Publications

Liu, Z.; Peng, B.; Tsai Y.; Zhang, A.; Xu, M.; Zang, W.; Yan, X.; Xing, L.; Pan, X.; Duan, X.; Huang, Y.; Pt catalyst protected by graphene nanopockets enables lifetimes of over 200,000 h for heavy-duty fuel cell applications. Nat. Nanotechnol. 2025. doi.org/10.1038/s41565-025-01895-3.

Sun, T.; Yang, T.; Zang, W.; Li, J.; Sheng, X.; Liu, E.; Li, J.; Hai, X.; Lin, H.; Chuang, C.; Su, C.; Fan, M.; Yang, M.; Lin, M.; Xi, S.; Zou, R.; Lu, J.; Atomic gap-state engineering of MoS2 for alkaline water and seawater splitting. ACS Nano, 2025, 19, 5447-5459.

Zang, W.; Lee, J.; Tieu, P; Yan, X.; Graham, G.; Tran, I.; Wang, P.; Christopher, P.; Pan, X.; Distribution of Pt single atom coordination environments on anatase TiO2 supports controls reactivity. Nat. Comm., 2024, 15, 998. (ESI’s highly cited paper, Featured as the Editor’s highlight paper)

Wang, J.; Zang, W.; Liu, X.; Sun, J.; Xi, S.; Liu, W.; Kou, Z.; Shen, L.; Wang, J.; Switch Volmer-Heyrovsky to Volmer-Tafel pathway for efficient acidic electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution by correlating Pt single atoms with clusters. Small, 2024, 2309427.

McNeary, W.; Stinson, W.; Waqar, M.; Zang, W.; Pan, X.; Esposito, D.; Hurst, K.; Toward spatial control of reaction selectivity on photocatalysts using area-selective atomic layer deposition on the model dual site electrocatalyst platform. ACS Nano, 2024, 18, 34708-34719.

Liu, S.; Li, Y.; Wang, D.; Xi, S.; Xu, H.; Wang, Y.; Li, X.; Zang, W.; Liu, W.; Su, M.; et al. Alkali Cation-induced cathodic corrosion in Cu electrocatalysts. Nat. Comm., 2024, 15, 5080.

Sun, J.; Yang, J.; Wang, T.; Zhang, S.; Yuan, H.; Zang, W.; Liu, Y.; Liu, X.; Wang, W.; Xi, S.; et al. Electrochemical knocking-down of Zn metal clusters into single atoms. Nano Lett., 2024, 24, 5206-5213.

Murphy, E.; Sun, B.; Rüscher, M.; Liu, Y.; Zang, W.; Guo, S.; Chen, Y.; Hejral, U.; Huang, Y.; Ly, A.; et al. Synergizing Fe2O3 nanoparticles on single atom Fe-N-C for nitrate reduction to ammonia at industrial current densities. Adv. Mater., 2024, 2401133.

Sung, C.; Gong, B.; Yu, H.; Ede, S.R.; Cruz, L.; Fang, H.; Sarmiento, E.; Zang, W.; Barrows, G.L.; Kisailus, D.; Mechanistic insights into the synthesis of nickel-graphene nanostructures for gas sensors. Small Methods, 2024, 2400245.

Ding, S.; Li, S.; Lyu, Z.; Zhou, J.; Tang, S.; Fang, L.; Zang, W.; Zhang, P.; Kim, S.; Li, T.; Pan, X.; Du, D.; Lin, Y.; Wang, J.; Single-atom materials boosting wearable orthogonal uric acid detection. Med-X, 2024, 2, 12.

Sun, T.; Tang, Z.; Zang, W. (co-first author); Li, Z.; Li, J.; Li, Z.; Cao, L.; Rodriguez J. S. D.; Mariano, C. O. M.; Xu, H.; et al. Ferromagnetic single atom spin catalyst for boosting water splitting. Nat. Nanotechnol. 2023, 18, 763-771. (ESI’s highly cited paper, Featured by NUS Research News)

Sun, T.; Zang, W. (co-first author); Sun, J.; Li, C.; Fan, J.; Liu, E.; Wang, J. SACs on non-carbon substrates: can they outperform for water splitting. Adv. Funct. Mater., 2023, 33, 2301526.

