Rate My Professor Wenyuan Li

Wenyuan Li is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at West Virginia University, a position he has held since 2021 within the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. He obtained his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from West Virginia University in 2015, Master of Science in Physics from Harbin Institute of Technology in 2010, and Bachelor of Science in Physics from Harbin Institute of Technology in 2008. Li's research specializes in high-temperature electrochemical devices for energy conversion and storage. His key areas include solid oxide fuel cells and electrolysis cells, membrane reactors, high-temperature gas sensors, thermochemical heat storage materials, and materials for solar thermochemical hydrogen production. He investigates advanced materials to accelerate electrochemical reactions, designs structures that improve the robustness and reliability of these devices, and develops innovative concepts for low-carbon footprint production of hydrogen and ammonia.

A member of the Advanced Energy Materials Research Group and the Center for Innovation in Gas Research and Utilization, Li has made significant contributions to sustainable energy technologies. Notable publications include “Conformally coated scaffold design using H2O-tolerant Pr1.8Ba0.2NiO4.1 for protonic ceramic electrochemical cells with 5,000-h electrolysis stability” published in Nature Energy in 2025 (co-first author), “A comprehensive understanding on the anionic redox chemistry of high-voltage cathode materials for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries” in Chemical Society Reviews in 2025, “Local structural distortion and energy gradient enhance lithium ionic conductivity in high-entropy oxide” in Materials Today in 2025, “Advancement in materials and strategies for reliable and high-efficiency proton-conducting electrolytes in solid oxide cells” in Chemical Engineering Journal in 2025, and “Strategies to Counter Cr poisoning on air electrodes of solid oxide cells” in International Journal of Hydrogen Energy in 2025. His work supports federal initiatives in clean hydrogen and advanced energy materials, enhancing West Virginia's role in the hydrogen economy.