Professor Shanwen Tao

Biography

Shanwen Tao, Professor of Chemical Engineering & Sustainable Processes, one of the Warwick-Monash Alliance Professors jointly appointed by University of Warwick and Monash University. Before moved to University of Warwick in 2015, Tao studied and worked at University of Science & Technology of China, Materials Department, Risø National Laboratory of Denmark, School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, Heriot-Watt University and University of Strathclyde.

Prof. Tao is Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC). Tao is on the list of 'Stanford Universities global list recognising the top 2% of the world’s leading scientists'. Tao is No. 500 in the globally recognised 186,014 scientists (within 0.27%) in area of Energy.

Tao is Co-Director of The UK Hub for Research Challenges in Hydrogen & Alternative Liquid Fuels (UK-HyRES Hub) (https://ukhyres.ac.uk/).

Tao is an Associate Editor of SusMat, a Wiley journal with impact factor of 21.3. Welcome to publish your work in SusMat.

Tao has co-authored over 180 journal papers with H-index of 62, more than 18,000 citations (Google scholar data). Some of the papers has been published in highly ranked journals such as Nature Materials, Nature Communications, Advanced Materials, Advanced Energy Materials, Energy & Environmental Science, Science Advance etc.

Research Interests

The key research areas of Tao's Energy Materials Group at University of Warwick are:

A. Fuel Cells

We work on new materials for fuel cells, which include hydrogen, ammonia, urea and methanol fuel cells. Tao's group invented the urea/urine fuel cells, low temperature direct ammonia fuel cells based on anion exchange membrane electrolyte and near ambient temperature solid oxide fuel cell (NAT-SOFC) technology. Tao's group invented NAT-SOFCs. We also work on electro-catalysts for ammonia oxidation reaction (AOR), urea oxidation reaction (UOR) and methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) to be used as anode for fuel cells.

B, Electroysers

We work on both ionic conducting electrolyte and electro-catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) to be used for near ambient temperature solid oxide electrolytic cells (NAT-SOECs) for green hydrogen production. NAT-SOECs leverage the advantages of existing electrolysers while overcome their limitations, will be the next generation major electrolysers in the near future. Tao's group invented the NAT-SOECs.

C. Electrochemical Synthesis

We work on electrochemical synthesis of ammonia and hydrocarbons. We are particularly interested in coupled electrochemical synthesis for co-generation of electricity and chemicals. We are particularly interested in electrochemical synthesis of ammonia directly from N₂ and H₂O. Our key activity focuses on electro-catalysts on nitrogen reduction reaction (N₂RR) for electrochemical synthesis of green ammonia.

D. Batteries and Re-dox Flow Batteries

We work on new ionic conducting materials for batteries and redox-flow batteries, particularly aqueous zinc ion batteries, such as rechargeable Zn-MnO₂, Zn-air batteries. We are particularly interested in redox flow batteries for large scale renewable energy storage.

**************

Tao has been active in developing new ionic/electronic conducting materials for electrochemical devices such as fuel cells, batteries and supercapacitors. Tao is also active in developing new electro-catalysts for electrolysis and electrochemical synthesis.

Since 2014, Tao is active in developing new catalysts for synthesis and cracking of ammonia. Tao is particularly interested in any new materials and technologies related to ammonia such as ammonia fuel cells, electrolysis of ammonia, ammonia synthesis through conventional Haber-Bosch process and the new electrochemical synthesis process and, cracking of ammonia for hydrogen production.

Tao’s group has developed a family of stable and activity ammonia synthesis catalysts which can tolerate high level of oxygenates such O₂, H₂O for the Haber-Bosch process. This type of catalyst is particularly useful for green ammonia synthesis to simplify the gas purification process, saving the cost. The new catalyst has competitive cost to the cheapest iron-based catalysts for the Haber-Bosch process with superior performance. International patents to different countries/regions have been filed.

Tao's group discovered the mixed OH^-/H⁺ ionic conduction in hydrated oxides, such as doped zirconates and cerates. This discovery reduces the operating temperature of conventional solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and solid oxide electrolytic cells (SOECs) around 800 °C, to an operating temperature around 80 °C. The new type of solid oxide cells with operating temperature up to 300 °C is called near ambient temperature solid oxide fuel cells (NAT-SOFCs) and near ambient temperature solid oxide electrolytic cells (NAT-SOECs).

As the best proton conductor for low temperature electrochemical devices, the fluorine-containing acidic Nafion membrane will be banned by both EU and USA, it is urgent to find alternative OH^- and/or H⁺ ionic conductors to replace Nafion. Our ceramic mixed OH^-/H⁺ is a potential replacement to Nafion membrane for low to intermediate temperature (up to 300 °C) electrochemical devices with reduced cost as precious metal catalysts such as Pt, IrO₂ are not required and, improved stability due to the significantly reduced operating temperature, compared to conventional SOFCs and SOECs.

Tao is also one of the six investigators at Hartnoll Centre for Experimental Fuel Technologies at the University of Warwick.

