Dr Ling Chen

Research Staff

School of Chemical Engineering

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD (as Co-Supervisor) - email supervisor to discuss availability.

My Research
Publications
Teaching
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My research centers on the computational design and discovery of efficient, low-cost catalysts for sustainable energy applications, using first-principles calculations and high-throughput screening techniques. I specialize in electrocatalysis, with complementary experience in photocatalysis, and focus on reactions central to the Water, Carbon, and Nitrogen cycles, including:

Hydrogen Evolution (HER) and Hydrogen Oxidation (HOR)
Oxygen Evolution (OER) and Oxygen Reduction (ORR)
Carbon Dioxide Reduction (CO₂RR)
Nitrogen Reduction (NRR)

Key areas of contribution:

Carbon Cycle Catalysts: Designing transition-metal and single-atom catalysts for CO₂-to-fuel conversion via C–C coupling and multi-carbon product selectivity, inspired by biological CO₂ fixation and aided by reaction pathway analysis and descriptor engineering.
Nitrogen Cycle Catalysts: Developing cost-effective, non-precious catalysts for sustainable ammonia synthesis through mechanistic insights into N≡N bond activation, using Density Functional Theory (DFT) and thermodynamic/kinetic modeling.
Water Cycle Catalysts: Engineering high-performance electrocatalysts for OER/ORR in water-splitting and fuel cell systems, with a focus on activity–stability trade-offs, spin-state tuning, and support–catalyst interactions.

My computational toolbox includes VASP, CP2K, LAMMPS, and Python-based automation workflows, supporting scalable and reproducible catalyst discovery pipelines across multiple reaction environments.

Journals

Year	Citation
2025	Cheng, J., Chen, L., Zhang, Y., Wang, M., Zheng, Z., Jiang, L., . . . Peng, Y. (2025). Metal-organic double layer to stabilize selective multi-carbon electrosynthesis.. Nat Commun, 16(1), 3743. DOI Scopus1
2023	Ran, J., Chen, L., Wang, D., Talebian Kiakalaieh, A., Jiao, Y., Adel Hamza, M., . . . Qiao, S. (2023). Atomic-Level Regulated Two-Dimensional ReSe₂ : A Universal Platform Boosting Photocatalysis. Advanced Materials, 35(19), 2210164-1-2210164-13. DOI Scopus72 WoS8 Europe PMC15
2023	Chen, L., Tang, C., Zheng, Y., Davey, K., & Jiao, Y. (2023). Triple-atom catalysts for one-step N–C–N coupling toward urea synthesis: A DFT study. Science China Materials, 66(6), 2346-2353. DOI Scopus19
2023	Cheng, J., Chen, L., Xie, X., Feng, K., Sun, H., Qin, Y., . . . Peng, Y. (2023). Proton Shuttling by Polyaniline of High Brønsted Basicity for Improved Electrocatalytic Ethylene Production from CO₂. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 62(44), 1-11. DOI Scopus30 WoS2 Europe PMC4
2022	Chen, L., Tang, C., Zheng, Y., Skúlason, E., & Jiao, Y. (2022). C₃ production from CO₂ reduction by concerted CO trimerization on a single-atom alloy catalyst. Journal of Materials Chemistry A*, 10(11), 5998-6006. DOI Scopus39 WoS15
2022	Zhou, X., Shan, J., Chen, L., Xia, B. Y., Ling, T., Duan, J., . . . Qiao, S. -Z. (2022). Stabilizing Cu²⁺ ions by solid solutions to promote CO₂ electroreduction to methane. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 144(5), 2079-2084. DOI Scopus343 WoS113 Europe PMC107
2022	Chen, L., Tang, C., Zheng, Y., Ostrikov, K., & Jiao, Y. (2022). Carbene Ligands Enabled C-N Coupling for Methylamine Electrosynthesis: A Computational Study. Energy and Fuels, 36(13), 7213-7218. DOI Scopus10 WoS1
2022	Yang, B., Chen, L., Xue, S., Sun, H., Feng, K., Chen, Y., . . . Peng, Y. (2022). Electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction to alcohols by modulating the molecular geometry and Cu coordination in bicentric copper complexes. Nature Communications, 13(1), 5122-1-5122-13. DOI Scopus116 WoS23 Europe PMC42
2022	Shan, J., Ye, C., Zhu, C., Dong, J., Xu, W., Chen, L., . . . Qiao, S. -Z. (2022). Integrating Interactive Noble Metal Single-Atom Catalysts into Transition Metal Oxide Lattices.. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 144(50), 23214-23222. DOI Scopus90 WoS27 Europe PMC21
2021	Chen, L., Tang, C., Jiao, Y., & Qiao, S. (2021). Anomalous C‐C coupling on under‐coordinated Cu(111) – a case study of Cu nanopyramids for CO2 reduction reaction by molecular modelling. ChemSusChem: chemistry and sustainability, energy and materials, 14(2), 671-678. DOI Scopus14 WoS6 Europe PMC5
2021	Tang, C., Chen, L., Li, H., Li, L., Jiao, Y., Zheng, Y., . . . Qiao, S. (2021). Tailoring acidic oxygen reduction selectivity on single-atom catalysts via modification of first and second coordination spheres. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 43(20), 4819-4827. DOI Scopus686 WoS338 Europe PMC186
2021	Chen, L., Tang, C., Davey, K., Zheng, Y., Jiao, Y., & Qiao, S. -Z. (2021). Spatial-confinement induced electroreduction of CO and CO₂ to diols on densely-arrayed Cu nanopyramids. Chemical Science, 23(23), 8086-8087. DOI Scopus27 WoS9 Europe PMC7
2021	Xiong, L., Zhang, X., Chen, L., Deng, Z., Han, S., Chen, Y., . . . Peng, Y. (2021). Geometric modulation of local CO Flux in Ag@Cu₂ O nanoreactors for steering the CO₂ RR pathway toward high-efficacy methane production. Adv Mater, 33(32), e2101741-1-e2101741-11. DOI Scopus194 WoS73 Europe PMC35
2021	Sun, H., Chen, L., Xiong, L., Feng, K., Chen, Y., Zhang, X., . . . Peng, Y. (2021). Promoting ethylene production over a wide potential window on Cu crystallites induced and stabilized via current shock and charge delocalization. Nature Communications, 12(1), 6823-1-6823-11. DOI Scopus100 WoS49 Europe PMC25
2020	Sun, H., Chen, L., Lian, Y., Yang, W., Lin, L., Chen, Y., . . . Qiao, S. (2020). Topotactically Transformed Polygonal Mesopores on Ternary Layered Double Hydroxides Exposing Under‐Coordinated Metal Centers for Accelerated Water Dissociation. Advanced Materials, 32(52), 2006784-1-2006784-9. DOI Scopus253 WoS148 Europe PMC50
2002	Chen, L., Yang, X., & Si, Y. (2002). Research on the Technological Condition in the Slurry Electrolysis of High-silver Galena Concentrate. Journal of Kunming University of Science and Technology, 38-41.
2002	Chen, L., Yang, X., Si, Y., & Zhang, Y. (2002). Technological Condition in the Slurry Electrolysis of High-silver Galena Concentrate. Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China, 12, 344-348.
2001	Chen, L., Guo, Z., & Yang, X. (2001). Structure and Characteristics of Electrodeposited RE-Ni-W-P-B4C-PTFE Composited Coatings. Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China, 11, 887-890.
2001	Chen, L., & Yang, X. (2001). Preliminary Probe into the Technological Condition in the Slurry Electrolysis of High-silver Galena Concentrate. Journal of Kunming University of Science and Technology, 26(10), 28-31.
2000	Guo, Z., Chen, L., Yang, X., & ZHAI, D. (2000). Studies on properties of electrodeposited RE-Ni-W-P-B4C-PTFE composite coating. Electroplating & Finishing, 19(3), 1-4.
2000	Guo, Z., Chen, L., Yang, X., & ZHAI, D. (2000). Studies on properties of electrodeposited RE-Ni-W-P-B4C-PTFE composite coating. Electroplating & Finishing, 19(3), 1-4.

