Fan Liu
Fan Liu is an assistant professor in the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering at Penn State University, with an affiliate appointment in the Materials Research Institute (MRI). Prior to joining Penn State, he was a postdoctoral research associate at Idaho National Laboratory (2024-2026). Liu earned his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Kansas State University (2019-2024). He received his bachelor’s degree in metal materials engineering from Liaoning Petrochemical University.
At Penn State, Liu’s research interests broadly center on ceramic materials processing and electrochemical systems for sustainable energy conversion and storage. His work integrates materials synthesis and processing, interface engineering, device fabrication, and collaborative modeling to address challenges in energy efficiency, durability, and sustainability. Applications of his research include power generation, critical materials recycling and extraction, valuable chemical production, and natural gas upgrading. His research emphasizes understanding structure-processing-performance relationships through interdisciplinary collaboration.
This faculty member is associated with the Penn State Intercollege Graduate Degree Program (IGDP) in Materials Science and Engineering (MatSE) where a multitude of perspectives and cross-disciplinary collaboration within research is highly valued. Graduate students in the IGDP in MatSE may work with faculty members from across Penn State.
- Meng, Y.; Liu, F.*; Li, M.; Wang, Z.X.; Deng, H.; Li, M.; Zhang, Q.; Sun, Q.; Gomeza, J.; Zhao, Z.; Zhao, H.*; Ding, D.* Probing Proton Exchange Kinetics of BaZr0.1Ce0.7Y0.1Yb0.1O3-δ Ceramic Electrolyte by Operando Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy. Energy & Environmental Science. 2026, 19, 828 (Selected as the Cover Image) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D5EE05957G
- Li, M.#; Liu, F.#; D. Ding*, Critical insights into the steam electrolysis electrode in protonic ceramic cells for hydrogen production. Nature Catalysis. 2025, 8, 293 (Selected as the Cover Image) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41929-025-01313-w
- Liu, F.; Diercks, D.; Kumar, P.; Seong, A.; Abdul Jabbar, M.; Gumeci, C.; Furuya, Y.; Dale, N.; Oku, T.; Usuda, M.; Kazempoor, P.; Ghamarian, I.; Liu, L.; Fang, L.; Chen, D.; Wang, Z.; Skinner, S.; Duan, C.*, Redesigning protonic ceramic electrochemical cells to lower the operating temperature. Science Advances. 2025, 11(2), eadq2507 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adq2507
- Liu, F.#; Deng, H.#; Wang, Z.; Hussain, A. M.; Dale, N.; Furuya, Y.; Miura, Y.; Fukuyama, Y.; Ding, H.; Liu, B.*; Duan, C.*, Synergistic effects of in-Situ exsolved Ni–Ru bimetallic catalyst on high-performance and durable direct-methane solid oxide fuel cells. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 2024, 146 (7), 4704-4715 (Selected as the Cover Image) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c12121
- Liu, F.#; Deng, H.#; Ding, H.; Kazempoor, P.; Liu, B.*;Duan, C.*, Process-intensified protonic ceramic fuel cells for power generation, chemical production, and greenhouse gas mitigation. Joule. 2023, 7, 1308-1332 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2023.05.009
- Liu, F.; Deng, H.; Diercks, D.; Kumar, P.; Jabbar, M. H. A.; Gumeci, C.; Furuya, Y.; Dale, N.; Oku, T.; Usuda, M.; Kazempoor, P.; Fang, L.; Chen, D.; Liu, B.; Duan, C.*, Lowering the operating temperature of protonic ceramic electrochemical cells to <450 °C. Nature Energy. 2023, 8, 1145-1157 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-023-01350-4
- Outstanding Postdoc. of the Year 2025 by Idaho National Laboratory
- 2025 Young Professional Grant to Attend 49th International Conference and Expo on Advanced Ceramics and Composites (ICACC 2025) by The Engineering Ceramics Division (ECD) of ACerS
- 2024 Graduate Award for Outstanding Academics by Kansas State University Alumni Association
- 2023 Fall, Student Travel Grant to attend the 244th ECS Meeting Sponsored by the High-Temperature Energy, Materials, and Processes Division, ECS
- 2023 University Distinguished Professors (UDP) Excellence in Doctoral Studies Award by Kansas State University
- 2023 Robert I-Jen and Sophia Shui-Kan Jung Graduate Scholarship in Engineering from the Engineering College, Kansas State University
- 2023 William H. & Virginia Honstead Fellowship from Chemical Engineering Department, Kansas State University