QUT Professor Ting Liao is one of 25 researchers from around the world who have made a flagship chemistry journal’s list of top women scientists at the forefront of energy research.
Professor Ting Liao, from the School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering, is featured in the ACS Energy Letters list designed to inspire the next generation of energy researchers.
The researchers profiled in the series come from countries including Japan, Greece, the United States, China, Estonia, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Germany and Australia.
“We asked these scientists to share their personal reflections that inspired them to engage in energy research,” the ACS Energy Letters journal said.
“Through their personal reflections, these researchers discuss the successful career paths they have taken to become leaders in the scientific community. It is our hope that these personal reflections can motivate many young researchers to tackle challenges in clean energy.”
Professor Liao was one of the team of QUT researchers, including Dr Juan Bai, Dr Jun Mei, Dr Tony Wang, Dr Chao Zhang, Hashara Kandambige, Associate Professor Dongchen Qi, and Professor Ziqi Sun, who published the research Hydrogen Spillover Intensified by Pt Sites on Single-Crystalline MoO3 Interconnected Branches for Hydrogen Evolution in ACS Energy Letters last year.
Professor Liao, who is a research investigator at the QUT Centre for Materials Science, has worked on sustainable energy storage and generation technologies through a combined approach of theoretical calculations and experimental investigations, under the support of her received ARC Future Fellowship, Discovery Projects in 2020, 2023 and 2024, and Research Hub grants in 2021 and 2023.
“My current research interest in green hydrogen production is inspired by the simplest but beautiful chemical reactions of hydrogen with oxygen forming water and vice versa of generating hydrogen from splitting water molecules, when I taught the foundation of chemistry for engineering undergraduate students,” Professor Liao said.
“My experience might be a good case to provide a clue that fundamental science and practical engineering are two phases of Taiji [a Chinese philosophy involving the interaction of Yin and Yang], which align with each other and generate vitality for each other, especially in energy and chemistry research.
“To young researchers, I want to say that you can successfully achieve your goals even beyond your knowledge background if you are really driven by your interest and curiosity.”