We have both fully funded PhD studentships (cover overseas fees) and partially funded PhD studentships (cover the fees for UK home candidates only, the overseas candidates can apply but you need to cover the difference). We warmly welcome UK home candidates with the background of materials science & engineering, chemistry or chemical engineering to join our group as either a PhD student or a Research Fellow. Mind the Warwick graduates will be directly granted the Shanghai and Hong Kong hukou (户口）。

For PhD studentships, please apply through:

https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DPQ103/phd-studentships-in-electrochemistry-materials-chemistry-electrocatalysis-batteries-and-fuel-cells

For Research Fellow, please apply through:

https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DPZ043/research-fellow-hartnoll-centre-for-experimental-fuel-technologies-hceft-new-materials-for-batteries-110683-1225

Another Research Fellow vacancy in the area of fuel cells will be open soon.

You can send your CV by email if you are interested in PhD study or a Research Fellow position. We also assist good candidates to apply for Marie Curie Fellowship and Newton Fellowship.

We welcome visiting PhD students and visiting scholars with background close to our research activities. The minimum duration is 12 months.

Teaching Interests

Selected Publications

The full list of publications can be found at Google scholar:

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=bjeLEs4AAAAJ&hl=en

Some selected research articles are listed below:

1. Idris Temitope Bello, Saroj Karki, Nengneng Xu, Anshu Kumari, Shuanglin Zheng, Yuqi Geng, Guntae Kim, Shanwen Tao, Yingtao Liu, Hanping Ding, Heterojunction Architecture Resolves the Stability-Performance Paradox in Reversible Protonic Ceramic Cells, Advanced Functional Materials, 2026, https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202600006
2. Shanwen Tao, Responses to Comment on ''Low Temperature Fast Mixed OH^-/H⁺ Ionic Conductor in Doped Strontium Cerates'', Advanced Energy Materials, 15 (2025) e04735. (the discovery of OH^- ionic conduction in hydrated oxides is entirely independent)
3. Mengfei Zhang, Yu Zhang, Zhenkang Sun, Xiaoke Li, Alex J. Brown, Jiaming Sun,Qi Yang, Shanwen Tao, and Jianguo Liu, Entropy-Engineered Non-Precious Perovskite Catalysts for Ampere-Level Ammonia-Water Co-Electrolysis, Advanced Functional Materials, 2025, e23608, DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202523608
4. Huimin Zhang, Meifang Li, Bing Li, Ziwen Wang, Shanwen Tao, Unlocking synergistic catalysis in single-atom Pt/NiO electrodes for enhanced ammonia oxidation via combined pathways, Chemical Engineering Journal, 525 (2025) 170434.
5. Peimiao Zou, Dinu Iuga, Sanliang Ling, Alex J. Brown, Shigang Chen, Mengfei Zhang, Yisong Han, A. Dominic Fortes, Christopher M. Howard, Shanwen Tao*, A fast ceramic mixed OH⁻/H⁺ ionic conductor for low temperature fuel cells, Nature Communications 15 (2024) 909. (the first report on mixed OH^-/H⁺ ionic conduction in hydrated oxides)
6. Peimiao Zou, Dinu Iuga, Alex J. Brown, Yisong Han, Renhang Wang and Shanwen Tao*, Low Temperature Fast Mixed OH^-/H⁺ Ionic Conductor in Doped Strontium Cerates, Advanced Energy Materials, 15 (2024) 202400678. (the first report on ‘feeding effect’ in ionic conducting materials, front cover of AEM as well)
7. Georgina Jeerh, Peimiao Zou, Mengfei Zhang, Shanwen Tao*, Perovskite oxide LaCr₂₅Fe_0.25Co_0.5O_3-δ as an efficient non-noble cathode for direct ammonia fuel cells, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 319 (2022) 121919.
8. Mengfei Zhang, Peimiao Zou, Georgina Jeerh, Boyao Sun, Marc Walker, Shanwen Tao*, Oxygen Vacancy‐Rich La₅Sr_1.5Ni_0.9Cu_0.1O_4-δ as a High‐Performance Bifunctional Catalyst for Symmetric Ammonia Electrolyzer, Advanced Functional Materials, (2022) 2204881.
9. Shigang Chen, Mengfei Zhang, Peimiao Zou, Boyao Sun and Shanwen Tao*, Historical development and novel concepts on electrolytes for aqueous rechargeable batteries, Energy & Environmental Science, 15 (2022) 1805-1839.
10. Sarish Rehman, Michael Pope, Shanwen Tao and Eric McCalla, Evaluating the effectiveness of in situ characterization techniques in overcoming mechanistic limitations in lithium–sulfur batteries, Energy & Environmental Science, 15 (2022) 1423–1460.
11. Mengfei Zhang, Hao Li, Xiuyun Duan, Peimiao Zou, Georgina Jeerh, Boyao Sun, Shigang Chen, John Humphreys, Marc Walker, Kui Xie, and Shanwen Tao*, An Efficient Symmetric Electrolyzer Based On Bifunctional Perovskite Catalyst for Ammonia Electrolysis, Advanced Science, 8 (2021) 2101299.
12. Shigang Chen, Pan Sun, John Humphreys, Peimiao Zou, Mengfei Zhang, Georgina Jeerh & ShanwenTao, Acetate-based ‘oversaturated gel electrolyte’ enabling highly stable aqueous Zn-MnO2 battery, Energy Storage Materials, 42 (2021) 240 – 251.
13. Mengfei Zhang, Georgina Jeerh, Peimiao Zou, Rong Lan, Mingtai Wang, Huanting Wang, ShanwenTao, Recent development of perovskite oxide-based electrocatalysts and their applications in low to intermediate temperature electrochemical devices, Materials Today, 49 (2021) 351-377.
14. Shigang Chen, PanSun, BoyaoSun, John Humphreys, Peimiao Zou, Kui Xie & ShanwenTao*, Nitrate-based ‘oversaturated gel electrolyte’ for high-voltage and high-stability aqueous lithium batteries, Energy Storage Materials, 37 (2021) 598 – 608.
15. John Humphreys, Rong Lan, Shigang Chen, Marc Walker, Yisong Han & ShanwenTao*, Cation doped cerium oxynitride with anion vacancies for Fe-based catalyst with improved activity and oxygenate tolerance for efficient synthesis of ammonia, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 285 (2021) 119843.
16. Georgina Jeerh, Mengfei Zhang and Shanwen Tao*, Recent progress in ammonia fuel cells and their potential applications, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 9 (2021) 727-752. (a comprehensive review on direct ammonia fuel cells)
17. Shigang Chen, Rong Lan, John Humphreys and Shanwen Tao*, Salt-concentrated acetate electrolytes for a high voltage aqueous Zn/MnO₂ battery, Energy Storage Materials, 28 (2020) 205 – 215.
18. Wei Xu, Dongwei Du, Rong Lan, John Humphreys, David N. Miller, Marc Walker, Zucheng Wu, John T.S. Irvine and Shanwen Tao*, Electrodeposited NiCu bimetal on carbon paper as stable non-noble anode for efficient electrooxidation of ammonia, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 237 (2018) 1101-1109.
19. Wei Xu, Rong Lan, Dongwei Du, John Humphreys, Marc Walker, Zucheng Wu, Huanting Wang and Shanwen Tao, Directly growing hierarchical nickel-copper hydroxide nanowires on carbon fibre cloth for efficient electrooxidation of ammonia, Applied Catalysis B Environmental, 218 (2017) 470-479.
20. Rong Land and Shanwen Tao*, A simple high performance matrix-free biomass molten carbonate fuel cell without CO₂ recirculation, Science Advances, 2 (2016) e1600772.

