Bonjour et bienvenue! Our main research goal is to develop catalysts that are made of Earth-abundant elements for chemical transformations relevant to synthesis, energy, and sustainability. Towards this goal, we currently focus on artificial enzymes, biocatalysis, electrochemical water splitting and CO2 and CO reduction, fuel cell catalysis, as well as anion exchange membrane-based energy devices.
Check out our publications for the latest research results.
EPFL Master students: Please follow the guideline in this file when applying for any projects.
Latest News
(News) (11.2025) No openings for PhD positions in the next 6 months. Only one opening of postdoc in Biocatalysis.
Follow the group news in our Bluesky and LinkedIn accounts.
See News Archive and Group Events for all news.
2025
- [December] Congratulations to Weijin Wang for winning the best PhD thesis award in chemistry and chemical engineering, as well as the EPFL top 8% PhD thesis award.
- [November] We welcome Lasha Khutsishvili as a new PhD. Lasha received M.S. degree in Polymer Sciences from University of Freiburg, Germany. He will work on the development of ion exchange membranes for energy applications.
- [November] We welcome Dr. Lei Zeng as a new postdoc. Lei received his PhD degree from Xiamen University, China. He will work on a new project in thermal catalysis for green fuel production.
- [October] We welcome Dr. Celine Yeung as a new postdoc. Celine just received her PhD degree in chemistry from University of Cambridge. She will work in our CO2 reduction project.
- [October] We welcome Ms. Ji Hee Yun as a new PhD student. Ji Hee just received her master’s degree in materials from University of Cambridge. She will work in our CO2 reduction project.
- [September] We welcome Prof. Anastasiia Konovalova from Danish Technical University for a short visit to our lab.
- [September] Congratulations to Lara Lavrencic for successfully defended her thesis and for obtaining a doctoral degree from EPFL.
- [September] We welcome Ms. Fangqi Di as a new PhD student. Fangqi just received her master’s degree from Oxford University. She will work in our biocatalysis project.
- [May] Congratulations to Dr. Qiucheng Xu for winning a Carbon Future Young Investigator Award.
- [May] Congratulations to Weijin Wang for successfully defended his thesis and for obtaining a doctoral degree from EPFL.
- [February] We welcome Ms. Enora L’Hostis as a new PhD student. Enora completed her master’s study in the École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Mulhouse.
- [February] We welcome Dr. Zhi Zou as a new postdoc. Dr. Zou obtained his PhD degree from RWTH Aachen University in Germany and did his previous postdoc at the University of Basel.
- [January] The lab welcomes Prof. Shiyu Zhang from the Ohio State University of the US for a sabbatical stay in our lab.
Selected Recent Publications
1. Wenchao Ma, Jordi Morales-Vidal, Jiaming Tian, Meng-Ting Liu, Seongmin Jin, Wenhao Ren, Julian Taubmann, Christodoulos Chatzichristodoulou, Jeremy Luterbacher, Hao Ming Chen, Núria López & Xile Hu*
Encapsulated Co–Ni alloy boosts high-temperature CO2 electroreduction
Nature 2025, 641, 1156-1161.
2. Weijin Wang, Ryo Tachibana, Kailin Zhang, Kelvin Lau, Florence Pojer, Thomas R. Ward,* Xile Hu*
Artificial Metalloenzymes with Two Catalytic Cofactors for Tandem Abiotic Transformations
Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2025, e202422783.
3. Wenhao Ren, Huanlei Zhang, Miyeon Chang, Jun Gu, Meng Lin, Xile Hu*
Field-enhanced CO electroreduction in membrane electrolyzers at a dehydrated interface
Chem 2025, 11, .
4. Ariana Serban, Meng-Ting Liu, Nanjun Chen, Hao Ming Chen*, and Xile Hu*
An oxide-promoted, self-supported Ni4Mo catalyst for high current density anion exchange membrane water electrolysis
Energy and Environmental Science 2025, 18, 1533-1543.
5. Yiwei Zheng, Wenchao Ma, Ariana Serban, Andrit Allushi, Xile Hu*
Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis at 10 A·cm-2 Over 800 Hours
Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2025, e202413698.
6. Uttam Dhawa, Lara Lavrencic, Xile Hu*
Nickel-Catalyzed Enantio- and Diastereoselective Synthesis of Fluorine-Containing Vicinal Stereogenic Centers
ACS Central Science 2024, 10, 1657-1666.
7. Ivan Buslov, Sarah Desmons, Yoan Duhoo, Xile Hu*
Engineered Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyases for the Enantioselective Synthesis of Aspartic Acid Derivatives
Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2024, e202406008.
8. Weiyan Ni, Josephine Meibom, Noor Ul Hassan, Miyeon Chang, You-Chiuan Chu, Anna Krammer, Songlan Sun, Yiwei Zheng, Lichen Bai, Wenchao Ma, Seunghwa Lee, Seongmin Jin, Jeremy Luterbatcher, Andreas Schüler, Hao Ming Chen, William E. Mustain*, Xile Hu*
Synergistic interactions between PtRu catalyst and nitrogen-doped carbon support boost hydrogen oxidation
Nature Catalysis 2023, 6, 773-783.
9.Srikrishna Bera, Chao Fan, Xile Hu*
Enantio- and diastereoselective construction of vicinal C(sp3) centres via nickel-catalysed hydroalkylation of alkenes
Nature Catalysis 2022, 5, 1180-1187.
10. Jun Gu, Shuo Liu, Weiyan Ni, Wenhao Ren, Sophia Haussener, Xile Hu*
Modulating Electric Field Distribution by Alkali Cations for CO2 Electroreduction in Strongly Acidic Medium
Nature Catalysis, 2022, 5, 268-276.
11. Weiyan Ni, Teng Wang, Florent E. Héroguel, Anna Krammer, Seunghwa Lee, Liang Yao, Andreas Schüler, Jeremy S. Luterbacher, Yushan Yan,* and Xile Hu*
An efficient nickel hydrogen oxidation catalyst for hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells
Nature Materials 2022, 21, 804-810.
12. Xingyu Wu, Nanjun Chen, Harm-Anton Klok, Young Moo Lee,* Xile Hu*
Branched Poly(aryl piperidinium) Membranes for Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2022, e202114892.
13. Lichen Bai, Chia-Shuo Hsu, Duncan Alexander, Hao Ming Chen,* Xile Hu*
Double-Atom Catalysts as a Molecular Platform for Heterogeneous Oxygen Evolution
Nature Energy 2021, 6, 1054–1066.
14. Srikrishna Bera, Runze Mao, Xile Hu*
Enantioselective C(sp3)–C(sp3) Cross-Coupling of Non-activated Alkyl Electrophiles via Nickel Hydride Catalysis
Nature Chemistry 2021, 13, 270-277.