Gao, X.; Zang, W. (co-first author); Li, X.; Wang, Z.; Zheng, L.; Kou, Z. Achieving efficient alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction on long-range Ni sites in Ru clusters-immobilized Ni3N array catalyst. Chem. Eng. J., 2023, 451, 138698.

Guo, Q.; Qi, X.; Zhang, L.; Gao, M.; Hu, S.; Zhou, W.; Zang, W.; Zhao, X.; Wang, J.; Yan, B.; et al. Ultrathin quantum light source with van der Waals NbOCl2 crystal. Nature, 2023, 613, 53-59. (ESI’s highly cited paper)

Lee, J.; Tieu, P.; Finzel, J.; Zang, W.; Yan, X.; Grahan, G.; Pan, X.; Christopher, P. How Pt influences H2 reactions on high surface-area Pt/CeO2 powder catalysts. JACS Au, 2023, 3, 2299-2313.

Gao, Q.; Yao, B.; Pillai, H.; Zang, W.; Han, X.; Liu, Y.; Yu, S.-W.; Yan, Z.; Min, B.; Zhang, S.; et al. Synthesis of core/shell nanocrystals with ordered intermetallic single-atom alloy layers for nitrate electroreduction to ammonia. Nat. Synth., 2023, 2, 624-634.

Xiao, X.; Xi, S.; Zang, W.; Lim S.H.; Gao, J.; Chu, W.; Liu, Y. Insight into key parameters for fabricating stable single-atom Pt-Nix alloy by reduction environment-induced anti-Ostwald effects, ChemSusChem, 2023, 16, e202201885.

Lustig, D.R.; Nilsson, Z.N.; Mulvey J. T.; Zang, W.; Pan, X.; Patterson, J.P.; Sambur, J.B. Toward imaging defect-mediated energy transfer between single nanocrystal donors and single molecule acceptors, Chem. & Biomed. Imaging, 2023, 1, 168-178.

Murphy E.; Liu, Y.; Matanovic, I.; Huang, Y.; Ly, A.; Guo, S.; Zang, W.; Yan, X.; Martini, A.; Timoshenko, J.; et al. Elucidating electrochemical nitrate and nitrite reduction over atomically-dispersed transition metal sites. Nat. Commun., 2023, 14, 4554. (ESI’s highly cited paper)

Gao, Q.; Yan, Z.; Zhang, W.; Pillai, H. S.; Yao, B.; Zang, W.; Liu, Y.; Han, X.; Liu,Y.; Han, X.; et al. Atomic layers of B2 CuPd on Cu nanocubes as catalysts for selective hydrogenation. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2023, 145, 19961-19968.

Yan, Z.; Yao, B.; Hall, C.; Gao, Q.; Zang, W.; Zhou, H.; He, Q.; Zhu, H. Metal-metal oxide catalytic interface formation and structural evolution: a discovery of strong metal-support bonding, ordered intermetallics, and single atoms. Nano Lett., 2022, 22, 8122-8129.

Waqar, M.; Wu, H.; Ong, K. P.; Liu, H.; Li, C.; Yang, P.; Zang, W.; Liew, W. H.; Diao, C.; Xi, S.; et al. Origin of giant electric-field-induced strain in faulted alkali niobate films. Nat. Commun., 2022, 13, 3922.

Kou, Z.; Li, X.; Wang, T.; Ma, Y.; Zang, W.; Nie, G.; Wang, J. Fundamentals, on-going advances and challenges of electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction. Electrochem. Energy Rev., 2022, 5, 82-111.

Wang, T.; Wang, P.; Zang, W.; Li, X.; Chen, D.; Kou, Z.; Mu, S.; Wang, J. Nanoframes of Co3O4-Mo2N heterointerfaces enable high-performance bifunctionality toward both electrocatalytic HER and OER. Adv. Funct. Mater., 2022, 32, 2107382. (ESI’s highly cited paper)

Zang, W.; Sun, T.; Yang, T.; Xi, S.; Waqar. M.; Kou, Z.; Lyu, Z.; Feng, Y. P.; Wang, J.; Pennycook, S. J. Efficient hydrogen evolution of oxidized Ni-N3 defective sites for alkaline freshwater and seawater electrolysis. Adv. Mater. 2021, 33, 2003846. (ESI’s highly cited paper)

Sun, T.; Zang, W. (co-first author); Yan, H.; Li, J.; Zhang, Z.; Bu, Y.; Chen, W.; Wang, J.; Lu, J.; Su, C. Engineering the coordination environment of single cobalt atoms for efficient oxygen reduction and hydrogen evolution reactions. ACS Catal., 2021, 11, 4498-4509.

