang, S. L. Zhang, Z. P. Guo*, Organic electrolyte design for practical potassium-ion batteries, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2022, 10, 19090-19106.
  2. S. L. Liu, J. F. Mao*, L. Zhang, W. K. Pang, A. J. Du, Z. P. Guo*, Manipulating the solvation structure of non-flammable electrolyte and interface to enable unprecedented stability of graphite anode beyond two years for safe potassium-ion batteries, Advanced Materials, 2021, 33, 2006313.
  3. S. L. Liu, J. F. Mao*, Q. Zhang, Z. J. Wang, W. K. Pang, L. Zhang, A. J. Du, V. Sencadas, W. C. Zhang, Z. P. Guo*, An intrinsically non-flammable electrolyte for high performance potassium batteries. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2020, 59, 3638-3644.
  4. J. X. Wu, Q. Zhang, S. L. Liu, J. Long, Z. B. Wu, W. C. Zhang, W. K. Pang, V. Sencadas, R. Song, W. L. Song, J. F. Mao*, Z. P. Guo*, Synergy of binders and electrolytes in enabling microsized alloy anodes for high performance potassium-ion batteries, Nano Energy, 2020, 77, 105118. 
  5. Q. Zhang, J. F. Mao*, W. K. Pang, T. Zheng, V. Sencadas, Y. Z. Chen, Y. J. Liu, Z. P. Guo*, Boosting the potassium storage performance of alloy-based anode materials via electrolyte salt chemistry, Advanced Energy Materials, 2018, 8, 1703288.

Solid-state electrolytes (PhD Scholarships available)

  1. C. Y. Wang, C. Wang, M. Li, S. Zhang, C. Zhang, S. Chou, J. F. Mao*, Z. P. Guo*, Design of thin solid-state electrolyte films for safe and energy-dense batteries, Materials Today, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.mattod.2023.11.016.
  2. Y. N. Wei, M. Wang, N. N. Xu, L. W. Peng, J. F. Mao*, Q. J. Gong*, J. L. Qiao*, Alkaline Exchange Polymer Membrane Electrolyte for High Performance of All-Solid-State Electrochemical Devices. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2018, 10, 29593-29598.

Electrode materials (PhD Scholarships available)

  1. S. X. Xia*, Z. Y. Jiang, X. Y. Zhao, J. A. Yuwono, X. Zhang, X. F. Zhang, G. Z. Yang, J. H. Yang, Y. Jiang, J. F. Mao*, K. Davey, Z. P. Guo*, S. Y. Zheng*, A highly stable practical Li metal anode via interphase regulation and nucleation induction, Advanced Energy Materials, 2024, doi: 10.1002/aenm.202304407.
  2. S. X. Xia*, W. X. Fan, Z.Hou, C. R. Li, Z. Y. Jiang, J. H. Yang, J. F. Mao*, S. Y. Zheng*, Fast Ion Transport Interphase Integrated with Space Confinement Enabling High‐Rate and Long‐Lifespan Na Metal Batteries, Advanced Functional Materials, 2024, doi: 10.1002/adfm.202314954.
  3. K. P. Zhu, C. Guo, W. B. Gong, Q. H. Xiao, Y. G. Yao, K. Davey, Q. H. Wang*, J. F. Mao*, P. Xue*, Z. P. Guo*, Engineering an electrostatic field layer for high-rate and dendrite-free Zn metal anodes, Energy & Environmental Science, 2023, 16, 3612-3622.
  4. Q. Zhang, C. Didier, W. K. Pang, Y. J. Liu, Z. J. Wang, S. Li, V. K. Peterson, J. F. Mao*, Z. P. Guo*, Structural insight into layer gliding and lattice distortion in layered manganese oxide electrodes for potassium ion batteries, Advanced Energy Materials, 2019, 9, 1900568.
  5. W. C. Zhang, J. F. Mao, S. Li, Z. X. Chen*, Z. P. Guo*, Phosphorus-based alloy materials for advanced potassium-ion battery anode. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2017, 139, 3316-3319. [ Equal contribution]

Battery recycling (PhD Scholarships available)

