Journal of Materials Chemistry Blog

Congratulations to Dr Guanjie He, University College London, UK for being selected as the recipient of the 2025 Journal of Materials Chemistry Lectureship.

The Journal of Materials Chemistry Lectureship is an annual award, established in 2010, which honours early-career scientists who have made a significant contribution to the fields of materials chemistry. This year we received numerous high-quality nominations from across the world. With help from our Advisory and Editorial Boards, each nomination was assessed and considered for the award. The final selection was made by our Editors-in-Chief and Executive Editor.

Dr Guanjie He, University College London, UK

Guanjie He (FRSC, FIMMM) is a Professor in Materials Chemistry and Engineering at University College London (UCL), Department of Chemistry. His research group focuses on materials, interfaces, and devices for aqueous electrochemical energy storage and conversion, particularly zinc-ion batteries and electrocatalysis. His work aims to bridge fundamental chemistry with practical technologies that enable a sustainable energy future. He has received recognitions such as 2025 RSC Harrison-Meldola Early Career Prize for Chemistry and Emerging Investigator Awards from Journal of Materials Chemistry and Nanoscale. He is also the CTO and co-founder of Element 30 Ltd., a spin-out advancing safe and sustainable energy storage technologies. He contributes actively to the materials chemistry community through editorial, mentoring, and leadership roles.

Discover Guanjie’s RSC publications in this web collection to find out more about their research

Check out our interview with Guanjie below:

How did you feel when you were announced as winner of the 2025 Journal of Materials Chemistry Lectureship?

I was deeply honoured and humbled to receive this recognition from the JMC community. The award is not only a personal milestone but also a reflection of the dedication and creativity of my research group and collaborators. It motivates me to continue pushing the boundaries of materials chemistry towards sustainable and impactful technologies.

Which of your JMC publications are you most proud of and why?

I am particularly proud of our Journal of Materials Chemistry A paper titled “An anti-aging polymer electrolyte for flexible rechargeable zinc-ion batteries.” In this work, we developed an adhesive solid polymer electrolyte that overcomes the aging and densification issues common in hydrogel electrolytes. The material maintained stable interfacial resistance for over 200 hours, twice that of conventional systems, and enabled flexible zinc-ion batteries that could keep working even under bending or twisting. This study was meaningful to me because it combined interfacial chemistry with practical device design, demonstrating a simple yet robust strategy for durable and safe flexible energy storage.

At which upcoming conferences may our community meet you?

I will be attending the Singapore Scientific Conference (SSC) 2025 and 2026 MRS Spring Meeting & Exhibit. These events are great opportunities to exchange ideas and strengthen our community connections in materials chemistry.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Outside the lab, I enjoy playing badminton, swimming, and exploring London’s parks and museums. I also like spending time with friends and former students, many of whom have become collaborators. These moments of balance and connection often bring fresh ideas and energy back into my research life.

Do you have any advice for Early-Career researchers who wish to be nominated for the 2026 JMC Lectureship award?

My main advice is to stay passionate, persistent, and open-minded. Please choose research questions that genuinely excite you, and don’t be afraid to take on interdisciplinary challenges. Equally important is to contribute actively to our materials chemistry community, whether by mentoring students, junior colleagues, reviewing manuscripts, organizing workshops or conferences, or supporting diversity and outreach activities. These efforts not only strengthen our community but also help you grow as a scientist and a leader. The materials chemistry field thrives when we share knowledge, support one another, and work collectively toward a more sustainable future.

Congratulations to our 2025 Journal of Materials Chemistry Lectureship runners-up: Dr Xiaoli Liu & Dr Beatriz Martín-García

This year, Dr Guanjie He from University College London, UK was selected as the recipient of the 2025 Journal of Materials Chemistry Lectureship. While we can only award one winner, we wanted to recognise two runners-up for their impressive contributions to materials chemistry and as emerging leaders in the field.

Congratulations to Dr Xiaoli Liu (Xi’an Jiaotong University, China) and Dr Beatriz Martin-Garcia (CIC nanoGUNE, Spain) for being selected as the runners-up of the 2025 Journal of Materials Chemistry Lectureship.

Professor Xiaoli Liu earned her Ph.D. from Northwest University, China, in 2015. During her doctoral studies, she completed five years of research training as an exchange student at the National University of Singapore. In 2016, she joined the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology as a postdoctoral researcher supported by China’s National Postdoctoral Innovation Talent Program. She then returned to Northwest University to found the Magnetic Nanomedicine Group. Currently, Dr. Liu is a professor at the National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Precision Surgery & Regenerative Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, where she is recognized under the Young Talent Support Program-A and holds the National Excellent Young Scientist Fund.

Her research focuses on magnetic hyperthermia-based cancer therapy, with an emphasis on how intracellular magnetic hyperthermia modulates immune signaling pathways to reshape the tumor immune microenvironment and improve immunotherapeutic outcomes. She has published over 90 papers in high-impact journals and authored the book Magnetic Nanobiomaterials.

