Enqi Chen

Enqi Chen obtained his BSc degree from Soochow University, and MSc degree from National University of Singapore. Currently, he is pursuing his PhD study in Prof. Junwang Tang's Group at the Department of Chemical Engineering of UCL. His current research focuses on the photocatalytic carbon dioxide conversion to C₂₊.

Research project

Title: Photocatalytic Carbon Dioxide Conversion to C2+

Conversion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) using semiconductor photocatalysts and driven by solar energy could not only solve the problem of increasing CO₂ emission, but also reduce reliance on fossil fuels in chemical industry. The target products of C₂₊ are usually in a liquid phase with a high energy density, which could be conveniently transported by current infrastructure and used on demand.

Based on the complicated CO₂ reduction pathway which may lead to kinds of products, a high selectivity and high CO₂ conversion rate on the photocatalysts are key points for this research project, which could decrease the cost of purification in further industrial application and obtain value-added chemicals. The design of photocatalyst contains a proper bandgap position, low electron-hole recombination rate, and effective co-catalyst to selectively transfer the electrons to CO₂ molecules. In parallel, the reaction mechanism will be investigated in order to get deep insights on photocatalytic CO₂ reduction.

Education

BSc in Physics, Soochow University, Suzhou, China, 2016

MSc in Applied Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 2018

Work Experience

Research technician/associate, Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research, 2019-2021