Yong Wang

Biography

Dr. Wang joined PNNL in 1994 and was promoted to 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 (http://iic.pnl.gov) since 2008. In 2009, Dr. Wang assumed a joint position at Washington State University and PNNL. In this unique position, he continues to be a Laboratory Fellow and associate director of IIC at PNNL and is the Voiland Distinguished Professor in Chemical Engineering at WSU, full professorship with tenure.

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. Dr. Wang has authored 330 peer reviewed publications in lead scientific journals including Science, Nature group journals, J.Am.Chem.Soc, Angewandt Chemie, Energy and Env. Sci., ACS Catalysis, and the Journal of Catalysis with H index=76 and has more than 26,500 citations. He has co-edited 2 books and 6 special journal issues, and given more than 180 invited presentations since 2001. He is the inventor on 281 issued patents including 108 issued U.S. patents (>90% of his patents are licensed to industries). His discoveries in microchannel reaction technologies led to the formation of Velocys, trading under the London Stock Exchange (VLS). He was recently elected to the Washington State Academy of Science and the National Academy of Inventors. He is a fellow of 4 major professional societies: AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers), ACS (American Society of Chemistry), RSC (Royal Society of Chemistry), and AAAS (American Association of the Advancement of Science). He has won numerous awards including the 2021 ACS E.V. Murphree Award in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 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, 3 R&D 100 Awards, a Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from Chemical Engineering at WSU, 2 PNNL Inventor of the Year Awards, a Battelle Distinguished Inventor Award, and was the first recipient of the PNNL Laboratory Director’s Award for Exceptional Scientific Achievement.

He is the past chair of the Energy & Fuel Division of the American Chemical Society, past director of the Catalysis and Reaction Engineering division of AIChE and is on the editorial board of 7 catalysis and energy related journals including ACS Catalysis and Catalysis Today. 

Education and Credentials

• Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Washington State University, 1993
• M.S., Chemical Engineering, Washington State University, 1992
• M.S., Chemical Engineering, Chengdu University of Science and Technology (now Sichuan University), China, 1987
• B.S., Chemical Engineering, Chengdu University of Science and Technology (now Sichuan University), China, 1984

Selected Awards, Honors, and Societies

• The 2021 American Chemical Society E.V. Murphree Award in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry (2020) 
• 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)
• Director to the Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Division of AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) (2015-2017)
• Chair elect, ACS (The American Chemical Society) Petroleum Division (2011)
• 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)  
• 2014-2015 Outstanding Research Faculty, Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture, Washington State University (April 9, 2015)  
• 2013-2014 Outstanding Research Faculty, Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture, Washington State University (April 10, 2014)  
• PNNL Inventor of the Year (2006)
• PNNL Inventor of the Year (2004)
• Distinguished Battelle Inventor (2004)
• First recipient of PNNL Laboratory Director’s Award for Exceptional Scientific Achievement (2005)
• Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award, Washington State University (1993)
• National Academy of Engineering 2005 Japan-American Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, Japan, 2005
• 10th National Academy of Engineering Annual Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering, Irvine, CA, September 9–11, 2004
• Scientific advisory board, Center for Environmental Beneficial Catalysis Center, University of Kansas (2011–2017)
• Editorial board, ACS Catalysis (2010–present)
• Editorial board, Catalysis Today (2006–present)
• Editor of Journal of Energy Chemistry (2012–2017)
• Editorial board, Journal of Nanomaterials (2005–present)
• 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 –2008)
• Secretary of Pacific Coast Catalysis Society (2006–2009)

