Dr. Yi-Hsuan Wu receives Humboldt Research Fellowship for Postdocs

16 May 2025

Dr. Yi-Hsuan Wu received a Humboldt Research Fellowship for Postdocs for his work in the field of Electrochemical Glycerol Oxidation (GOR). Since April, he has been working in the "Electrochemical Energy Conversion" group of Dr. Serhiy Cherevko at HI ERN. His focus is on comparing glycerol oxidation with water oxidation, as glycerol can potentially be used more efficiently for hydrogen production due to its chemical properties.

The goal of his research is to improve product selectivity and stability in the electrochemical oxidation of glycerol. The intention is to increase both the long-term performance of the catalysts and their resistance to degradation processes. Innovative measurement techniques such as SFC-ICP-MS and RT-ECMS will be used to gain insight into the reaction pathways and stability of the catalysts. These findings will help to develop more durable materials with higher selectivity towards value-added chemicals.

Optimizing the catalysts will help to make the electrochemical conversion of glycerol more efficient - an important step towards sustainable hydrogen production and valuable end products which is different from water electrolysis where O₂ is vented as waste. Overall, his research supports the development of environmentally friendly and economically viable processes for energy and chemical production that contribute to the reduction of fossil fuels and promote the use of renewable resources.

About the person

Dr. Yi-Hsuan Wu received his B.Sc and M.Sc in Materials Science and Engineering from National Central University, Taiwan. He obtained the D.Sc. in ETH Zurich in 2025 under the supervision of Prof. Christoph R. Müller, where he developed metal oxide (photo)electrocatalysts for energy conversion and biomass derivatives valorization. His Ph.D. thesis also involves ex situ/in situ X-ray absorption/photoelectron spectroscopy to understand (1) the local structure of metal-oxygen motifs and their influence on the intrinsic electrocatalytic activity and (2) the surface/bulk phase transformation of electrocatalysts during reactions. He has been a researcher at HI ERN since April and will begin his fellowship in August.

About the Humboldt-Fellowship

With the Humboldt Research Fellowships for Postdocs, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation enables above-average-qualified scientists and scholars from abroad who are at the beginning of their scientific careers and have completed their doctorates no more than four years ago to spend a long-term research stay in Germany. (more)

Contact

Yi-Hsuan Wu

Building HIERN-Cauerstr /
Room 0

+49 9131-12538169

E-Mail

Dr. Serhiy Cherevko

Group Leader "Electrochemical Energy Conversion"

Building HIERN-Cauerstr /
Room 4010

+49 9131-12538169

E-Mail