Huang, L.; Zang, W.; Ma, Y.; Zhu, C.; Cai, D.; Chen, H.; Zhang, J.; Yu, H.; Zou, Q.; Wu, L.; Guan, C. In-situ formation of isolated iron sites coordinated on nitrogen-doped carbon coated carbon cloth as self-supporting electrode for flexible aluminum-air battery. Chem. Eng. J., 2021, 421, 129973.

Zhang, L.; Yang, T.; Zang, W.; Kou, Z.; Waqar, M.; Liu, X.; Zheng, L.; Pennycook, S. J.; Liu, Z.; Loh, X. J.; et al. Quasi-paired Pt atomic sites on Mo2C promoting selective four-electron oxygen reduction. Adv. Sci., 2021, 8, 2101344.

Kou, Z.; Li, X.; Zhang, L.; Zang, W.; Gao, X.; Wang, J. Dynamic surface chemistry of catalysts in oxygen evolution reaction. Small Sci., 2021, 1, 2100011.

Rong, W.; Zou, H.; Zang, W.; Xi, S.; Wei, S.; Long, B.; Hu, J.; Ji, Y.; Duan, L. Size-dependent activity and selectivity of atomic-level copper nanoclusters during CO/CO2 electroreduction. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2021, 60, 466-472.

Zang, W.; Kou, Z.; Pennycook, S. J.; Wang, J. Heterogeneous single atom electrocatalysis, where “singles” are “married”. Adv. Energy Mater. 2020, 10, 1903181. (Highlighted as the journal cover art)

Kou, Z.; Zang, W. (co-first author); Ma, Y.; Pan, Z.; Mu, S.; Gao, X.; Tang, B.; Xiong, M.; Zhao, X.; Cheetham, A.K.; et al. Cage-confinement pyrolysis route to size-controlled molybdenum-based oxygen electrode catalysts: from isolated atoms to clusters and nanoparticles. Nano Energy, 2020, 67, 104288.

Pang, Y.; Zang, W. (co-first author); Kou, Z.; Zhang, L.; Xu, G.; Lv, J.; Gao, X.; Pan, Z.; Wang J.; Wu, Y. Assembling of Bi atoms on TiO2 nanorods boosts photoelectrochemical water splitting of semiconductors. Nanoscale, 2020, 12, 4302-4308.

Zhang, J.; Ling, C.; Zang, W. (co-first author); Li, X.; Huang, S.; Li, X.; Yan, D.; Kou, Z.; Liu, L.; Wang, J.; Yang, H. Boosted electrochemical ammonia synthesis by high-percentage metallic transition metal dichalcogenide quantum dots. Nanoscale, 2020, 12, 10964-10971.

Gao, X.; Liu, X.; Zang, W.(co-first author); Dong, H.; Pang, Y.; Kou, Z.; Wang, P.; Pan, Z.; Wei, S.; Mu, S.; Wang, J. Synergizing in-grown Ni3N/Ni heterostructured core and ultrathin Ni3N surface shell enables self-adaptive surface reconfiguration and efficient oxygen evolution reaction. Nano Energy, 2020, 78, 105355.

Li, X.; Kou, Z.; Xi, S.; Zang, W.; Yang T.; Zhang, L.; Wang, J. Porous NiCo2S4/FeOOH nanowire arrays with rich sulfide/hydroxide interfaces enable high OER activity, Nano Energy, 2020, 78, 105230.

Gu, Q.; Ng, T.C.A.; Zang, W.; Zhang, L.; Lyu, Z.; Zhang, Z.; Ng, H.Y.; Wang, J. Surface engineered alumina microfiltration membranes based on rationally constructed core-shell particles. J. Eur. Ceram. Soc., 2020, 40, 5951-5958.

