- 3447 Science and Engineering Complex
- Phone (205) 348-1720
- Faculty Website
Dr. Zhiheng Lyu
Assistant Professor
Contact
- 3447 Science and Engineering Complex
- phone (205) 348-1720
- Faculty Website
Research Areas
Education
- Ph.D., Chemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology
- B.S., Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China
Dr. Zhiheng Lyu joined the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Alabama as an assistant professor in August 2025. She obtained her Ph.D. in Chemistry from Georgia Institute of Technology with Prof. Younan Xia and completed her postdoctoral research with Prof. Qian Chen at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Dr. Lyu’s group focuses on enhancing catalyst functionality and advancing technological viability of green chemical synthesis. Our research includes: (i) modular design of multi-functional catalysts, coupled with mechanistic understanding of their active sites and cooperative effects, (ii) operando imaging with product analysis to resolve structure-performance relationship of catalysts across multiple scales under reaction conditions, and (iii) electrochemical synthesis of value-added organic compounds from small molecules. Our research contributes to both fundamental and applied research in catalysis, creating new synthetic pathways for diverse chemical products and fostering environmentally sustainable chemical processes.
Affiliated Areas
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Selected Publications
- Z. Lyu, S. Shrivastav, J. Li, C. Qian, L. Yao, N. Shah, M. Eslami, C. Liu, S. Ismail, J. Shabaker, E. Doskocil, D. V. Krogstad, J. A. Krogstad and Q. Chen, Nanoscopic Imaging of Biogenic Feedstocks Induced Corrosion in Model Petroleum Infrastructure. ACS Nano, 19, 28315–28325 (2025).
- Z. Lyu, L. Yao, Z. Wang, C. Qian, Z. Wang, J. Li, C. Liu, Y. Wang and Q. Chen, Nanoscopic Imaging of Self-Propelled Ultrasmall Catalytic Nanomotors, ACS Nano 18, 14231–14243 (2024).
- Z. Lyu, L. Yao, W. Chen, F. C. Kalutantirige and Q. Chen, Electron Microscopy Studies of Soft Nanomaterials. Chemical Reviews 123, 4051–4145 (2023).
- Y. Shi, Z. Lyu, R. Chen, M. Zhao and Y. Xia, Noble-Metal Nanocrystals with Controlled Shapes: A New Platform for Catalytic and Electrocatalytic Applications. Chemical Reviews 121, 649–735 (2021).
- Z. Lyu, S. Zhu, L. Xu, Z. Chen, Y. Zhang, M. Xie, T. Li, S. Zhou, J. Liu, M. Chi, M. Shao, M. Mavrikakis and Y. Xia, Kinetically-Controlled Synthesis of Pd-Cu Janus Nanocrystals with Enriched Surface Structures and Enhanced Catalytic Activities toward CO2 Reduction. Journal of the American Chemical Society 143, 149–162 (2021).