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Dr Qingbing Xia

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering
Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
qingbing.xia@uq.edu.au

Overview

I received my B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from Central South University (China) in July 2012 and July 2015, respectively. In December 2019, I completed my Ph.D. in Materials Engineering, specialising in Energy Materials, at the University of Wollongong (Australia). Since July 2020, I have been doing postdoctoral research at The University of Queensland.

I have over 11 years of research experience developing electrode materials for lithium/sodium-ion batteries. My expertise encompasses materials design, synthesis, characterisation, and electrochemical analyses.

My current research focuses on:

(1) developing low-cost, functional electrode materials for high-energy-density rechargeable batteries;

(2) in situ/operando techniques for studying electrode or electrode/electrolyte interface reactions in batteries;

(3) solid polymer electrolytes;

(4) solid-state metal batteries.

Research Interests

  • Surface structural engineering of electrode materials at the sub-/nanoscale for developing high energy density batteries
    For battery electrode materials, their surface properties play a critical role in determining cell performance. As a forefront of an electrode material where Li/Na ion storage and charge transfer initiate, the electrode surface has a fundamental influence on the charge storage properties of the electrode. Manipulating the surface features and characteristics of electrode materials on a sub/nanometer scale will play a critical role in improving the battery performance.
  • Understanding the electrode/electrolyte interface reactions using in situ/operando techniques
    In situ/operando techniques are crucial for gaining insights into the dynamic processes that occur during electrochemical reactions at the interfaces in batteries. The in situ/operando techniques, such as TEM, synchrotron XRD, EPR, Raman, etc., allow us to observe and analyse the structural, chemical, and electrochemical changes at the electrode/electrolyte interface in real-time or under working conditions.

Research Impacts

As an early career researcher in energy storage, my work spans multidisciplinary research in materials science, chemistry, and chemical engineering. The outcomes of my research provide a robust and practical foundation for electrode preparation, electrochemical characterization, and battery system design and optimisation.

Here are some highlights of my contributions:

  1. Correlating the surface structural properties of electrode materials with charge storage performance in batteries: I demonstrated that an in situ layered-to-spinel phase transition on the surface of layered manganese oxide cathodes significantly enhances electrode materials' charge/discharge capability (J. Mater. Chem. A 2015, 3, 3995). Also, I pioneered a strategy to modify the surface of metal oxide anode materials, altering their surface and electronic structure properties, thereby greatly improving battery reaction kinetics (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2019, 58, 4022-4026).

  2. Optimising the structural unit cell of the electrode materials to tune the local electronic and bonding environment for improving redox kinetics and cycling stability in batteries.

  3. Developing a novel general “molecularly mediated thermally induced” approach to synthesising 2D superlattices. I introduced a novel general approach, "molecularly mediated thermally induced," to synthesize 2D superlattice arrays for use as electrode materials, demonstrating remarkably fast sodium ion storage performance (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2019, 58, 14125-14128). (Media coverage by MaterialsViews, ChemstryViews, World Energy, etc.)

  4. Devloping the original concept of "sheet-in-sphere" to vertically confine 2D electroactive materials inside hollow nanospheres, addressing the issue of agglomeration faced by 2D electrode materials (Adv. Energy Mater. 2020, 10, 2001033).

Publications

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Grants

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Supervision

  • In-situ characterisation of electrochemical energy systems

    Doctor Philosophy

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Publications

Book Chapter

  • Organic Liquid Electrolytes for Sodium-Ion Batteries

    Xia, Qingbing and Zhao, X. S. (George) (2023). Organic Liquid Electrolytes for Sodium-Ion Batteries. Handbook of Sodium-Ion Batteries. (pp. 345-388) New York, NY United States: Jenny Stanford Publishing. doi: 10.1201/9781003308744-8

Journal Article

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

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Links

ORCID: 0000-0002-8996-7212

Google Scholar ID: aDdHQ9oAAAAJ

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