The Gao Lab Homepage
April 2026: We have a work published in Adv. Energy Mater., Congrats to Christean, Bahar and Kia!
Self-activating electrocatalysts offer strong potential for advanced water splitting, enabled by their dynamic compositional and structural evolution during operation. This review highlights recent advances in self-activating OER and HER catalysts, emphasizing the driving forces and mechanisms underlying their adaptive behavior. A conceptual network of mechanistic descriptors is proposed, key knowledge gaps and future research opportunities are outlined.
Check out details here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.202522014
April 2026: We are delighted to welcome Jovana Colic to the group as a Project student.
Jovana will be working on electrochemical C-N bond coupling. We look forward to your contributions to this exciting area of research, Jovana!
March 2026: The Gao group has been awarded the Internal University Research Seed Funding (Stufe I) for the third time. The new project will commence on April 1st.
March 2026: Dandan Gao is invited as a Junior Faculty Member of the Max Planck Graduate Center (MPGC).
Visit here: https://www.mpgc-mainz.de/9595/Faculty#junior-faculty
March 2026: We are delighted to welcome P. Charlotte Schröder to the group as a Project student.
Charly will be working on electrochemical C-N bond coupling. We look forward to your contributions to this exciting area of research, Charly!
March 2026: Serving as a Guest Editor of Discover Electrochemistry (Springer Nature), Dandan Gao is launching a new Topical Collection titled “Adaptive and Pulsed Electrochemical Strategies for Next-Generation Electrocatalysis”
Check out details here: https://link.springer.com/collections/bcgaecgggb
We warmly welcome submissions of impactful research and perspectives in this exciting and rapidly developing area, and we look forward to receiving your contributions!
Feb 2026: We are delighted to welcome Sheya Dattatreya to the group as a Research Assistant, funded by the Halocycles Project.
Shreya will be working on electrochemical hydrodehalogenation. We look forward to your contributions to this exciting area of research, Shreya!
Feb. 2026: We have a work published in Angew Chem, Congrats to Christean and David!
In this work, we have reported a Cu-Ni-W tri-component catalyst that enables efficient nitrate-to-ammonia conversion under pulsed electrolysis. Combined experimental and theoretical studies attribute its performance to component synergism and regulated intermediates. Its facile adaptation for glycerol valorization to formic acid underscores a versatile system design concept, advancing electrochemical coupling strategies for a broad spectrum of industrially relevant reactions.
Check out details here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.202522014
Check out the Press Release here: https://presse.uni-mainz.de/nachhaltige-und-effiziente-produktion-von-ammoniak-und-ameisensaeure/
Jan. 2026: Our recent work (ChemElectroChem, 2025, e202500397) is highlighted on the Front Cover of ChemElectroChem. Congrats to Jennifer again!
The cover image illustrates a modular workflow for electrode fabrication via 3D printing, electrocatalytic evaluation, and mechanistic analysis of reaction pathways and material properties. The resulting data enable machine-learning approaches to identify optimal reaction and manufacturing conditions and support further process automation.
Check out details here: https://chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/celc.70150
Dec. 2025: Our Concept Article is now published online in ChemElectroChem. Congrats to Jennifer!
This Concept Article highlights recent progress in dehalogenation at conventional and additively manufactured electrodes, emphasizing opportunities through AI, in-situ spectroscopy, and process optimization.
Check out details here: https://chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/celc.202500397
Oct. 2025: Our invited Mini-review by Angew. Chem. is now published online. Congrats to Kia and Bahar!
This mini-review highlights recent advances in pulsed electrolysis for nitrogen species reduction, with a particular focus on how dynamic potentials influence electrocatalyst behavior and the surrounding reaction environment. Key mechanistic insights and cutting-edge research findings are discussed, followed by an outlook on established systems and future directions toward scalable and energy-efficient nitrogen activation.
Check out details here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.202516909
Check out the Press Release here: https://press.uni-mainz.de/extract-fertilizer-from-air-and-water/
August 2025: We are delighted to welcome Kiarash Torabi to the group as a Research Assistant, funded by the Mainzer Wissenschaftsstiftung.
Kia will be working on amino acid electrosynthesis. We look forward to your contributions to this exciting area of research, Kia!
July 2025: The Gao Group is funded by Emil und Paul-Müller Gedächtnis-Stiftung 2025!
Thanks to the whole team for your co-working!
July 2025: Our recent work (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2025, e202424074) is highlighted as a Frontispiece by Angew Chem Journal!
See the cover artwork here:
June 2025: The Gao Group is selected by the Mainzer Wissenschaftsstiftung (an der JGU) for a two-year project funding!
Inspiration. Impulse. Innovationen. Gute Ideen gefragt!
The Gao Group remains committed to advancing sustainable chemistry through sustainable practices!
April 2025: The Angew Chem Journal "Introducing..." Profile has highlighted Dandan, who published her first corresponding author work on Angew Chem in Feb. 2025!
Check out the link to know more about Dandan's "Introducing..." Profile!
March 2025: Our recent work published on Angew Chem, has been distributed on several News Platforms. Many thanks to the support of JGU Mainz Presse!
Check out the links:
https://idw-online.de/en/news848800
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1076479
https://www.alphagalileo.org/en-gb/Item-Display/ItemId/256116
https://dielinde.online/29675/kostenguenstige-und-effiziente-katalysatoren-zur-wasserspaltung/
Feb. 2025: We have a work published on Angew Chem, Congrats to Christean and David!
In this work, we explored the unique self-activation behavior of mixed Co-W oxide catalyst deposited on the lab-synthesized CuO support.
Check out details here: https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202424074
Feb. 2025: Congrats to Guillermo for the successful application of the DAAD scholarship, and welcome to the group for your research stay!
Dec. 2024: Another congrats, Bahareh, for your well-designed cover artwork!
Check out details here: https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SE01034E
Oct. 2024: Design of nanostructured 2D materials for valuable chemicals and fuel production from our very own Bahareh, big congrats, Bahareh!
Check out details here: https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SE01034E
Sept. 2024: Dr. Bahareh Feizimohazzab has joined us as a AvH postdoc Fellow. All the best for Bahar!
July 2024: Mixed metal oxides for overall water splitting: insights via XAS-Echem, thanks a lot for your work, Christean!
Check out details here: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.4c06365
Jun. 2024: Jennifer Christina Schmidt has joined us as a PhD candidate. All the best for Jennifer!
April 2024: Christean Nickel has joined us as a PhD candidate. All the best for Christean!
March 2024: Shikang Han joined us as a student assistant. Welcome, Shikang!
Feb. 2024: Dr. Dandan Gao is visiting our collaborator, Prof. Ksenija Glusac, the University of Illinois at Chicago & Argonne National Laboratory, USA
Feb. 2024: David Leander Troglauer has successfully finished his Master thesis, Congrats, David! All the best for your research internship abroad!
Nov. 2023: Christean Nickel has successfully finished his Master thesis, and will continue his phd in April 2024, Congrats, Christean!
August 2023: Advanced water purification system,
check out details here:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.device.2023.100020
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.device.2023.100051 (Backstory)
May 2023: Andreas Haoyu Pawling has successfully finished his Master thesis, Congrats, Andi!
March 2023: Dr. Dandan Gao has been recognised as one of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s 2022 Outstanding Reviewers!
https://doi.org/10.1039/D3SE90043F