Ma, Y.; Yang, T.; Zou, H.; Zang, W.; Kou, Z.; Mao, L.; Feng, Y.; Shen, L.; Pennycook, S.J.; Duan, L.; Li, X.; Wang, J. Synergizing Mo single atoms and Mo2C nanoparticles on CNTs synchronizes selectivity and activity of electrocatalytic N2 reduction to ammonia. Adv. Mater., 2020, 32, 2002177. (ESI highly cited paper)

Wang, J.; Zang, W.; Xi, S.; Kosari, M.; Pennycook, S.J.; Zeng, H.C. Trimetal atoms confined in openly accessible nitrogen-doped carbon constructs for an efficient ORR. J. Mater. Chem. A., 2020, 32, 2002177.

Chen, Q.; Fu, Y.; Jin, J.; Zang, W.; Liu, X.; Zhang, X.; Huang, W.; Kou, Z.; Wang, J.; Zhou, L.; Mai, L. In-situ surface self-reconstruction in ternary transition metal dichalcogenide nanorod arrays enables efficient electrocatalytic oxygen evolution. J. Energy Chem., 2020, 55, 10-16.

Kou, Z.; Zang, W.; Wang, P.; Li, X.; Wang, J. Single atom catalysts: a surface heterocompound perspective. Nanoscale Horiz., 2020, 5, 757-764.

Kou, Z.; Zang, W.; Pei, W.; Zheng, L.; Zhou, S.; Zhang, S.; Zhang, L.; Wang, J. A sacrificial Zn strategy enables anchoring of metal single atoms on the exposed surface of holey 2D molybdenum carbide nanosheets for efficient electrocatalysis. J. Mater. Chem. A., 2020, 8, 3071-3082.

Ma, Y.; Zang, W.; Sumboja, A.; Mao, L.; Liu, X.; Tan, M.; Pennycook, S. J.; Kou, Z.; Liu, Z.; Li, X.; Wang, J. Hollow structure engineering of FeCo alloy nanoparticles electrospun in nitrogen-doped carbon enables high performance flexible all-solid-state zinc–air batteries. Sustain. Energy Fuels, 2020, 4, 1747-1753.

Zang, W.; Yang, T.; Zou, H.; Xi, S.; Zhang, H,; Liu, X.; Kou, Z.; Du, Y.; Feng, Y. P.; Shen, L.; et al. Copper single atoms anchored in porous nitrogen-doped carbon as efficient pH-universal catalysts for the nitrogen reduction reaction. ACS Catal., 2019, 9, 10166-10173. (ESI’s highly cited paper)

Ren, W.; Zang, W.(co-first author); Zhang, H.; Bian, J.; Chen, Z.; Guan, C.; Cheng, C. PtCo bimetallic nanoparticles encapsulated in N-doped carbon nanorod arrays for efficient electrocatalysis. Carbon, 2019, 142, 206-216.

Pan, Z.; Yang, J.; Zang, W. (co-first author); Kou, Z.; Wang, C.; Ding, X.; Guan, C.; Xiong, T.; Chen, H.; Zhang, Q.; et al. All-solid-state sponge-like squeezable zinc-air battery. Energy Stor. Mater., 2019, 23, 375-382.

Zhu, C.; Ma, Y.; Zang, W. (co-first author); Guan, C.; Liu, X.; Pennycook, S. J.; Wang, J.; Huang, W. Conformal dispersed cobalt nanoparticles in hollow carbon nanotube arrays for flexible Zn-Air and Al-Air batteries. Chem. Eng. J., 2019, 369, 988-995.

Ke, Q.; Zhang, X.; Zang, W.; Elshahawy, A. M.; Hu, Y.; He, Q.; Pennycook, S. J.; Cai, Y.; Wang, J. Strong charge transfer at 2H–1T phase boundary of MoS2 for superb high-performance energy storage. Small, 2019, 15, 1900131.

Kou, Z.; Wang, T.; Wu, H.; Zheng, L.; Mu, S.; Pan, Z.; Lyu, Z.; Zang, W.; Pennycook, S. J.; Wang, J.; Twinned tungsten carbonitride nanocrystals boost hydrogen evolution activity and stability. Small, 2019, 15, 1900248.

