Yang Research Group
C1 Chemistry · Waste Upcycling · Joule Heating
Yang Research Group highlight 1 Yang Research Group highlight 2 Yang Research Group highlight 3 Yang Research Group highlight 4 Yang Research Group highlight 5

Designing catalytic systems for a sustainable future.

We develop advanced materials, chemical platforms, and electrified chemical processes to transform small molecules, renewable feedstocks, and waste resources into fuels, chemicals, and functional materials.

Explore Research
Research

Key research areas

C1 Chemistry

Heterogeneous Synthesis of Fine Chemicals and Polymers from C1 Sources

Developing catalysts and electrochemical systems for coupling carbon and nitrogen feedstocks into value-added products such as urea and amides.

CO₂ conversion Catalyst design Operando study
Waste Upcycling

Functional Upcycling of Inert Plastics through Coupled Processes

Using Joule heating, pulsed heating, and spatial temperature gradients to enable rapid, selective, and energy-efficient chemical transformations.

Joule heating Dynamic catalysis Reactor design
Catalyst Design

AI-Driven Catalyst Design and Testing

Combining spectroscopy, microscopy, electrochemical methods, and kinetic analysis to reveal active phases and reaction pathways.

Machine learning Deep learning
People

Lab members

Our group brings together researchers with backgrounds in catalysis, electrochemistry, materials chemistry, and sustainable chemical engineering.

Principal Investigator

Prof. Ji Yang
Principal Investigator

Prof. Ji Yang

Prof. Ji Yang leads the Yang Research Group. His research focuses on C1 chemistry, functional upcycling and coupled valorization of plastic waste, and AI-driven catalyst design.

The group aims to develop advanced catalytic systems that integrate catalyst synthesis, mechanistic understanding, interfacial regulation, and device-level translation for sustainable chemical manufacturing and energy conversion.

Position: Tenure-Track Associate Professor
Email: ji.yang@sjtu.edu.cn
Office: Room 503, Building 4, Zhangjiang Advanced Research Insititute, Shanghai Jiaotong University

