Faculty & Staff
Yong Wang
Yong Wang, Ph.D.
Regents Professor
Voiland Distinguished Professor
2008 Voiland School Alumni Awardee
Google Scholar
Development of novel catalytic materials and reaction engineering for the conversion of fossil and biomass feedstocks to fuels and chemicals
Office: 153 Wegner Hall đ509-371-6273
đ§wang42@wsu.edu đ§yong.wang@pnnl.gov
The Gene and Linda Voiland
School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering
1505 Stadium Way, Room 105
P.O. Box 646515
Washington State University
Pullman, WA 99164-6515
Biography
Dr. Wang joined Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in 1994 and was elevated to the position of Laboratory Fellow in 2005. He led the Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Team from 2000 to 2007 and has served as the Associate Director of the Institute for Integrated Catalysis (IIC) since 2008. In 2009, he assumed a joint appointment at Washington State University (WSU) and PNNL, where he continues to hold the title of Laboratory Fellow and Associate Director of IIC at PNNL, and is also the Voiland Distinguished Professor in Chemical Engineering at WSU. In 2022, Dr. Wang received the distinguished title of Regents Professor, a recognition awarded to only 30 faculty members at WSU at any given time.
Dr. Wang is best known for his leadership in the development of novel catalytic materials and reaction engineering to address the issues related to energy and atom efficiency for converting fossil and biomass feedstocks to fuels and chemicals. He is committed to exploring sustainable technologies that can address the energy, resource, and environmental challenges of today and the future. With over 400 peer-reviewed publications in leading scientific journals such as Science, Nature, Science Advances, Nature group journals, J.Am.Chem.Soc, Angewandte Chemie, ACS Catalysis, Applied Catal. B, and Journal of Catalysis, he has an H-index of 91 and more than 37,400 citations. He has co-edited two books and six special journal issues and given over 200 invited presentations since 2001. He holds 284 issued patents, including 110 issued U.S. patents, with more than 90% of them licensed to industries. His research on microchannel reaction technologies led to the creation of Velocys, a company listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Dr. Wang is a member of the Washington State Academy of Sciences and a fellow of several esteemed organizations, including the National Academy of Inventors, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, American Society of Chemistry, Royal Society of Chemistry, and American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has received numerous awards and recognition, including the 2021 ACS E.V. Murphree Award in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, the 2019 AIChE Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Practice Award, the 2018 American Chemical Society I&EC Division Fellow Award, the 2006 Asian American Engineer of the Year Award, the Presidential Green Chemistry Award, three R&D 100 Awards, a Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from the Chemical Engineering program at WSU, two PNNL Inventor of the Year Awards, a Battelle Distinguished Inventor Award, and was the first recipient of the PNNL Laboratory Directorâs Award for Exceptional Scientific Achievement.
He has served as the past chair of the Energy & Fuel Division of the American Chemical Society, as well as a past director of the Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Division of AIChE. He is currently serving as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Applied Catalysis B and Executive Editor of the Chemical Engineering Journal.
Education and Credentials
- Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Washington State University, 1993
- M.S., Chemical Engineering, Washington State University, 1992
Selected Awards and Honors
- The 2021 American Chemical Society E.V. Murphree Award in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry (2020)Â
- The American Institute of Chemical Engineers Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Division Practice Award (2019)
- The American Chemical Society I&EC Division Fellow Award (2018)
- Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (2015)
- Member of the Washington State Academy of Science (2015)
