Journal of Materials Chemistry Blog

Congratulations to the winners of the Best Short Oral Presentation Prizes at the 21st International Zeolite Conference in Dalian, China!

Guangrui Chen, Jilin University

Guangrui Chen received his Ph.D. degree from Jilin University in 2022 under the supervision of Prof. Jihong Yu. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Yu’s group. His research focuses on developing new synthesis strategies and exploring catalytic applications for hierarchical zeolites and zeolite-based composites.

Qiang Zhang, Jilin University

Qiang Zhang is currently an associate professor at Jilin University. He received his Ph.D. degree from Jilin University in 2019 under the supervision of Prof. Jihong Yu. After a Dingxin Scholar Postdoctoral experience with Prof. Jihong Yu, he joined the International Center of Future Science at Jilin University in 2024. His research interests include designed synthesis and crystallization mechanism of zeolite materials and the catalytic applications of zeolite and zeolite-based catalysts in C1 chemistry, lactide production, propane dehydrogenation, and low-temperature alkane oxidation.

Fang Li, East China Normal University

Peng Zhu, Dalian University of Technology

Weiyu Wang, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology,CAS

Hao Xiong, Tsinghua University

Hao Xiong received his BS degree (2019) and PhD degree (2024) in Chemical Engineering from Tsinghua University under the supervision of Prof. Fei Wei. He continued his postdoctoral work at Tsinghua University. His research interests are in the development of in situ low-dose imaging techniques and their application in heterogeneous catalysis.

Bo Peng, Sinopec Research Institute of Petroleum Processing Co., LTD.

Bo Peng graduated from Tsinghua University and Nanjing University with B. Eng. and M. Sc. degrees, respectively. He then worked as a Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter at Lehrstuhl II für Technische Chemie, Technische Universität München, and received his doctoral title (Dr.-Ing.) in 2016 supervised by Prof. Johannes A. Lercher. Afterward, he conducted postdoctoral research at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (Applied Catalysis Team, Energy & Environment Directorate) and was offered a research engineer position in 2019. At the end of 2019, Bo joined SINOPEC Research Institute of Petroleum Processing (RIPP) as a staff engineer in the FCC Catalysts Department. The institute re-established the Basic Research Department in 2024, where Bo acts as the deputy director responsible for the R&D activities. He is also a research fellow and is an adjunct graduate student advisor at multiple universities and research institutes. Bo is active in application-oriented fundamental research for refining technology and green carbon science, specializing in heterogeneous catalysis and reaction engineering. In addition, he is the executive director of RIPP’s youth academic committee, an editorial board member of the journal “Carbon and Hydrogen”, and a member of CIESC’s petrochemical engineering professional committee.

Sen Wang, Institute of Coal Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Tongrui Liu, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Tongrui Liu is currently a PhD candidate in the team of Academician Zhongmin Liu and Prof. Peng Tian at Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics(DICP). His research interest is focused on the development of efficient synthesis methods for zeolites and their catalytic applications, with a specific focus on the efficient and controllable synthesis of small-pore zeolites, as well as the modulation of their properties in the fields of SCR and MTO.

Yipu Xu, China University of Petroleum

Yi-Pu Xu is a PhD student jointly affiliated with the China University of Petroleum (East China) and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics. At this conference, I’ve given a short oral presentation entitled “Diffusion and Cracking Reaction Kinetics Study Based on ZSM-5@meso-SiO₂ Model Catalysts.” I’m really honored to share our work, and I think it’s incredibly meaningful to have the chance to engage in scientific discussions with researchers from around the world at my PhD stage.

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Prakash Chandra Mondal (Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India) to the Advisory Board of Journal of Materials Chemistry C.

Dr. Prakash Chandra Mondal received his M.Sc. in Chemistry from IIT Kharagpur in 2008, and Ph.D. from the University of Delhi, India in 2013. He was a post-doctoral fellow at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel (2013-2016), then moved to the University of Alberta, Canada. Before joining IIT Kanpur in 2019, he was a Marie-Curie post-doctoral Fellow at the University of Valencia, Spain. At present, he is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at IIT Kanpur. He works on surface chemistry, electrochromic devices, molecular electronics, and nanofabrication.

Read our interview with Dr. Mondal:

Question: What does it mean to you to join the Advisory Board of the Journal of Materials Chemistry C?

Answer: It is my immense pleasure to join the Advisory Board of the Journal of Materials Chemistry C. This role signifies a meaningful recognition of our teamwork, largely on the ‘molecular electronics’ and provides a valuable opportunity to engage with leading scholars in guiding the journal’s strategic vision. I am committed to supporting the journal’s mission by ensuring the highest standards of scientific rigor and integrity, promoting cutting-edge research, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. I look forward to contributing to the advancement of materials chemistry research and helping to maintain the journal’s position as a premier platform for impactful research in optical, electronic, and magnetic materials. Ultimately, it is a valuable opportunity to contribute to the scientific community and help foster emerging research that can drive future technological breakthroughs.

Question: What is the biggest challenge you currently face in your field?

Answer: The success of any research lab often depends on the passion and creativity of its young researchers. Challenges strengthen a field and shape innovative breakthroughs. The biggest challenge in the fabrication of molecular-scale devices lies in the transition from individual molecule measurements to practical, scalable devices. Integrating molecular electronics with existing silicon-based technologies is also a hurdle.

Question: What advances in your field are you most excited about?

Answer: ‘Molecular electronics’ itself is an exciting domain, where molecules mimic conventional electronics. What excites me most is that why molecules behave tunable electronic features and in-depth understanding through the lenses of experimental and computational studies. Engineering the molecule-electrode interface, crucial for the charge transport studies in molecular electronics, by employing an electrochemical grafting method, is a step towards the fabrication of a robust interface. In our laboratory at IIT Kanpur, we prepare molecular thin films via an electrochemical grafting method to create covalent interfaces between electrode-molecules, controlled thickness, and homo to heterostructures. I am also excited about integrating machine learning with molecular memory devices to enable intelligent, adaptive, and predictive electronics systems at the nanoscale and to merge biology with electronics to develop smart and selective biosensors.

Read Dr. Prakash Chandra Mondal’s latest publications in Journal of Materials Chemistry C below:

Magnetic field enhanced charge conduction in paramagnetic nickel(ii)–cysteine heterostructures

Manajit Mandal, Abhik Ghoshal, Ankur Malik and Prakash Chandra Mondal

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2025, Advance Article

A twist in the molecular memory function: chemical compositions of different redox couples control the resistive switching bias polarity

Abhik Ghoshal, Rajwinder Kaur, Sanku Sanju, Alok Kumar Singh and Prakash Chandra Mondal

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2025, 13, 7307-7317

“All-organic” electrode materials toward high-performing rigid to flexible supercapacitor devices

Pradeep Sachan, Priyanka Makkar, Ankur Malik and Prakash Chandra Mondal

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2024, 12, 13639-13650