Dr Beatriz Martín-García is a Ramón y Cajal and Ikerbasque research fellow at CIC nanoGUNE. She received her PhD cum laude with European mention in 2013, having completed her doctoral studies under the supervision of Prof. M. Mercedes Velázquez at the University of Salamanca, Spain (department of Physical Chemistry) working on self-assembled systems of nanomaterials. She then moved to the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, where she worked as a postdoctoral researcher within the Graphene Flagship project in the Nanochemistry Department led by Prof. Liberato Manna, under the supervision of Dr. Iwan Moreels, and in the Graphene Labs led by Dr. Francesco Bonnacorso and Prof. Vittorio Pellegrini. During this time, she focused on modulating the optoelectronic properties of various materials, including nanocrystals, 2D materials, and hybrid metal-halide perovskites, through chemical and surface functionalisation approaches. She also specialised in the in-depth characterisation of these materials using spectroscopy techniques, as well as their integration into solar cells, photodetectors, and memory devices. In 2020, she joined the Nanodevices Group led by Profs. Luis E. Hueso and Félix Casanova. Currently, she is leading a research line to develop low-dimensional and anisotropic materials through chemical design and studying them using dedicated spectroscopic techniques, with a particular focus on micro-Raman spectroscopy.

Her research focuses on unveiling the interplay between the crystal structure, composition and optical, electrical and magnetic properties of materials, to drive the selection of materials with tailor-made properties for application mainly in optical and electronic devices. She oversees a micro-Raman spectroscopy facility at the Centre and is working on implementing new options for characterising materials, such as photoluminescence mapping, low-temperature and low-frequency analysis and angle-resolved linear and circular polarisation studies. Her recent recognition includes being selected for the 2025 Emerging Investigators list in the Journal of Materials Chemistry C.

Discover Xiaoli and Beatriz’s RSC publications in this web collection to find out more about their research

Check out our interview with Xiaoli and Beatriz below:

How did you feel when you were announced as a runner-up of the 2025 Journal of Materials Chemistry Lectureship?

XL: I felt truly happy and deeply honored to be named the runner-up for the 2025 Journal of Materials Chemistry Lectureship. This recognition means a lot to me, not only as an acknowledgment of my past work, but also as an as motivation to continue advancing and exploring new opportunities in my research.
BM-G: I am honoured to receive this award, especially alongside such distinguished scientists who are leaders in materials chemistry. It recognises the hard, dedicated and creative work I have done at different levels over the years, from PhD student to postdoc to independent researcher. But nevertheless, I would like to share this award with my colleagues, students and esteemed network of collaborators, whose time, effort, and creativity have been made our projects possible, as well as everyone who has supported me on my scientific journey, including my colleagues, supervisors and family.

Which of your JMC publications are you most proud of and why?

XL: The JMC paper that I’m most proud of is “Optimization of surface coating on Fe3O4 nanoparticles for high-performance magnetic hyperthermia agents” (J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 8235). It was my first paper, completed during my doctoral exchange at the National University of Singapore. I still remember the excitement of seeing my work published for the first time. That moment gave me confidence and a sense of belonging in the scientific community. It also sparked my lasting passion for magnetic nanomedicine. At that time, the journal hadn’t yet been divided into A, B, and C, it was simply JMC, which makes it even more memorable to me.
BM-G: It’s difficult to choose — all my JMC publications have a story, a great team and a project behind them. Let’s go for J. Mater. Chem. C, 2018, 6, 13128 because it has a double significance. Firstly, the work was not aligned with the project I was working on as a postdoc at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia at that time. Indeed, it emerged from my investigation into why my solar cell devices were producing observable ‘dendrite’ structures during operation. As a curious researcher, I dedicated time and effort to understand what was happening. Then, together with my colleagues, I took advantage of the physicochemical processes to create a different type of device: a resistive switching memory. Secondly, this work later became a project that I led, and I was the corresponding author for the first time, which was a significant step in my career. Furthermore, it is still within my research interests today, and collaborative projects and other publications have arisen.

At which upcoming conferences may our community meet you?

XL: I plan to participate in upcoming conferences on materials chemistry and nanomedicine, and I’d love to meet members of the JMC community there to share ideas and inspirations.
BM-G: I still have not confirmed my attendance, but I would like to join the EMRS Spring Meeting and at least other conference next year.

What do you like to do in your free time?

XL: In my free time, I enjoy running and reading. I also like to spend time learning new professional knowledge online, for example, taking courses in immunology and related scientific fields. It helps me relax while staying inspired in my research.
BM-G: In my free time, my favourite activities are swimming, walking and listening to music.

Do you have any advice for Early-Career researchers who wish to be nominated for the 2026 JMC Lectureship award?

XL: I believe scientific research is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes patience, persistence, and genuine passion. My advice to early-career researchers is to stay curious and committed, even when progress feels slow. Try to think not only about publishing papers, but also about how your discoveries might eventually make a real difference. It’s never easy to keep going in the same direction for years, but if you truly love what you’re doing and keep pushing forward, your efforts will definitely lead to something meaningful.
BM-G: Never give up and remain faithful, because your research merits will be recognised in due course. A piece of good advice I received when I started out in science is that perseverance and a well-done work always pay off.