- Fellow of AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) (2013)
- Fellow of RSC (Royal Society of Chemistry) (2013)
- Fellow of ACS (The American Chemical Society) (2010)
- Fellow of AAAS (The American Association for the Advancement of Science) (2008)
- R&D 100 Award, Fischer-Tropsch fuels using Velocys microchannel technology (2008)
- R&D 100 Award, full-scale vaporizer for automotive fuel cell fuel processor (1999)
- R&D 100 Award, production of chemicals from biologically derived succinic acid (1997)
- Presidential Green Chemistry Award, use of biomass to produce useful chemicals (1999)
- Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award, Dept of Chem.Eng., Washington State University (2008)
- Asian American Engineer of the Year Award (2006)
- 2020 Safety Award, Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture, Washington State University (2020) Â
- PNNL Inventor of the Year (2006)
- PNNL Inventor of the Year (2004)
- Distinguished Battelle Inventor (2004)
- First recipient of PNNL Laboratory Directorâs Award for Exceptional Scientific Achievement (2005)
- Scientific advisory board, Center for Environmental Beneficial Catalysis Center, University of Kansas (2011â2017)
Selected Society Participation
- Co-Editor-in-Chief, Applied Catalysis B (2023-present)
- Executive Editor, Chemical Engineering Journal (2022-present)
- Editor, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental (2022)
- Editorial board, ACS Catalysis (2010â2021)
- Editorial board, JACS Au (2020-present)
- Editorial board, Catalysis Today (2006âpresent)
- Editor of Journal of Energy Chemistry (2012â2017)
- Editorial board, Journal of Nanomaterials (2005â2020)
- Editorial board, Biofuel Research Journal (2014-present)
- Editorial board, Chinese Journal of Catalysis (2014-present)
- Honorary Chairman of Trends in Renewable Energy (Future Energy Service and Publishing), (2015-present)
- Chair elect, ACS Petroleum Division (2011)
- Co-Chair, ACS Energy & Fuel Division (2012)
- Chair, Program Committee of the ACS Petroleum division (2006 â2008)
- Secretary of Pacific Coast Catalysis Society (2006â2009)
- Director to the Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Division of AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) (2015-2017)
Selected Recent Publications
- Li, X. I. P. Hernandez, Y. Chen, J. Xu, J. Zhao, C. Pao, C.-Y. Fang, J. Zeng*, Y. Wang*, B. C. Gates*, J. Liu*, “Functional CeOx Nanoglues for Robust Atomically Dispersed Catalysts”, Nature, 2022, doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-05251-6.
- F.Lin, W.Hu, N.R.Jaegers, F.Gao, J.Hu, H.Wang, Y.Wang, “Elucidation of the roles of water on the reactivity of surface intermediates in carboxylic acid ketonization on TiO2“, J.Am.Chem.Soc., 2022, DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c08511.
- M.Tan, Y.Yang, Y.Yang, J.Chen, Y.Yang, Z.Zhang, J.Lin, S.Wan, S.Wang, Y.Wang, âHydrogen spillover assisted by oxygenate molecules over nonreducible oxidesâ, Nature Comm., (2022)13:1457,doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29045.
- Y.Wu, Y.Ma, Y.Wang, K.Rappe, N.Washton, Y.Wang, E.Walter, F.Gao, Feng, “Rate Controlling in Low-temperature Standard NH3-SCR: Implications from Operando EPR Spectroscopy and Reaction Kinetics”, J.Am.Chem.Soc., 2022, Â 144, 22, 9734â9746
- H.Peng, T.Dong, S.Yang, H. Chen, Z.Yang, W.Liu, C.He, P.Wu, J.Tian, Y.Peng, X.Chu, D.Wu, T.An, Y.Wang, S.Dai, âIntra-crystalline mesoporous zeolite encapsulation-derived thermally robust metal nanocatalyst in deep oxidation of light alkanesâ, Nature Comm., 2022, 13, 295. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27828-x.
- D.Jiang, Y. Yao, T. Li, G.Wan, X.Pereira-HernĂĄndez, Y.Lu, J.Tian, K.Khivantsev, M.H. Engelhard, C.Sun, C.E. GarcĂa-Vargas, A,S. Hoffman, S. R. Bare, A.K. Datye, L.Hu, Y.Wang, “Tailoring the Local Environment of Pt in Single-Atom Pt1/CeO2 Catalysts for Robust Low-Temperature CO Oxidation”, Angewandte Chemie.Int.Ed, 2021, DOI: 10.1002/anie.202108585/li>
- H.Xiong, D.Kunwar, D.Jiang, C.E. GarcĂa-Vargas, H.Li, C.Du, G.Canning, X.I.Pereira-Hernandez, Q.Wan, S.Lin, S.C.Purdy, J.T.Miller, K.Leung, S.S.Chou, H.H.Brongersma, Rik ter Veen, J.Huang, H.Guo*, Y.Wang*, A.K.Datye*, âEngineering catalyst supports to stabilize PdOx two-dimensional rafts for water-tolerant methane oxidationâ, Nature Catalysis, 2021, doi: 10.1038/s41929-021-00680-4.
