2015.08 –2019.01 Ph.D., Tsinghua University, China

2010.09 –2013.07 M.S. , School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, China

2005.09 –2009.07 B.S., School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, China

2024.12 – Present, Associate Professor, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, China

2023.02 – 2024.12, Assistant Professor, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, China

2019.01 – 2023.02, Postdoc Researcher, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, China

Flue gas/air carbon capture, conversion and utilization (catalytic reduction, high-temperature electrolysis, etc.)

AI-enabled functional materials and low-carbon process development

(Postdoctoral researchers with backgrounds in energy, environment, chemistry and chemical engineering are long-term recruited)

Selected Publications (^* corresponding author)

1. Zhen Chen, Yue Peng, Jianjun Chen, Chizhong Wang, Haibo Yin, Haiming Wang, Changfu You^*, Junhua Li^*. Performance and mechanism of photocatalytic toluene degradation and catalyst regeneration by thermal/UV treatment, Environmental Science & Technology, 2020. DOI:10.1021/acs.est.0c06048

2. Haiwei Su, Wiliam Orbell, Yakun Qu, Zhen Chen^*, Feng Dong, Xiuyi Yang, Xiaoguang Zhao, Lin Chen, Yunlong Wang, Bojiang Meng, Haibo Yin, Jianjun Chen, Lin Guo^*, Junhua Li. Mesoscopic Hydrophobic Microenvironment Engineering on a Single-Atom Catalyst for Steering CO₂ Photoreduction to CH₄, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2026. 10.1021/jacs.6c01672

3. Lijuan Sun, Haiwei Su, Zhen Chen^*, William Orbell, Guijie Liang, Weikang Wang^*, Lele Wang, Juan Yang, Qinqin Liu^*, Junhua Li^*. Atomic Interlayer Mo-N₄ Sites Enable Rapid Charge Transfer and Efficient CO₂ Photoreduction, Advanced Science, 2026. DOI: 10.1002/advs.75217

4. Guojun Li, Zhen Chen^*, Yunlong Wang, Haiwei Su, Lin Chen, Jianjun Chen, Jingrong Xiao, Ruonan Wang, Shule Zhang, Qin Zhong, Junhua Li. In Situ Bismuth Exsolution-Driven Controllable Bi/Bi4Ti3O12 Heterointerface Catalysts for Enhanced Photocatalytic CO₂-to-HCOOH Conversion, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2026. 10.1002/anie.4308936

5. Haiwei Su, Haibo Yin^*, William Orbell, Yuqing Li, Guoliang Wang, Yunlong Wang, Kohsuke Mori, Zhen Chen^*, Hexing Li, Hiromi Yamashita, Junhua Li. Asymmetric Triple-Atom Sites Combined with Oxygen Vacancy for Selective Photocatalytic Conversion of CO₂ to Propionic Acid, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2025. DOI: 10.1002/anie.202425446

6. Wenping Wang, Hao Ding, Jianhua Bian, Sijia Sun, Zhen Chen^*, Tuo Fan, Wenfeng Li, Fatang Li, Daimei Chen, Junhua Li. Bioinspired multi-faceted defense architecture of PBA-derived hollow porous nanocages for chloride-resistant electrocatalytic seawater oxidation, Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy, 2026. 10.1016/j.apcatb.2026.126385

7. Zhoulan Huang, Guoxiong Zhan, Lei Xing, Yongfeng Bai, Yansheng He, Hang Su, Shanlong An, Changdong Liu, Bing Li, Zheng Yin, Binghai Zhao, Bingling Yuan, Kexin Wei, Shuangjiang Yu, Baoqing Duan, Xuejun Cui, Zhen Chen^*, Jianjun Chen, Lidong Wang, Yongliang Ma, Junhua Li. Synergistic Control of Amine Emissions and Material Balance for Chemical CO₂ Capture with Novel Solvents, Environmental Science & Technology, 2025. 10.1021/acs.est.5c10769

8. Bingling Yuan, Lei Xing, Zhoulan Huang, Guoxiong Zhan, Yuchen Li, Zhen Chen^*, Lidong Wang^*, Junhua Li. Multiscale Exploration of Dynamic Phase-Splitting Behavior for Biphasic Solvent in CO₂ Capture, Environmental Science & Technology, 2025. 10.1021/acs.est.5c05951