  1. Y. Lyu, J. A. Yuwono, Y. Fan, J. Li, J. Wang, R. Zeng, K. Davey, J. F. Mao*, C. F. Zhang*, Z. P. Guo* Selective Extraction of Critical Metals from Spent Li-ion Battery Cathode: Cation-Anion Coordination and Anti-Solvent Crystallization, Advanced Materials, 2024, doi: 10.1002/adma.202312551.
  2. J. X. Wang, Y. Q. Lyu, R. Zeng, S. L. Zhang, K. Davey, J. F. Mao*, Z. P. Guo*, Green recycling of spent Li-ion battery cathodes via deep-eutectic solvents, Energy & Environmental Science, 2024, 17, 867-884.
  3. J. F. Mao, C. Ye, S. L. Zhang, F. X. Xie, R. Zeng, K. Davey, Z. P. Guo*, S. Z. Qiao*, Toward practical lithium-ion battery recycling: adding value, tackling circularity and recycling-oriented design, Energy & Environmental Science, 2022, 15, 2732-2752.

Hydrogen storage

  1. J. F. Mao*, Q. F. Gu, Z. P. Guo*, H. K. Liu, Sodium Borohydride Hydrazinates: Synthesis, Crystal Structures, and Thermal Decomposition Behavior. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2015, 3, 11269-11276.
  2. J. F. Mao*, Z. P. Guo*, H. K. Liu, S. X. Dou, Reversible Storage of Hydrogen in NaF-MB2 (M = Mg, Al) Composites. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2013, 1, 2806-2811.
  3. J. F. Mao*, Z. P. Guo*, I. P. Nevirkovets, H. K. Liu, S. X. Dou, Hydrogen de/absorption improvementof NaBH4 catalysed by titanium-based additives. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2012, 116, 1596-1604.
  4. J. F. Mao, Z. P. Guo*, X. B. Yu*, H. K. Liu. Improved hydrogen storage properties of NaBH4 destabilized by Ca(BH4)2 and CaH2, The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2011, 115, 9283–9290.
  5. J. F. Mao, Z. P. Guo*, H. Y. Leng, Z. Wu, Y. H. Guo, X. B. Yu*, H. K. Liu. Reversible hydrogen storage in destabilized LiAlH4-MgH2-LiBH4 ternary hydride system doped with TiF3, The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2010, 114, 11643-11649.
  • Education

    Date Institution name Country Title
    University of Wollongong Australia PhD
    Chinese Academy of Sciences China Master
    Jilin University China Bachelor
  1. Sole CI, ARC Future Fellowship, Rational Electrolyte Design and Engineering for Next-Generation Batteries, FT230100598, 2024-2028, $978,176.
  2. Lead CI, ARC Discovery Project, Targeted electrolyte design for high energy aqueous batteries, DP240102353, 2024-2027, $380,000.
  3. CI, ARC Training Centre for Battery Recycling, IC230100042, 2024-2029, $5,000,000.
  4. Lead CI, ARC Discovery Project, Low cost aqueous rechargeable zinc batteries for grid-scale energy storage, DP200101862, 2020-2024, $510,000.
  5. Lead CI, ECMS Faculty ECR/MCR SEED Grant, A green and valuable closed loop process for the recycling of end-of-life electric vehicle batteries, 2021-2022, $10,000.
  6. Second CI, ARC Linkage Project, High energy density, long life, safe lithium Ion battery for electric cars, LP160101629, 2017-2022, $420,000 + $300,000 (Industry).

Materials engineering for energy (CHEM ENG 7106)

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2024 Co-Supervisor Weakly solvated electrolyte for high performance lithium metal batteries Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Mingnan Li
    2024 Principal Supervisor Sustainable Recycling of End-Of-Life Electric Vehicle Batteries Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mr Kingston Kok Han Lim
    2022 Co-Supervisor MXene as a Multifunctional Additive in Solid Polymer Electrolytes for Safe and High Energy Density Lithium Metal Batteries Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Caoyu Wang
    2021 Co-Supervisor Deep Eutectic Solvent for Li-Battery Cathode Recycle Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Yanqiu Lyu
  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2021 - 2023 Co-Supervisor Interface Design and Electrolyte Engineering for Highly Reversible Metal-Based Batteries Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Yanyan Wang
  • Editorial Boards

    Date Role Editorial Board Name Institution Country
    2023 - ongoing Associate Editor Sustainable Materials and Technologies Elsevier Netherlands
  • Position: ARC Future Fellow
  • Email: jianfeng.mao@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Engineering Annexe, floor Second Floor
  • Org Unit: School of Chemical Engineering

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