- K.Khivantsev, N.R.Jaegers, H.A.Aleksandrov, L.Kovarik, M.A.Derewinski, Y.Wang, G.N. Vayssilov, J.Szanyi, âBiomimetic CO oxidation below -100 â°C by a nitrate-containing metal-free microporous systemâ, Nature Comm., 2021, doi:10.26434/chemrxiv.12368876.v1
- K.Khivantsev, X.Wei, L. Kovarik, N.R.Jaegers, E.D.Walter, P.Tran, Y.Wang, J.Szanyi, âPd/FER vs Pd/SSZ-13 Passive NOx Adsorbers: Adsorbate-controlled Location of Atomically Dispersed Pd(II) in FER Determines High Activity and Stabilityâ, Angewandte Chemie.Int.Ed, 2021, DOI: 10.1002/anie.202107554
- H.Li, Q.Wan, C. Du, Q. Liu, J. Qi, X. Ding, S. Wang, S.Wan, J. Lin, C.Tian, L. Li, T.Peng, W.Zhao, H. Zhang, J. Huang, H. Guo, S.Lin, A.K.Datye, H.Xiong, Y. Wang, âVapor-Phase Self-Assembly to Generate Single Atom Catalysts with Weak Metal-Support Interactionâ, Chem, 2021, DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.3835429
- Lin, H.Wang, Y. Zhao, J.Fu, D.Mei, N.Jaegers, F.Gao, Y. Wang, âElucidation of Active Sites in Aldol Condensation of Acetone over Single-Facet Dominant Anatase TiO2 (101) and (001) Catalystsâ, JACS Au, 2020, DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.0c00028
- J.Tian, J.Tan, Z.Zhang, P.Han, M.Yin, S. Wan, J.Lin, S.Wang, Y. Wang, âDirect Conversion of Methane to Formaldehyde and CO on B2O3 Catalystsâ, Nature Comm., 2020, doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-19517-y
- K.Khivantsev, C.Vargas, J.Tian, L.Kovarik, N.R. Jaegers, J.Szanyi, Y.Wang, âEconomizing on Precious Metals in Three-Way Catalysts: Thermally Stable and Highly Active Single-Atom Rhodium on Ceria for NO Abatement under Dry and Industrially Relevant Conditionsâ, Angew.Chem.Int.Ed., 2020, DOI: 10.1002/anie.202010815 and 10.1002/ange.202010815
- L.Du, V.Prabhakaran, X.Xie, S.Park, Y.Wang, Y.Shao, âLow-PGM and PGM-Free Catalysts for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells: Stability Challenges and Material Solutionsâ, Advanced Materials, 2020, doi:10.1002/adma.201908232
- N.R. Jaegers, J.Lai, Y.He, E.Walter, D.A. Dixon, M.Vasiliu, Y.Chen, C.Wang, M.Y.Hu, K.T.Mueller, I.E. Wachs, Y.Wang, J.Hu, âTungsten oxide-promotion mechanism for supported TiOcatalysts during NOx abatement: structural effects revealed by V MAS NMRâ, Angew.Chem.Int.Ed., 2019, 58(36) 12609-12616, doi:10.1002/anie.201904503.
- X.Isidro Pereira-HernĂĄndez, A.DeLaRiva, V.Muravev, D.Kunwar, H.Xiong, B.Sudduth, M.Engelhard, L.Kovarik, E.J.M. Hensen, Y.Wang, A.K.Datye, âTailoring the activity of Pt/CeO2 catalysts via high-temperature vapor-phase synthesisâ, Nature Comm., 2019, doi:10.1038/s41467-019-09308-5.
- J.Tian, J.Tan, M.Xu, Z.Zhang, S.Wan, S.Wang, J.Lin, Y.Wang, âPropane oxidative dehydrogenation over highly selective hexagonal boron nitride catalysts: the role of oxidative coupling of methylâ, Science Advances, 2019, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aav8063.
- L.Nie, D.Mei, H.Xiong, B.Peng, Z.Ren,X.Hernandez, A.DeLaRiva, M.Wang, M.H. Engelhard, L. Kovarik, A.K. Datye, Y.Wang, âActivation of surface lattice oxygen in single-atom Pt/CeO2 for low-temperature CO oxidationâ, Science, 2017, 358, 1419-1423, doi: 10.1126/science.aao2109.
- J.Jones, H.Xiong, A.T. DeLaRiva, E.J. Peterson, H.Pham, S.R. Challa, G.Qi, S.Oh, M.H. Wiebenga, X.HernĂĄndez, Y.Wang, A.K. Datye, âThermallystable single-atom platinum-on-ceria catalysts via atomtrappingâ, Science, 2016, 353(6295), 150-154. doi: 10.1126/science.aaf8800.
- J.Sun, R.A.L.Baylon, C.Liu, D.Mei, K.J.Martin, P.Venkitasubramanian, Y.Wang, âKey roles of Lewis acid-base pairs on ZnxZryOz in direct ethanol/acetone to isobutene conversionâ, J.Am.Chem.Soc., 2016, 2, 507-517. doi: 10.1021/jacs.5b07401.