Selected Recent Publications

• J.Tian, J.Tan, Z.Zhang, P.Han, M.Yin, S. Wan, J.Lin, S.Wang, Y. Wang, “Direct Conversion of Methane to Formaldehyde and CO on B2O3 Catalysts”, Nature Comm., 2020, doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-19517-y
• J.Zhang, J.Sun, L.Kovarik, M.H.Engelhard, L.Du, B.Dudduth, H.Li, Y.Wang, “Surface Engineering of Earth-abundant Fe Catalysts for Selective Hydrodeoxygenation of Phenolics in Liquid Phase”, Chemical Science, 2020, DOI: 10.1039/D0SC00983K
• K.Khivantsev, C.Vargas, J.Tian, L.Kovarik, N.R. Jaegers, J.Szanyi, Y.Wang, “Economizing 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 Conditions”, Angew.Chem.Int.Ed., 2020, DOI: 10.1002/anie.202010815 and 10.1002/ange.202010815
• F.Lin, Y.Chen, L.Zhang, D.Mei, L.Kovarik, B.Sudduth, H.Wang, F.Gao, Y.Wang, “Single-Facet Dominant Anatase TiO₂ (101) and (001) Model Catalysts to Elucidate the Active Sites for Alkanol Dehydration”, ACS Catalysis, 2020, doi: 10.1021/acscatal.9b04654
• L.Du, V.Prabhakaran, X.Xie, S.Park, Y.Wang, Y.Shao, “Low-PGM and PGM-Free Catalysts for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells: Stability Challenges and Material Solutions”, 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, “Tungsten oxide-promotion mechanism for supported TiOcatalysts during NOx abatement: structural effects revealed by V MAS NMR”, Angew.Chem.Int.Ed., 2019, 58(36) 12609-12616, doi:10.1002/anie.201904503.
• X.Isidro Pereira-Hernández, A.DeLaRiva, V.Muravev, D.Kunwar, H.Xiong, B.Sudduth, M.Engelhard, L.Kovarik, E.J.M. Hensen, Y.Wang, A.K.Datye, “Tailoring the activity of Pt/CeO2 catalysts via high-temperature vapor-phase synthesis”, 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, “Propane oxidative dehydrogenation over highly selective hexagonal boron nitride catalysts: the role of oxidative coupling of methyl”, Science Advances, 2019, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aav8063.
• R.A.L.Baylon, J.Sun, L.Korarik, M.Engelhard, H.Li, A.D.Winkelman, Y.Wang, “Structural identification of Zn_xZr_yO_z catalysts for cascade aldoliation and self-deoxygenation reactions”, Appl.Catal.B: Environmental, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2018.04.051.
• 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, “Activation of surface lattice oxygen in single-atom Pt/CeO₂ for low-temperature CO oxidation”, Science, 2017, 358, 1419-1423, doi: 10.1126/science.aao2109.
• Y.Hong, S.Zhang, F.Tao, Y.Wang, “Stabilization of iron-based catalysts against oxidation: an in situ ambient pressure XPS study”, ACS Catalysis, 2017, doi: 10.1021/acscatal.7b00636.
• J.Sun, Q.Cai, Y.Wan, S.Wan, L.Wang, J.Lin, D.Mei, Y.Wang, “Promotional effects of cesium promoter on higher alcohol synthesis from syngas over cesium-promoted Cu/ZnO/Al₂O₃ catalysts”, ACS Catalysis, 2016, 6, 5771-5785. doi: 10.1021/acscatal.6b00935.
• J.Jones, H.Xiong, A.T. DeLaRiva, E.J. Peterson, H.Pham, S.R. Challa, G.Qi, S.Oh, M.H. Wiebenga, X.Hernández, Y.Wang, A.K. Datye, “Thermallystable single-atom platinum-on-ceria catalysts via atomtrapping”, 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, “Key roles of Lewis acid-base pairs on Zn_xZr_yO_z in direct ethanol/acetone to isobutene conversion”, J.Am.Chem.Soc., 2016, 2, 507-517. doi: 10.1021/jacs.5b07401.
• Z.Wei, A.Karim, Y.Wang, “Elucidation of the roles of Re in aqueous-phase reforming of glycerol over Pt-Re/C catalysts”, ACS Catalysis, 2015, doi: 10.1021/acscatal.5b01770.
• J.Sun, A.Karim, X.Li, Y.Shin, Y.Wang, “Hierarchically structured catalysts for cascade and selective steam reforming/Hydrodeoxygenation reactions”, Chem.Comm., 2015, doi: 10.1039/C5CC07244A
• J.D.Holladay, Y.Wang, “3-D model of a radial flow sub-watt methanol fuel processor”, Chem.Eng.Sci., 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.ces.2015.02.012.
• Y.Hong, H.Zhang, J.Sun, A.M.Karim, A.J.R.Henley, M.Gu, M.H.Engelhard, J.S.McEwen, Y.Wang, “Synergistic catalysis between Pd and Fe in gas phase hydrodeoxygenation of m-cresol”, ACS Catalysis, 2014, doi: 10.1021/cs500578g
• Y.Li, Z.Wei, F.Gao, L.Kovarik, C.H.F.Peden, Y.Wang, “Effects of CeO₂ Support Facets on VO_x/CeO₂ Catalysts in Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Methanol”, J.Catal., 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.jcat.2014.04.013
• J.Kwak, R.Dagel, G.Tustin, J.Zoeller, L.Allard, Y.Wang, “Molecular active sites in heterogeneous Ir-La/C catalyzed carbonylation of methanol to acetates”, J.Phy.Chem.Lett., 2014, doi: 10.1021/jz402728e
• W.Li, L.Kovarik, D.Mei, J.Liu,Y.Wang, C.H. F.Peden, “Anti-sintering Pt nanoparticles stabilized by MgAl₂O₄ spinel {111} facets”, Nature Communications, 2013, doi: 10.1038/ncomms3481.
• J.Sun, K.Zhu, F.Gao, C.Wang, J.Liu, C.H.F.Peden, Y.Wang, “Direct conversion of bio-ethanol to isobutene on nanosized Zn_xZr_xO_z mixed oxides with balanced acid-base sites”, J.Am.Chem.Soc., 2011, 133(29) pp. 11096-11099, doi: 10.1021/ja204235v
• R.Kou, Y.Shao, D.Mei, Z.Mie, D.Wang, C.Wang, V.V.Viswanathan, S.Park, I.A.Aksay, Y.Lin, Y.Wang, J.Liu, “Stabilization of electrocatalysts at metal-metal oxide-graphene triple junction points: an experimental and theoretical study”, J.Am.Chem.Soc., 2011, doi: 10.1021/ja107719u.