On the morning of May 21, 2025, at the invitation of Professor Yufei Zhao from our college, Professor Yongkang Peng from City University of Hong Kong, Professor Ziheng Lao from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Professor Guangchao Li were invited to deliver wonderful academic reports titled "Coordination Chemistry of CeO₂ Surfaces in Regulating Catalytic Activities", "Rational Design and Structure-Activity Study of Multi-Atom Catalysts", and "Insight Active Site in Zeolite by Activity Characterization" in Conference Room 307B of the High-Level and Advanced Technology Building for the teachers and students of our university. The reports were chaired by Professor Yufei Zhao, and many teachers and students attended.
During this report, Professor Yongkang Peng provided a detailed introduction to the research progress on the surface of CeO₂-based catalysts and key intermediates in catalytic reactions, as well as methods for regulating H₂O₂ activation for selective oxidation. Professor Ziheng Lao presented strategies for achieving atomic-level precise synthesis of multinuclear catalysts using the principles of coordination chemistry. Professor Guangchao Li shared research on host-guest interactions in zeolites and their effects on active sites.
The reports by the three professors sparked academic exchanges and collisions of ideas among faculty and students, who actively asked questions and engaged in in-depth discussions on related research topics.
Biographies of the Presenters
Professor Yongkang Peng
Professor Yongkang Peng obtained his BSc and MSc in Chemistry from National Chung Cheng University and National Taiwan University, respectively. He completed his PhD and postdoctoral research at the Wolfson Catalysis Centre, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford. Since May 2018, he has been on the faculty at City University of Hong Kong. His current research focuses on understanding the surface chemistry of nanomaterials to design heterogeneous (photo)catalysts and MRI contrast agents. He has published numerous papers as first/corresponding author in prestigious journals such as Nature Communications, Journal of the American Chemical Society, and Angewandte Chemie International Edition.
Professor Ziheng Lao
Professor Ziheng Lao is a PhD supervisor in the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). He is the recipient of the Hong Kong Young Scholars Award and the PolyU President’s Young Scholars Award. He oversaw the design and construction of a high-resolution in situ powder X-ray diffraction facility and specializes in the rational design, systematic structural characterization, and reaction mechanism studies of zeolite molecular sieves and metal-organic framework (MOF) catalysts. To date, he has published over 80 papers as first/corresponding author in top journals including Science, Nature Catalysis, Nature Communications, Journal of the American Chemical Society, and Angewandte Chemie International Edition. He also serves as a Young Editorial Board Member for Coordination Chemistry Reviews.
Professor Guangchao Li
Professor Guangchao Li earned his PhD from the Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, followed by joint postdoctoral research at the University of Oxford and PolyU. Since December 2023, he has been a faculty member in PolyU’s Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology. His research focuses on the characterization and application of zeolite catalysts, particularly using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and synchrotron radiation to probe the structure and properties of active sites in zeolites. He has published multiple papers as first/corresponding author in journals such as Science, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, and Accounts of Chemical Research.
Institutional Backgrounds
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), established in 1937, excels in applied disciplines such as engineering, business, hospitality management, and design. It emphasizes industry-academia collaboration and maintains close partnerships with enterprises like Alibaba and Swire Group. Ranked 57th globally (4th in Hong Kong) in the 2025 QS World University Rankings.
City University of Hong Kong (CityU), founded in 1984, is a dynamic research-intensive university renowned for its strengths in business, media, data science, and materials science. It ranks 62nd globally (5th in Hong Kong) in the 2025 QS World University Rankings.