On 21 July 2025, Researcher Zihao Xu, a researcher from the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, delivered an academic lecture entitled ‘Mechanistic Studies on Photochemical Reaction Kinetics’ for faculty and students of our college. The talk was held in Conference Room E202 of the School of Environment and moderated by Associate Professor Zuocheng Zuo; more than 40 teachers and students attended the event.

Zihao Xu is a Principal Investigator and Professor at the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and a recipient of a national-level talent award. His research focuses on photochemical reaction dynamics. He received his B.S. in 2013 from the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, and his Ph.D. in 2019 from Emory University (USA). From 2019 to 2023, he remained at Emory as a postdoctoral fellow before joining the Institute of Chemistry, CAS, in November 2023. Professor Xu has authored more than 50 publications in leading international journals such as the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, and Accounts of Chemical Research. Addressing the challenge of uncovering the deep-seated mechanisms underlying light-driven devices, Professor Xu has established a research theme centered on ‘mechanistic studies driven by excited-state dynamics in devices.’ Focusing on the in-situ carrier dynamics of photon-upconversion devices and photoelectrocatalytic devices, he employs ultrafast spectroscopy to elucidate excited-state dynamics and charge/energy-transfer mechanisms in a variety of systems. He has mapped detailed exciton-transfer pathways and mechanisms in photon-upconversion and semiconductor photoelectrocatalytic devices, revealing the intimate relationship between transfer efficiency and structural factors. These findings provide critical theoretical guidance for the development and rational design of high-performance devices.

Starting from the strategic goals of China’s ‘dual-carbon’ initiative, Researcher Zihao Xu systematically outlined the central scientific challenges facing solar light-to-chemical conversion. He then highlighted a series of breakthroughs achieved by his group in interfacial charge separation, migration, and reaction kinetics within semiconductor photocatalysis, leveraging femtosecond time-resolved spectroscopy and operando characterization techniques. Through vivid case studies, he demonstrated how the seamless integration of precise measurements and theoretical models can unveil the ‘invisible and elusive’ ultrafast processes in complex systems, offering fresh perspectives for the design of highly efficient and robust photocatalytic platforms.

      The discussion was lively; faculty and students from our school posed enthusiastic questions on spectral interpretation, material design, and experimental strategies. Researcher Xu answered each query patiently, encouraging everyone to identify scientific problems and distill new ideas from experimental details. He urged young researchers to ‘stand at the frontiers, delve into the intricacies, and dare to cross disciplines,’ so as to deliver original contributions in the field of environmental and energy materials.