9. Xing Li, Zhen Chen^*, Ya Wang, Chizhong Wang, Guoxiong Zhan, Huazhen Chang^*, Junhua Li. Durable and Active Fe–N–C Assisted by Fe Nanoparticle and Graphitic Layers for Efficient Carbamate Decomposition During Amine-Based Carbon Capture, Advanced Functional Materials, 2025. DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202414293. 10.1002/adfm.202414293

10. Zhoulan Huang, Guoxiong Zhan, Lei Xing, Bingling Yuan, Xuebing Liu, Yongpeng Zhang, Yongfeng Bai, Zhen Chen^*, Junhua Li. Efficient Dynamic Phase Splitting Driven by Centrifugal Force for CO₂ Capture from Flue Gas using Biphasic Solvents, Environmental Science & Technology, 2024. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c05248

11. Zhen Chen, Lei Xing, Guoxiong Zhan, Zhoulan Huang, Xinhao Bai, Rong Wang, Yue Peng, Junhua Li^*. Integration of strong oxide-support interaction and mesoporous confinement to engineer efficient and durable Zr/Al₂O₃ for catalytic solvent regeneration in CO₂ capture, Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy, 2024. DOI: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2024.124000

12. Yuchen Li, Lei Xing, Zhen Chen^*, Guoxiong Zhan, Bingling Yuan, Yue Peng, Lidong Wang^*, Junhua Li. Covalent organic frameworks with tunable Co–N–C for high-performance carbamate decomposition via sulfonic modification in amine-based CO₂ capture, Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy, 2024. DOI: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2024.124350

13. Lei Xing^#, Zhen Chen^#, Guoxiong Zhan^#, Zhoulan Huang, Lidong Wang, Junhua Li^*. Efficient CO₂ Desorption Catalysts: from Material Design to Kinetics Analysis and Application Evaluation, Engineering, 2024. DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2024.08.024

14. Bingling Yuan, Zhen Chen^*, Qianxuan Zhang, Guoxiong Zhan, Lei Xing, Zhoulan Huang, Yuchen Li, Lidong Wang^*, Junhua Li. Sulfolane-based biphasic solvent with high water-balance robustness and degradation resistance for industrial CO₂ capture, Applied Energy, 2024. DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.123356

15. Kaili Xue, Zhen Chen^*, Xiaona Wu, Heng Zhang, Haiping Chen^*, Junhua Li. Superhydrophobic Ceramic Membrane Coupled with a Biphasic Solvent for Efficient CO₂ Capture, Green Energy & Environment, 2024. DOI: 10.1016/j.gee.2024.07.010

16. Lei Xing, Zhen Chen^*, Guoxiong Zhan, Zhoulan Huang, Mingyue Li, Yuchen Li, Lidong Wang^*, Junhua Li^*. Sulfur Migration Enhanced Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer for Efficient CO₂ Desorption with Core-Shelled C@Mn₃O₄, Environmental Science & Technology, 2024. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09875

17. Zhen Chen, Bingling Yuan, Guoxiong Zhan, Yuchen Li, Jinyang Li, Jianjun Chen, Yue Peng, Lidong Wang^*, Changfu You, Junhua Li^*. Energy-Efficient Biphasic Solvents for Industrial Carbon Capture: Role of Physical Solvents on CO₂ Absorption and Phase Splitting, Environmental Science & Technology, 2022. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05687

18. Zhen Chen, Haibo Yin, Rong Wang, Yue Peng^*, Changfu You, Junhua Li. Efficient Electron Transfer by Plasmonic Silver in SrTiO₃ for Low Concentration Photocatalytic NO Oxidation, Environmental Science & Technology, 2022. DOI:10.1021/acs.est.2c00262

19. Haibo Yin^#, Zhen Chen^#, Yue Peng, Shangchao Xiong, Yadong Li^*, Hiromi Yamashita^*, Junhua Li^*. Dual Active Centers Bridged by Oxygen Vacancies of Ruthenium Single-Atom Hybrids Supported on Molybdenum Oxide for Photocatalytic Ammonia Synthesis, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2022. DOI:10.1002/anie.202114242

20. Zhen Chen, Haibo Yin, Chizhong Wang, Rong Wang, Yue Peng^*, Changfu You, Junhua Li^*. New insights on competitive adsorption of NO/SO₂ on TiO₂ anatase for photocatalytic NO oxidation, Environmental Science & Technology, 2021. DOI:10.1021/acs.est.1c01749