About

Feng Wang received a B.A. from Fudan University, Shanghai, in 1999 and a Ph.D. from Columbia University in 2004. He joined the physics faculty at the University of California, Berkeley, in fall 2007, after serving as a Miller Fellow with the Miller Institute for Basic Science at Berkeley from 2005 to 2007. His research interests focus on light-matter interaction in condensed matter physics, with an emphasis on novel physical phenomena emerging in nanoscale structures and at surfaces and interfaces. He investigates the unique nature and dynamics of excited states in nanostructures using advanced laser spectroscopy techniques, which have sensitivity down to individual nanostructures and offer femtosecond time resolution across a broad spectral range from far-infrared to UV. His work includes developing infrared spectroscopy for graphene, optical spectroscopy of individual nanotubes, plasmonics in metal nanostructures, and spectroscopy of oxide surfaces and interfaces, contributing to the understanding of physical phenomena at the nanoscale and at material interfaces.

Research topics

• Engineering
• Computer Science
• Computer hardware
• Biochemical engineering
• Organic chemistry
• Operating system
• Nanotechnology
• Embedded system
• Process engineering
• Materials science
• Pulp and paper industry
• Business
• Chemistry
• Mathematics
• Biomedical engineering

Selected publications

• Data set for Photocatalytic methanol dehydrogenation promoted synergistically by atomically dispersed Pd and clustered Pd

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026-02-19

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Original data for J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 35, 24440–24449

  PublisherDOI

• Data set for Photocatalytic methanol dehydrogenation promoted synergistically by atomically dispersed Pd and clustered Pd

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026-02-19

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Original data for J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 35, 24440–24449

  PublisherDOI

• Self‐Assembly Pathways of Carbazole‐derived Macrocycles Into Nanotubular Architectures

  Aggregate · 2025-12-01

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  ABSTRACT Cooperative self‐assembly based on multiple non‐covalent interactions is ubiquitous in nature, yet the rational design of artificial cooperative systems remains challenging. Here we synthesize two carbazole derivatives, CbzE (with an ester group) and CbzA (with amide groups), to investigate how hydrogen bonding (HB) and halogen bonding (XB) jointly guide self‐assembly into nanotubular supramolecular polymers. Using 1,4‐diiodotetrafluorobenzene (DITFB) as XB donor or diplatinum(II) as linker, two types of [4 + 4] macrocycles are constructed and characterized by high‐resolution mass spectrometry, ultraviolet‐visible, infrared, and atomic force microscopy. CbzA , benefiting from strong HB, cooperatively assembles with DITFB into nanofibers and nanotubes, whereas CbzE , lacking amide groups, forms only disordered aggregates. Pt(II) coordination disrupts HB networks and redirects CbzA toward lateral aggregation, underscoring the sensitivity of assembly pathways to the balance of interactions. Remarkably, nanotubular CbzA + DITFB structures disassemble rapidly under trifluoroacetic acid vapor but are restored by triethylamine, demonstrating a reversible gel–sol–gel transition. This orthogonal acid/base responsiveness highlights the tunable and dynamic features of cooperative HB/XB systems. Overall, these results reveal the critical role of HB and XB cooperativity in directing ordered architectures and provide new design principles for intelligent supramolecular polymers with stimuli‐responsive functions.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Microenvironmental Regulation of Fe─N ₄ Catalytic Sites for Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Electrochemical Devices

  Angewandte Chemie International Edition · 2025-10-29 · 4 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  Abstract The non‐metallic‐Pt materials with high activities for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) have attracted considerable attentions, but still face challenges related to the mismatched performance in device applications, especially for the atomic site catalysts. In this work, we propose a microenvironment‐regulation strategy on introducing amino‐fluorinated cyclotriphosphazene as grafting agents to address the critical issue on the mass‐transfer limitations for the highly active and well‐defined Fe─N 4 sites in phthalocyanine macrocycles. When this functional cyclotriphosphazene was grafted to polyphthalocyanines by the amidate linkage, the large steric hindrance of cyclotriphosphazene and the low surface energy of C─F bonding in fluorinate groups provide the enriched channels with low hygroscopicity, which guarantees the oxygen supply to Fe─N 4 sites and the hydroxyl leave from catalyst molecules. This microenvironment regulation improves the activities of catalyst molecules in electrochemical testing, and an amplified effect are also shown in the corresponding electrode assemblies. As results, the superior peak power densities of 178 mW cm −2 in aqueous Zn‐air batteries (1.4‐fold enhancements) and 616 mW cm −2 in alkaline membrane fuel cells (2.5‐fold enhancements) are obtained. These findings offer a deeper understanding of non‐Pt catalysts and provide a promising approach to their applications in advanced electrochemical devices.

