Li Research Group @ City University of Hong Kong
Molecular Imagineering Lab
Our research focuses on translating molecular-level design into functional materials that enable emerging sustainable technologies to address pressing energy and environmental challenges. Harnessing the power of imagination, we aim to engineer new molecular toolkits that streamline the synthesis and function integration of porous organic materials such as covalent organic frameworks, which will further facilitate the electrification of conventional processes, including separation, catalysis, and energy storage.
Research Themes
We are molecular imagineers tackling energy and environmental challenges through the design of functional molecules and porous organic materials. Our team works at the interface of chemistry, materials science, and chemical engineering, bridging molecular design with materials development and device integration. Our research spans the following interconnected themes:
Molecular Design & Materials Synthesis
Redox-Switchable Porous Acids & Bases
We design molecular motifs with redox-switchable acidity and basicity and further incorporate them into porous organic materials to enable electrochemical processes.
Selective Pore Modulation
Analogous to chemo-, regio-, stereoselectivity in small-molecule organic synthesis, we develop synthetic methodologies for poroselective construction and functionalization of multiporous framework materials to facilitate transport in electrochemical processes.
Materials Form Engineering
We explore strategies to synthesize and engineer porous organic materials in diverse forms, including solid powders, thin films, and liquids, and integrate them into electrochemical devices as key components such as electrodes, membranes, and electrolytes.
Applications
Electrochemical Carbon Capture
We develop new redox-active organic materials and chemical pathways to electrify carbon capture, enhancing energy efficiency, selectivity, and stability.
Next-Generation Energy Storage
We fabricate electrode, electrolyte, and membrane materials with molecule-defined nanochannels to enable next-generation energy storage technologies, including redox-flow and metal–gas batteries.
Electrochemical Synthesis
We explore new electrochemical transformations enabled by porous electrodes, electrolytes, and membranes developed in our laboratory. Our research targets applications such as valorization of carbon dioxide captured from point and diffuse sources and electrochemical synthesis of porous organic materials.
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