Prof. Lianzhou Wang from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the 2025 Lee Hsun Lecture Award recipient, visited the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMR, CAS), from June 13 to 16.

During his visit, Prof. Wang delivered a lecture titled "Semiconductor Design for Photoelectrochemical Energy Conversion" to IMR researchers and graduate students.

Semiconductor nanomaterials are critical for efficient solar energy capture and conversion processes, such as photocatalysis and photoelectrochemical reactions. In his presentation, Prof. Wang provided a concise overview of his team's recent progress in designing semiconductor nanomaterials for photoelectrochemical energy conversion, covering three main directions: mechanistic studies, light harvesting, charge transfer and surface reaction engineering for solar-driven hydrogen production and high-value-added chemical synthesis using low-cost semiconductors; working mechanisms and stability enhancement of perovskite quantum dots and lead-free tin-based perovskite solar cells; and design of ultra-stable perovskite-MOF composites for enhanced luminescence and photocatalytic applications.

The cutting-edge and in-depth lecture sparked keen interest and lively discussion among attendees. Researchers and students engaged in extensive exchanges with Prof. Wang on key issues in semiconductor nanomaterials for photoelectrochemical energy conversion. During his visit, Prof. Wang also held discussions with researchers from the Solar and Hydrogen Energy Materials Division on overcoming the efficiency limits of solar cells and accelerating the translation of solar-to-chemical energy conversion from laboratory research to industrial applications.

Prof. Lianzhou Wang is a Global STEM Scholar Chair Prof. at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, and a Fellow of the Academia Europaea. He previously served as a Professor at the University of Queensland, Director of the Nanomaterials Centre, and an Australian Laureate Fellow. His research focuses on the synthesis of semiconductor nanomaterials and their applications in clean energy conversion and storage, including photoelectrocatalytic hydrogen production, emerging solar cells and energy storage batteries. He has published over 650 papers in international journals with an Hindex of 141, and has been recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate for many consecutive years.