UCL Engineering Inaugural Lecture Series | Professor Feng Ryan Wang

Engineering net-zero materials through X-ray diagnostics

UCL Engineering Inaugural Lecture Series | Professor Feng Ryan Wang

Don't miss the opportunity to explore groundbreaking research that is shaping the future and transforming the world!

Date: Tuesday, 28 April 2026

Time: 17:30 - 20:00

Location: UCL Bloomsbury Campus, Roberts Building, Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7JE

Abstract
Modern engineering depends on materials that perform reliably in harsh, changing environments, from reactors and engines to batteries. The challenge is that we usually test performance without seeing what the material is doing internally while it works. In this lecture, I will show how advanced X-ray measurements act like non-invasive “engineering diagnostics”, revealing how catalysts and energy materials change in real time under operating conditions. With examples from cleaner chemical manufacturing, CO2 conversion, and battery recycling, I will explain how these measurements identify failure modes early, guide design choices, and shorten development cycles.

About the speaker
Feng Ryan Wang is Professor of Chemical Engineering at UCL and leads a programme in operando and time-resolved X-ray spectroscopy for catalysis and energy materials. His team combines a range of X-ray techniques to track active materials, intermediates and degradation under realistic conditions, linking electronic structure to performance. He obtained his PhD in Chemistry from Peking University (2012) and was an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute für Kohlenforschung (2013–2015). He has published more than 80 papers, secured over £7M in funding, and holds patents with industrial partners, working closely with Johnson Matthey, Toyota and major synchrotron facilities.

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