I’m a Ph.D. student in Chemical Engineering at Stony Brook University, working with Prof. Hyowon Seo in the Electrochemical Decarbonization Engineering Lab. I obtained my bachelor’s degree from Chung Yuan Christian University in Taiwan, where I conducted undergraduate research at the R&D Center for Membrane Technology working with Prof. Kueir-Rarn Lee.

My doctoral research focuses on using electrochemical redox-active materials to operate carbon capture processes. By controlling electron flow into and out of the system, redox mediators undergo reversible reduction and oxidation, regulating proton and hydroxide ion concentrations in the electrolyte. This electrochemically induced pH swing enables carbon dioxide from the gas phase to be converted into dissolved inorganic carbon and stably retained in solution, or reversibly released back to the gas phase.

The system is based on a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) and uses aqueous electrolytes as an eco-friendly, non-flammable medium. The limited electrochemical stability of water leads to side reactions such as hydrogen and oxygen evolution during high-rate or long-term operation. My research addresses these challenges by combining electrochemical control with wet chemical analyses, including UV–vis spectroscopy, HPLC, and total organic carbon (TOC) measurements, to quantify species evolution and electrolyte stability. These strategies are applicable to water electrolyzers, aqueous batteries, and flow batteries.

My bachelor’s research focused on fabricating high-performance membranes for dye/salt separation. By systematically correlating membrane structural parameters, chemical properties, and separation performance, I optimized thin-film composite (TFC) membranes to achieve stable operation with high selectivity, high water flux, and enhanced anti-fouling behavior.

TFC membranes consist of a porous substrate and an ultrathin active layer. The substrate provides mechanical strength and high permeability, while selectivity is governed by a nanometer-scale active layer formed via interfacial polymerization. The thin film was characterized using SEM and AFM to assess morphology and thickness, ATR-FTIR and XPS to analyze chemical composition, and contact angle measurements to evaluate surface wettability. These characteristics were directly correlated with membrane permeability, selectivity, and fouling resistance, enabling precise optimization of separation performance.

Looking ahead, my work aims to advance robust and scalable electrochemical and membrane-based systems for real-world applications. By integrating electrochemical control, membrane engineering, and quantitative chemical analysis, my research supports the development of reliable technologies for energy storage, chemical processing, and separation systems that demand high efficiency, durability, and precise process control in industrial environments.

Recent News

• Jan 2026: My work “Pulsed Chronopotentiometry for Electrochemical CO2 Capture with Redox Mediators” accepted and preparing to publish in ACS Energy Letters.
• April 2025: Presented my PhD research titled “Enhancing Efficiency of Electrochemical Carbon Capture Using Pulsed Chronopotentiometry with Hydrophilic Graphite Electrode” at the Electrochemical Society Conference.
• July 2022: My project “Assessing the impact of membrane support and different amine monomer structures on the efficacy of thin-film composite nanofiltration membrane for dye/salt separation” published in Journal of Polymer Research (First author).
• March 2022: My project “Nanofiltration Membranes Formed through Interfacial Polymerization Involving Cycloalkane Amine Monomer and Trimesoyl Chloride Showing Some Tolerance to Chlorine during Dye Desalination” published in Membranes.
• Jan 2022: Presented my undergraduate research titled “Effect of Substrate and Amine Monomer on the Performance of Thin-Film Composite Membranes” at the Polymer Society of Taiwan Conference.