Dr. Mingyan Chuai | Electrochemistry | Young Scientist Award
Researcher | State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry | China
Dr. Mingyan Chuai is a postdoctoral researcher specializing in energy materials, with a primary focus on high-performance aqueous zinc-ion batteries. With extensive experience in condensed matter physics and electrochemical systems, she has significantly contributed to the development of MnO₂-based cathode materials and advanced battery architectures. She currently serves as a Research Fellow at the Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, continuing her impactful work on heterojunction structures and electrolyte optimization.
Profile
Scopus
Education
Dr. Chuai pursued her academic journey in physics, earning her Bachelor’s degree in Normal Physics from Beihua University in 2014. She completed both her Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Condensed Matter Physics at Jilin University between 2014 and 2020. During her graduate and doctoral studies, she worked under the guidance of Professor Mingzhe Zhang at the State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials, where she explored nanomaterials and spintronic devices, laying a strong foundation for her future research in electrochemical energy storage.
Experience
Following her Ph.D., Dr. Chuai engaged in postdoctoral research at the University of Science and Technology of China and Shenzhen University, working under Professors Wei Chen, Youming Lv, and Jinlong Yang. There, she initiated studies on electrolytic MnO₂-Zn battery systems. Since May 2023, she has been affiliated with the State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Fujian. In these roles, she has independently led multiple research projects, focused on battery material design and interfacial phenomena in electrochemical systems.
Research Interest
Dr. Chuai’s research interests are centered around aqueous rechargeable batteries, particularly MnO₂-based systems, heterojunction electrode design, and electrolyte engineering. She is deeply invested in the theoretical and experimental investigation of energy storage mechanisms, with a focus on enhancing battery performance through structure-function correlations and dopant modulation. Her work spans from molecular design of electrolyte additives to the customization of crystalline-amorphous heterostructures, combining computational modeling with experimental validation.
Award
Dr. Chuai has received numerous accolades, including the Excellent Wall Newspaper Award at the 8th China (International) Symposium on Energy Materials Chemistry in 2025 and the Chemistry Travel Award in the same year. Her earlier academic performance was also recognized with national and university-level postgraduate academic scholarships from Jilin University. In 2022, she was honored with the Excellent Award in the DYNANONIC New Energy National Challenge, further attesting to her innovative contributions in the energy field.
Publication
Among Dr. Chuai’s extensive publication record, the following seven papers reflect her impactful and high-quality research:
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Design of P–O–M (M = Mn, Zn) d–pπ Backbonding Electrolyte Additive for 40 Ah Electrolytic Zn–MnO₂ Batteries
Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2025, Accepted.
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Theory-Driven Design of Cationic Accelerator for High-Performance Electrolytic MnO₂–Zn Batteries
Advanced Materials, 2022, 2203249.
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Regulating the Spin State Configuration in Bimetallic Phosphorus Trisulfides for Promoting Sulfur Redox Kinetics
Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2023, 145, 22516–22526.
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Dual-Plating Aqueous Zn–Iodine Batteries Enabled by Halogen-Complexation Chemistry for Large-Scale Energy Storage
Energy & Environmental Science, 2025, 18, 3160–3168.
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Customizable Crystalline–Amorphous Rectifying Heterostructure Cathodes for Durable and Super-Fast Zinc Storage
Energy & Environmental Science, 2025, 18, 4651–4664.
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Polyetheramine Nematic Spatial Effects Reshape the Inner/Outer Helmholtz Planes for Energetic Zinc Batteries
Advanced Functional Materials, 2025, 2420434.
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Dual Anions Co-Doped Layered δ-MnO₂ Cathodes for a High-Stable Aqueous Zinc-Ion Battery
Advanced Functional Materials, 2025, 2501135.
Each of these publications contributes to cutting-edge research in energy storage, offering novel insights into material behavior and electrochemical efficiency, and several are published in high-impact journals with strong citation potential.
Conclusion
Dr. Mingyan Chuai exemplifies academic excellence and innovation in the field of energy storage materials. Her integrated approach—bridging materials synthesis, device engineering, and computational modeling—continues to influence the development of next-generation rechargeable batteries. Her contributions, evidenced by prestigious awards and impactful publications, position her as a promising and influential researcher in the landscape of electrochemical energy systems.