Core Research Themes
High-Throughput Electrosynthesis & Materials Discovery
Utilizing Scanning Electrochemical Cell Microscopy (SECCM) for high-throughput combinatorial screening and precision electrosynthesis of complex nanomaterials.
Recent Key Papers
- Lee, H.; Muñoz-Castañeda, J. A.; Ren, H. Facet-Controlled Electrosynthesis of Nanoparticles by Combinatorial Screening in Scanning Electrochemical Cell Microscopy. Nanoscale 2025, 17, 5141–5149. DOI: 10.1039/D4NR04564E
- Lee, H.; Zhan, X.; Warner, J. H.; Ren, H. Dynamic Ionic Environment Modulation for Precise Electrosynthesis of Heterostructured Bimetallic Nanoparticles. Adv. Sci. 2025. DOI: 10.1002/advs.202415727
Nano-Electrocatalysis & Interfacial Dynamics
Probing the heterogeneity of electrocatalytic processes and dynamic electrode-electrolyte interfaces at the nanoscale.
Recent Key Papers
- Lee, H.; Ren, H. Tuning Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction Reaction with Dynamic Control of Electrochemical Interfaces. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 11126–11132. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c13694
- Wenzel, S. F.; García-Carrillo, R.; Ren, H. Electrochemical Correlative Microscopy: Discovering Insights into Structure–Reactivity Relationships for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage. Curr. Opin. Electrochem. 2025, 50, 101666. DOI: 10.1016/j.coelec.2025.101666
Advanced Electroanalytical Instrumentation
Developing next-generation scanning electrochemical probe systems, custom automation interfaces in Python, and hybrid mapping methods for energy and biological applications.
Recent Key Papers
- Zhang, H.; Tao, Y.; Pan, L.; Wang, Y.; Lee, H.; Zhan, X.; Ren, H. Defect-Driven Electrochemical Domain Modulation in Prussian Blue Revealed by Single-Entity Analysis. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 41650–41656. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5c13179
- Blount, B.; Juarez, G.; Wang, Y.; Ren, H. iR Drop in Scanning Electrochemical Cell Microscopy. Faraday Discuss. 2022, 233, 149–162. DOI: 10.1039/D1FD00046B
Metal Deposition & Dissolution
Revealing the structural origins of local breakdown and mapping metal dissolution kinetics at single sites using correlative imaging techniques.
Recent Key Papers
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- Wang, Y.; García-Carrillo, R.; Ren, H. Kinetics and Dynamics of Atomic-Layer Dissolution on Low-Defect Ag. Chem. Sci. 2025, 16, 1447–1454. DOI: 10.1039/D4SC05954A
- Wang, Y.; Li, M.; Ren, H. Interfacial Structure and Energy Determine the Heterogeneity in the Electrochemical Metal Dissolution Activity at Grain Boundary. Chem. Mater. 2023, 35, 4243–4249. DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c00220