Postdoctoral Researcher

Dr. Yinghao Liu
Postdoctoral Researcher

Dr. Yinghao Liu

Ph.D., Jilin University, 2024

Ph.D. Students

Guangzheng Tian
2024 Ph.D. Student

Guangzheng Tian

M.S., Shanghai University, 2023

Baoxing Xie
2024 Ph.D. Student

Baoxing Xie

M.S., University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2024

Menglong Ma
2025 Ph.D. Student

Menglong Ma

M.S., Beijing University of Technology, 2024

Jinping Xing
2025 Ph.D. Student

Jinping Xing

M.E., East China University of Science and Technology, 2025

Yiming Zhang
2026 Ph.D. Student

Yiming Zhang

M.S., The University of Queensland, 2024

Xiaodong Liu
2026 Ph.D. Student

Xiaodong Liu

M.S., Shanghai University, 2024

Publications

Selected publications

2026
Membrane Reactors for Ammonia Production: Insights into Ammonia-Separative Membranes, Synthesis Catalysts, and Their Integration
Genevieve Yarema*, Ji Yang*, Akash Warty, Zixiao Liu, Liangbing Hu & Dongxia Liu. ACS Nano, 2026.
DOI
TOC for Membrane Reactors for Ammonia Production: Insights into Ammonia-Separative Membranes, Synthesis Catalysts, and Their Integration
2025
Electrified vapour deposition at ultrahigh temperature and atmospheric pressure for nanomaterials synthesis
Xizheng Wang*, Ning Liu*, Zhennan Huang*, Ji Yang*, Yiguang Ju & Liangbing Hu. Nature Synthesis, 2025.
DOI
TOC for Electrified vapour deposition at ultrahigh temperature and atmospheric pressure for nanomaterials synthesis
2025
Selective electrified polyethylene upcycling by pore-modulated pyrolysis
Ji Yang*, Qi Dong*, Kelvin Fu, Shu Hu & Liangbing Hu. Nature Chemical Engineering, 2025.
DOI
TOC for Selective electrified polyethylene upcycling by pore-modulated pyrolysis
2019
Direct synthesis of adipic acid esters via palladium-catalyzed carbonylation of 1,3-dienes
Ji Yang*, Jiawang Liu*, Helfried Neumann, Robert Franke, Ralf Jackstell & Matthias Beller. Science, 2019.
DOI
TOC for Direct synthesis of adipic acid esters via palladium-catalyzed carbonylation of 1,3-dienes
2022
A Selective and General Cobalt-Catalyzed Hydroaminomethylation of Olefins to Amines
Ji Yang*, Fábio G. Delolo, Anke Spannenberg, Ralf Jackstell & Matthias Beller. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2022.
DOI
TOC for A Selective and General Cobalt-Catalyzed Hydroaminomethylation of Olefins to Amines
2021
Efficient Palladium-Catalyzed Carbonylation of 1,3-Dienes: Selective Synthesis of Adipates and Other Aliphatic Diesters
Ji Yang*, Jiawang Liu*, Ralf Jackstell & Matthias Beller. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2021.
DOI
TOC for Efficient Palladium-Catalyzed Carbonylation of 1,3-Dienes: Selective Synthesis of Adipates and Other Aliphatic Diesters
2020
Direct and Selective Synthesis of Adipic and Other Dicarboxylic Acids by Palladium-Catalyzed Carbonylation of Allylic Alcohols
Ji Yang* & Matthias Beller. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2020.
DOI
TOC for Direct and Selective Synthesis of Adipic and Other Dicarboxylic Acids by Palladium-Catalyzed Carbonylation of Allylic Alcohols
2023
Industrially applied and relevant transformations of 1,3-butadiene using homogeneous catalysts
Ji Yang*, Peng Wang, Helfried Neumann, Ralf Jackstell & Matthias Beller. Industrial Chemistry & Materials, 2023.
DOI
2022
A general synthesis of aromatic amides via palladium-catalyzed direct aminocarbonylation of aryl chlorides
Peng Wang, Ji Yang*, Kangkang Sun, Helfried Neumann & Matthias Beller. Organic Chemistry Frontiers, 2022.
DOI
2021
A General and Highly Selective Palladium-Catalyzed Hydroamidation of 1,3-Diynes
Jiawang Liu, Carolin Schneider, Ji Yang, Haijun Jiao & Matthias Beller. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2021.
DOI
2021
Palladium-Catalyzed Cascade Carbonylation to α,β-Unsaturated Piperidones via Selective Cleavage of Carbon–Carbon Triple Bonds
Yao Ge, Fei Ye, Ji Yang, Ralf Jackstell & Matthias Beller. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2021.
DOI
2021
Palladium-Catalyzed Domino Aminocarbonylation of Alkynols: Direct and Selective Synthesis of Itaconimides
Yao Ge, Fei Ye, Ji Yang, Anke Spannenberg, Ralf Jackstell & Matthias Beller. JACS Au, 2021.
DOI
2020
A general platinum-catalyzed alkoxycarbonylation of olefins
Ji Yang*, Jiawang Liu, Yao Ge, Helfried Neumann, Ralf Jackstell & Matthias Beller. Chemical Communications, 2020.
DOI
2020
Tailored Palladium Catalysts for Selective Synthesis of Conjugated Enynes by Monocarbonylation of 1,3-Diynes
Jiawang LiuJi Yang, Ralf Jackstell & Matthias Beller. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2020.
DOI
2020
Tuning the Selectivity of Palladium Catalysts for Hydroformylation and Semihydrogenation of Alkynes: Experimental and Mechanistic Studies
Jiawang Liu, Zhihong Wei, Ji Yang, Haijun Jiao & Matthias Beller. ACS Catalysis, 2020.
DOI
2020
Ligand-Controlled Palladium-Catalyzed Carbonylation of Alkynols: Highly Selective Synthesis of α-Methylene-β-Lactones
Yao Ge, Fei Ye, Jiawang Liu, Ji Yang & Matthias Beller. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2020.
DOI
2019
Ligand controlled cobalt catalyzed regiodivergent 1,2-hydroboration of 1,3-dienes
Sihan Peng, Ji Yang, Guixia Liu & Matthias Beller. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2019.
DOI
2019
Pd-Catalyzed Selective Carbonylation of gem-Difluoroalkenes: A Practical Synthesis of Difluoromethylated Esters
Jiawang Liu, Ji Yang, Guixia Liu & Matthias Beller. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2019.
DOI
2019
Stereoselective Synthesis of Highly Substituted Conjugated Dienes via Pd-Catalyzed Carbonylation of 1,3-Diynes
Jiawang Liu, Ji Yang, Wolfgang Baumann, Ralf Jackstell & Matthias Beller. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2019.
DOI
2018
Palladium-catalyzed aerobic oxidative carbonylation of alkynes with amines: a general access to substituted maleimides
Ji Yang*, Jiawang Liu*, Ralf Jackstell & Matthias Beller. Chemical Communications, 2018.
DOI
2016
Cobalt-Catalyzed Alkyne Hydrosilylation and Sequential Vinylsilane Hydroboration with Markovnikov Selectivity
Ziqing Zuo, Ji Yang & Zheng Huang. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2016.
DOI