Conference Papers

Year	Citation
2009	Chen, L., & Jin, Y. (2009). The Auto-reconditioning Protective Layer on Worn Metal Surface Generated by Internal Oxidation under Serpentine Action. In Proceeding of the 4th World Tribology Congress, WTC2009. kyoto Japan.
2008	Chen, L., Zhao, Y., & Jin, Y. (2008). Preliminary Applications of King's ART Technology in Industry. In Advanced Tribology: Proceedings of CIST2008 $ ITS-IFToMM2008 (pp. 473-474). Beijing.
2002	Chen, L., & Yang, X. (2002). Research on Technological Condition in Slurry Electrolysis of High-silver Galena Concentrate. In Proceedings of the First International Conference on Heavy Nonferrous Metallurgy, ICHNM'2002. Kunming, China.

2020, CHEM ENG 7102 Computation for Material Engineering, as tutor

2021, Master of Engineering Research Project 2021s1, as co-supervisor

2021, Research Project RP210212, as co-supervisor

2022, Master of Engineering Research Project 2022s1, as co-supervisor

2022, CHEM ENG 7102 Computation for Material Engineering, as lecturer

2023, CHEM ENG 7102 Computation for Material Engineering, as lecturer

2024, MAT ENG 7102 Computation for Material Engineering, as lecturer

Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

Date	Role	Research Topic	Program	Degree Type	Student Load	Student Name
2024	Co-Supervisor	Data-driven Machine-learning Assisted Design of Electrocatalysts for Green C2 Chemical Production	Doctor of Philosophy	Doctorate	Full Time	Mr Zhen Tan

Memberships

Date Role Membership Country

2009 - ongoing Member Engineers Australia Australia

Date	Role	Membership	Country
2009 - ongoing	Member	Engineers Australia	Australia

Position: Research Staff
Email: ling.chen@adelaide.edu.au
Campus: North Terrace
Building: Engineering North, floor First Floor
Org Unit: School of Chemical Engineering

Dr Ling Chen

Journals

Conference Papers

Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

Memberships

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