Yang Research Group
Advanced Materials & Renewable Energy at University of Central Florida
Surface and Interface Engineering of Functional Materials
Programmable Nanomanufacturing of Functional Materials
Localized Physicochemical Phenomena
Interface Electrochemical Process for Batteries and Catalysis
Flexible Electronics and Photonics
Welcome to the Yang group!
Research efforts in the Yang lab are directed toward studying the surface and interface engineering of functional materials at the nano/atomic scale for energy and sustainability.
About Dr. Yang Yang
Dr. Yang Yang is a professor at the NanoScience Technology Center, the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and the Department of Chemistry at the University of Central Florida. He received his Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Tsinghua University in 2010. He was an Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow with Prof. Patrik Schmuki at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (2010-2012) and a Peter M. and Ruth L. Nicholas Postdoctoral Fellow with Prof. James M. Tour at Rice University (2012-2015). He joined UCF in 2015 as a tenure-track Assistant Professor and was promoted to tenured Full Professor in 2026. His group studies how the structures and properties of material surfaces (ranging from single atoms to nanoparticles), as well as their interactions with supports and the surrounding environments, determine the performance, selectivity, and operational lifespan of electrochemical systems. Current directions include biomass conversion and chemical manufacturing, small-molecule fuel cells and high-performance aqueous batteries, hydrogen peroxide electrosynthesis and paired electrolysis, carbon dioxide electroreduction and seawater electrolysis, solar energy harvesting, and flexible electronics.
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Honors and Awards
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, 2026
- Fellow of the Global Academy of Nanotechnology, 2026
- Fellow of the International Association of Advanced Materials (IAAM), 2023
- Pioneering Investigators Award by Royal Society of Chemistry (ChemComm), 2023
- Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Return Fellowship, 2022
- College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) Excellence in Research Award at the Associate Professor Level, 2022
- Vebleo Fellow, Energy Materials and Technologies, 2021
- Top 3% of highly cited works from American institutions, 2021
- UCF-Research Incentive Awards (RIA), 2020
- Top 5% of highly cited authors in the Royal Society of Chemistry journals, 2019
- Scialog Fellow for Advanced Energy Storage, 2018
- Emerging Young Investigator Award by Royal Society of Chemistry (Journal of Materials Chemistry), 2018
- UCF-VPR Advancement of Early Career Researchers (AECR), 2018
- Peter M. and Ruth L. Nicholas Fellowship, 2012
- Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship, 2010
- Outstanding Graduate Student in Research (Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University), 2009
- Tsinghua-TOSHIBA Scholarship (First-Class Honor, Top 5%), 2008
The group is dedicated to "innovation translation": a material discovery is only truly complete once it has been put to the test within an operational device, under real-world working conditions, and has demonstrated sustained performance over a significant period.
Openings
We are looking for graduate, undergraduate students and post-doctoral scholar with background and interest in advanced materials and renewable energy. Motivated students please contact Dr. Yang.
Contact
Dr. Yang Yang
University of Central Florida
12424 Research Parkway Suite 423, Orlando, FL 32826
Email: Yang.Yang@ucf.edu Tel: 407-823-2845