  PublisherDOI

• Synthesis and Characterization of α-End Functionalized 3,4-Polyisoprene Using Fe(acac)3/IITP/AliBu3 Catalyst

  Chinese Journal of Polymer Science · 2025-06-20 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Nitrate synthesis from charged water microdroplets and dinitrogen

  Journal of Energy Chemistry · 2025-05-16 · 7 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Standardization transformation of C-lignin to catechol and propylene

  Nature Communications · 2025-07-07 · 14 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract Standardization transformation of lignin to high-value-added chemicals requires precise control of the reaction process based on the elaborate catalytic strategy design and lignin structure optimization. Here we report the selective and efficient preparation of bio-catechol and bio-propylene from the ideal C-lignin via a one-pot hydrogenolysis-dealkylation cascade catalysis. The optimized catalyst Ni/HY 30 could orderly cleave the corresponding C α/β –OAr bonds and C aryl –C alkyl bonds in the uniform benzodioxane units of C-lignin, which could directionally and selectively provide a 49 mol% yield of catechol and a 45 mol% yield of propylene from C-lignin under 200°C. Further techno-economic analysis and the life-cycle assessment confirmed the potential of this strategy in the CO 2 -neutral preparation of catechol and propylene. In addition, the control experiments, catalyst characterizations, spectra identification, and DFT calculations indicated that the 4-propenylcatechol primarily generated from the selective hydrogenolysis of C-lignin was the critical intermediate for the following dealkylation, and the side chain was delicately deconstructed via the Brönsted acid-mediated protonation, γ-methyl migration and C aryl –C alkyl scission pathway. Finally, the corresponding strategy design based on the concept of standardization transformation and mechanism revelation focusing on the cleavage of critical linkage bonds could provide guidance for further lignin depolymerization utilization.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Predicting Remaining Useful Life of Rotating Machinery via Data-Driven Models

  2025-08-08

  articleSenior author

  Remaining useful life (RUL) prediction of rotating machinery is critical for ensuring operational reliability and reducing maintenance costs. This paper presents a data-driven framework for RUL prediction, integrating advanced machine learning techniques and experimental validation. The proposed method leverages vibration and sensor data from rotating machinery, combined with deep learning models such as LSTM and Transformer, to capture complex degradation patterns. The NASA C-MAPSS dataset is used to validate the approach, demonstrating significant improvements in prediction accuracy compared to traditional methods. The study includes detailed mathematical derivations of model architectures, experimental data analysis, and performance evaluation using metrics like RMSE and MAE.

  PublisherDOI

• Microenvironmental Regulation of Fe─N ₄ Catalytic Sites for Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Electrochemical Devices

  Angewandte Chemie · 2025-10-29

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  Abstract The non‐metallic‐Pt materials with high activities for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) have attracted considerable attentions, but still face challenges related to the mismatched performance in device applications, especially for the atomic site catalysts. In this work, we propose a microenvironment‐regulation strategy on introducing amino‐fluorinated cyclotriphosphazene as grafting agents to address the critical issue on the mass‐transfer limitations for the highly active and well‐defined Fe─N 4 sites in phthalocyanine macrocycles. When this functional cyclotriphosphazene was grafted to polyphthalocyanines by the amidate linkage, the large steric hindrance of cyclotriphosphazene and the low surface energy of C─F bonding in fluorinate groups provide the enriched channels with low hygroscopicity, which guarantees the oxygen supply to Fe─N 4 sites and the hydroxyl leave from catalyst molecules. This microenvironment regulation improves the activities of catalyst molecules in electrochemical testing, and an amplified effect are also shown in the corresponding electrode assemblies. As results, the superior peak power densities of 178 mW cm −2 in aqueous Zn‐air batteries (1.4‐fold enhancements) and 616 mW cm −2 in alkaline membrane fuel cells (2.5‐fold enhancements) are obtained. These findings offer a deeper understanding of non‐Pt catalysts and provide a promising approach to their applications in advanced electrochemical devices.

  PublisherDOI

• Interactions of Aqueous Microdroplets and Mineral Particles Drive Fluorine-First Perfluoroalkyl Mineralization

  Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2025-08-26 · 3 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  Anthropogenic perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are pervasive contaminants subject to increasingly stringent regulatory thresholds in water resources. Current nonthermal defluorination strategies face critical limitations, including incomplete mineralization, yielding persistent short-chain PFAS byproducts, and residual fluoride ions, thereby hindering compliance with water quality standards. Herein, we demonstrate that wollastonite-bearing microdroplets prioritize defluorination over C–C scission in perfluoroalkyl chains through liquid–solid–gas triple-phase contact electrification. This process results in complete perfluorooctanoic acid mineralization with hardly detectable shorter-chain anionic PFAS byproducts, as confirmed by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. Microdroplet-mediated weathering of wollastonite triggers the formation of CaF2–SiO2 interfacial structures through Si–F–Ca bonding interactions, thereby enabling fluoride immobilization with negligible leaching. This work reveals that atmospheric clouds containing mineral particles intrinsically exhibit a self-cleansing capacity toward PFAS contaminants, advancing cloud-inspired interfacial engineering for next-generation water purification systems.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Yehong Wang

  Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics

  456 shared

• Nengchao Luo

  Chinese Academy of Sciences

  405 shared

• Chaofeng Zhang

  Nanjing Forestry University

  387 shared

• Min Wang

  North China Electric Power University

  368 shared

• Jianmin Lü

  Xidian University

  337 shared

• Huifang Liu

  Tsinghua University

  279 shared

• Jian Zhang

  Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy

  275 shared

• Zhixin Zhang

  269 shared

Labs

• Ultrafast Nano-Optics GroupPI

Education

• PhD, Laboratory of Fine Chemicals

  Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics

  2005

• B.S., School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering

  Zhengzhou University

  1999