- Posted on 22 May 2025
- 5-minute read
Distinguished Professor Guoxiu Wang has spent his career powering the clean energy revolution. He has now been elected a fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.
Today, lithium-ion batteries are the cornerstone of the clean energy transition. But 30 years ago, the technology behind the most common form of rechargeable battery and energy storage was still in its infancy.
“When I started my research, lithium-ion batteries were quite rare and very expensive. They were only available commercially for portable electronics like the old Sony digital camcorders,” says Distinguished Professor Guoxiu Wang.
“My research program was the first in Australia to explore lithium-ion battery technologies. Since then, I have gradually accumulated knowledge, expertise and an extensive network of research groups worldwide.”
It’s a journey that has established Professor Wang as a world leader in energy storage technologies.
He’s Director of the UTS Centre for Clean Energy Technology, is a Royal Society Wolfson Visiting Fellow at the University of Manchester in the UK, and last year was awarded a prestigious Australian Industry Laureate fellowship.
Now, he has been made a fellow of the Australian Academy of Science for his outstanding contributions to the field of chemistry. This adds to his list of international accolades having previously been elected to the European Academy of Sciences and Royal Society of Chemistry.
Central to his contributions to the clean energy revolution has been new materials and methods that improve how batteries function.
He and his team invented a new fire-proof polymer electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries, a life-saving safety improvement that helps address one of the main barriers to the broader use of the technology.
He is also one of the Australian pioneers in synthesising and producing graphene at a large scale, an exceptionally strong and conductive material made of carbon that’s used in batteries and a wide variety of new technologies.
Another area of his clean energy research has been developing single-atom catalysts for green hydrogen production by splitting water molecules.
From the outside, a battery looks very simple. But inside it’s very complicated. Battery technologies are created by the fusion of complex ideas.
Sitting behind these innovations is Professor Wang’s passion for taking complex science and applying it to solve to seemingly intractable problems.
“From the outside, a battery looks very simple. But inside it’s very complicated,” he explains.
“Battery technologies are created by the fusion of complex ideas. You need to understand the fundamental science that bridges electrochemistry and materials science."
"You also need to apply the engineering to how batteries operate. And then appreciate the manufacturing of how you make them.”
His ability to bring together the disciplines has resulted in being named a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher in both Chemistry and Materials Science, which places him in the elite tier of the world’s most influential scientists measured by how often their research is cited by others in their field.
Professor Wang accredited his achievements to his research team. He has successfully supervised over 50 PhD students to completion and mentored more than 25 postdoctoral fellows and early researchers.
Despite all the accolades, Professor Wang is still driven to keep innovating and pushing forward to achieve net zero carbon emission in Australia and around the world.
“I want to continue the deep thinking that’s needed to address the critical problems facing the industry and keep improving battery technology,” he says.
“I hope to contribute to battery materials commercialisation and the establishment of a home-grown battery industry to power the clean energy transition in Australia.”