Kou, Z.; Zhang, L.; Ma, Y.; Liu, X.; Zang, W.; Zhang, J.; Huang, S.; Du, Y.; Cheetham, A. K.; Wang, J. 2D carbide nanomeshes and their assembling into 3D microflowers for efficient water splitting. Appl. Catal. B Environ., 2019, 243, 678–685.

Li, S.; Zang, W.; Liu, X.; Pennycook, S. J.; Kou, Z.; Yang, C.; Guan, C.; Wang, J. Heterojunction engineering of MoSe2/MoS2 with electronic modulation towards synergetic hydrogen evolution reaction and supercapacitance performance. Chem. Eng. J., 2019, 359, 1419–1426. (ESI’s highly cited paper)

Jia, T.; Chen, H.; Dong, X.; Zang, W.; Guo, A.; Liu, J. Preparation of homogeneous mullite fibrous porous ceramics consolidated by propylene oxide. Ceram. Int., 2019, 45, 2474-2482.

Guan, C.; Sumboja, A.; Zang, W.; Qian, Y.; Zhang, H.; Liu, X.; Liu, Z.; Zhao, D.; Pennycook, S. J.; Wang, J. Decorating Co/CoNx nanoparticles in nitrogen-doped carbon nanoarrays for flexible and rechargeable zinc-air batteries. Energy Stor. Mater., 2019, 16, 243–250. (ESI’s highly cited paper)

Elshahawy, A. M.; Guan, C.; Zang, W.; Ding, S.; Kou, Z.; Pennycook, S. J.; Yan, N.; Wang, J. Phospho-oxynitride layer protected cobalt phosphonitride nanowire arrays for high-rate and stable supercapacitors. ACS Appl. Energy Mater., 2019, 2, 616–626.

Ma, Y.; Sumboja, A.; Zang, W.; Yin, S.; Wang, S.; Pennycook, S. J.; Kou, Z.; Liu, Z.; Li, X.; Wang, J. Flexible and wearable all-solid-state Al-Air battery based on iron carbide encapsulated in electrospun porous carbon nanofibers. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2019, 11, 1988–1995.

Zang, W.; Sumboja, A.; Ma, Y.; Zhang, H.; Wu, Y.; Wu, S.; Wu, H.; Liu, Z.; Guan, C.; Wang, J.; Pennycook, S. J. Single Co atoms anchored in porous N-doped carbon for efficient cathode in zinc-air battery. ACS Catal., 2018, 8, 8961-8969. (ESI’s highly cited paper)

Zang, W.; Jia, T.; Dong, X.; Liu, J.; Du, H.; Hou, F.; Guo, A. Preparation of homogeneous mullite-based fibrous ceramics by starch consolidation. J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 2018, 101, 3138-3147.

Zhang, H.; Wang, T.; Sumboja, A.; Zang, W.; Xie, J.; Gao, D.; Pennycook, S. J.; Liu, Z.; Guan, C.; Wang, J. Integrated hierarchical carbon flake arrays with hollow P-doped CoSe2 nanoclusters as an advanced bifunctional catalyst for Zn–Air batteries. Adv. Funct. Mater., 2018, 28, 1804846.

Liu, X.; Zang, W.; Guan, C.; Zhang, L.; Qian, Y.; Elshahawy, A. M.; Zhao, D.; Pennycook, S. J.; Wang, J. Ni-doped cobalt-cobalt nitride heterostructure arrays for high-power supercapacitor. ACS Energy Lett., 2018, 3, 2462–2469.

Guan, C.; Wu, H.; Xiao, W.; Liu, X.; Zang, W.; Zhang, H.; Ding, J.; Feng, Y. P.; Pennycook, S. J.; Wang, J.; Hollow Mo-doped CoP nanoarrays for efficient overall water splitting. Nano Energy, 2018, 48, 73-80. (ESI’s highly cited paper)

Zang, W.; Guo, F.; Liu, J.; Du, H.; Hou, F.; Guo, A. Lightweight alumina based fibrous ceramics with different high temperature binder. Ceram. Int., 2016, 42, 10310-10316.

Ren, S.; Liu, J.; Guo, A.; Zang, W.; Geng, H.; Tao, X.; Du, H.; Mechanical properties and thermal conductivity of a temperature resistance hollow glass microspheres/borosilicate glass buoyance material. Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2016, 674, 604–614.