21. Rong Lan and Shanwen Tao*, Novel proton conductors in layered oxide material Li_xAl₅Co_0.5O₂, Advanced Energy Materials, 4 (2014) 1301683 (the highest proton-conducting material in poly-crystalline oxides)
22. Rong Lan, Khaled A. Alkhazmi, Ibrahim A. Amar and Shanwen Tao*, Synthesis of ammonia directly from wet air at intermediate temperature, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 152–153 (2014) 212–217.
23. Rong Lan, John T.S. Irvine, Shanwen Tao*, Ammonia and related chemicals as potential indirect hydrogen storage materials, Inter. J. Hydrogen Energy, 37 (2012) 1482-1494.(the first review on ‘ammonia economy’)
24. Peter I. Cowin, Christophe T. G. Petit, Rong Lan, John T.S. Irvine and Shanwen Tao*, Recent Progress in the Development of Anode Materials for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, Advanced Energy Materials, 1 (2011) 314-332.
25. Rong Lan, Shanwen Tao* and John T.S. Irvine, A direct urea fuel cell – power from fertiliser and waste, Energy & Environmental Science, 3 (2010) 438-441. (the first urea/urine fuel cell).
26. Rong Lan and Shanwen Tao*, Direct Ammonia Alkaline Anion-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells, Electrochemistry & Solid State Lett., 13 (2010) B83-B86. (the first direct ammonia fuel cell based on alkaline membrane electrolyte).
27. Shanwen Tao and John T.S. Irvine, A Stable, Easily Sintered Proton-Conducting Oxide Electrolyte for Moderate-Temperature Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers, Advanced Materials, 18 (2006) 1581-1584.
28. David M. Bastidas, Shanwen Tao, John T. S. Irvine, A symmetrical solid oxide fuel cell demonstrating redox stable perovskite electrodes, Journal of Materials Chemistry, 16 (2006) 1603-1605. (the first report on reversible SOFCs)
29. Shanwen Tao, John T.S. Irvine and John A. Kilner, An efficient solid oxide fuel cell based upon single phase perovskites, Advanced Materials, 17 (2005) 1734-1737.
30. Shanwen Tao and John T.S. Irvine, A redox-stable, efficient single-phase anode for solid-oxide fuel cells based upon a double perovskite, Nature Materials, 2 (2003) 320-323. (the first redox stable anode for SOFCs)

Projects and Grants