Clean Energy | First-year Research Immersion

Power Tomorrow, Today–Developing Better Energy Conversion and Storage Technologies

Globally political and industrial leaders have identified energy challenges as among the most pressing that nations face. Demand for energy, particularly alternative and sustainable energy, will increase substantially over the coming years. The research carried out by first-year students in the Clean Energy research stream at Binghamton University encompasses development of new materials for eventual implementation in devices for better energy generation and storage.

The picture depicts a typical innovation process in the Clean Energy Research Stream, starting with material design and synthesis. After going through characterizations, the materials will be applied towards different applications, including Pt-based catalysts for fuel cell and water splitting, and perovskite quantum dots for solar cells and LEDs. — Schematic of the innovation workflow in the Clean Energy Research Stream. The process begins with materials design and synthesis, followed by comprehensive characterization. The resulting materials are applied to diverse technologies, including Pt-based catalysts for fuel cells and water splitting, and perovskite quantum dots for solar cells and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Insights gained from performance evaluation feed back into materials design, creating an iterative loop that continuously enhances efficiency and stability.

Clean Energy intersects the traditional disciplines of Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science and Engineering. The Clean Energy Research Stream focuses on fundamental and applied research in the field of Clean Energy, with the broader impact of developing materials towards application in energy harvesting and storage devices. The Clean Energy Research Stream consists of a multidisciplinary collaboration of faculty working with the current Research Educator who oversees the stream projects.

Research Themes

Material Synthesis	Advanced Characterizations
Energy Conversion	Energy Storage

Research Educator

Yiliang (Yancy) Luan

Clean Energy, Research Assistant Professor

Chemistry; First-year Research Immersion Program

yluan@binghamton.edu

607-777-5523

S2 119

Research Interests

Fuel Cells
Solar Energy Utilization
Energy Conversion
Nanochemistry and Nanoengineering
Synthetic Chemistry

Dr. Yiliang (Yancy) Luan is a researcher and educator whose work focuses on the rational design and synthesis of nanoalloys for fuel cell and water-splitting catalysis, as well as the development of perovskite materials for light-emitting devices and solar cells. Their research integrates materials synthesis, structure–property relationships, and functional performance to advance sustainable energy and optoelectronic technologies. Equally committed to education, Dr. Luan is passionate about mentoring undergraduate researchers and teaching students how to think and work like scientists from the earliest stages of their academic careers. Through course-based and mentored research experiences, they emphasize hands-on experimentation, critical thinking, and scientific communication, with the goal of making research accessible, inclusive, and transformative for students.

Research Techniques

Summary graphic displaying categories and techniques in material synthesis and characterization, featuring relevant images for each technique, including scientific instruments and colorful quantum dots. — In the clean energy stream, students learn a variety of material synthesis and characterization techniques.

Research Projects

Cohort 11 (2024-2025)
- Doping perovskite quantum dots via halide hot-injection
- Mapping the transformations of polysulfides in lithium sulfur batteries using DFT
- Pt-Ni-Pd nanoframe catalyst for pH-universal hydrogen evolution reaction
- Pt-Ni-Sn nanoframe catalyst for methanol oxidation reaction
- Synthesis of hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite quantum dots using halide hot-injection
Cohort 10 (2023-2024)
- Computational simulation on the effects of functional groups on crystalline triangulene as a spin filter
- Mitigation of tin instability in CsSnxPb1-xI3 perovskite quantum dots through antioxidants
- Nanoporous Pt-Ni-Fe ternary alloy catalysts with enhanced performance for methanol oxidation reaction
- Novel aggregative photoluminescence emission from CsPbBr3 PQDs incorporated with Mn²⁺
- Pt-Ni-Ru ternary alloy nanoframe catalyst in hydrogen evolution reaction
Cohort 9 (2022-2023)
- Encapsulating CsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dots with lead sulfide
- Pt-Ni-Cu nanoframes for formic acid oxidation in fuel cells
- Pt-Ni-Ru nanoframes electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution via water electrolysis
- Synthesizing tin-based perovskite quantum dots using weak ligands
Cohort 8 (2021-2022)
- Computational studies of Pt-based alloys for methanol oxidation reaction
- Facile synthesis of Pt-Ni-Cu nanoframes for methanol electro-oxidation reaction
- Novel 2D/3D perovskite quantum dots with tunable blue emission
- Syntheses of lead-free quantum dots for use in solar cell devices
- Synthesis study of CsPbBr₃ quantum dots-based nanocomposites
Cohort 7 (2020-2021)
- Ab initio investigation of various Pb-free alloys for use in solder applications
- Full replacement of lead in perovskite or perovskite derivative QDs
- Developing stable CsPbBr₃ PQDs via modification of mid-synthesis silica encapsulation
- Improving the stability of CsPbBr₃ perovskites with a TiO₂ shell
- Metal-ion doping in CsPbX₃ perovskite nanocrystals (partial replacement)
- Tuning the optical properties of perovkite nanocrystals using anion exchange
Cohort 6 (2019-2020)
- Computational investigation of a partially substituted tungsten chevrel phase as a cathode for multivalent ions
- Improving stability of CsPbBr₃ perovskite quantum dots through partial replacement of lead
- Reducing the toxicity of perovskite quantum dots through the replacement of lead
- Stabilization of CsPbBr₃ perovskites via post-synthesis silica shelling
- The effect of ligand ratio on the stability of CsPbBr₃ nanocrystals synthesized by supersaturated recrystallization and microwave synthesis
Cohort 5 (2018-2019)
- Room-Temperature Synthesis of Manganese-Doped Silica-Coated CsPbBr₃ Inorganic Perovskite Quantum Dots
- Computational Investigation of a W₆S₈ Cathode with Multivalent Ions
- Density Functional Theory Analysis of Titanium Dichalcogenide Cathodes
- Highly Luminescent and Photostable CsPbBr₃ Perovskite Quantum Dots via Facile Silica Encapsulation
- Room Temperature Synthesis of CsPbBr₃ Quantum Dots Using Trioctylphosphine Oxide and Phosphonic Acid Ligands
Cohort 4 (2017-2018)
- Analyzing the Performance of Perylene Acceptors in Organic Photovoltaic Cells
- What Are The Characteristics of Dielectric Constants Under The Influence of Microwaves?
- EIS: The Future for Characterizing Heterojunctions
- Comparison of Different Dopants in Titanium Dioxide for Use in Photocatalytic Water Splitting
- Comparison of Fabrication Methods for PEDOT/ZnO, PEDOT/TiO2, PEDOT/Si, PSS:PEDOT/Si, and PSS:PEDOT/ZnO Heterojunctions
Cohort 3 (2016-2017)
- Determination of figure of merit values of copper(I) iodide thin films with high conductivies and transparencies
- Electrodeposition of Inorganic and Organic Hybrid p-n Heterojunctions
- Mediated Electropolymerization of Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) via Perovskite
- Increased Adhesion of Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythophene) Grafted Thin Films on Polar Substrates
Cohort 2 (2015-2016)
- Fabrication of a Flexible and Transparent CuI/a-IGZO Heterojunction
- Fabrication Methods and Variations on Copper Iodide Thin Films
- Synthesizing PEDOT Using Various Oxidants
- Fabrication of PEDOT Thin Films Over a-IGZO using Oxidative Chemical Vapor Deposition and EDOT TMS Grafting
Cohort 1 (2014-2015)
- Synthesizing Superior Supercapacitors
- Copper Iodide: The Future of p-Type Semiconductors
- A New Battery for a New Age
- Examination of diode behavior of a novel organic-inorganic p-n junction