Details of the Researcher

PHOTO

Liu Tengyi
Section
Advanced Institute for Materials Research
Job title
Specially Appointed Assistant Professor(Research)
e-Rad No.
50987005

Research History 2

  • 2023/05 - Present
    Tohoku University　Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR)　Specially-appointed Assistant Professor

  • 2020/12 - 2023/04
    Osaka University　Specially-appointed Researcher

Professional Memberships 3

  • The Electrochemical Society

    2024 - Present

  • The Chemical Society of Japan

    2024 - Present

  • The Electrochemical Society of Japan

    2024 - Present

Research Interests 3

  • CO2 electroreduction

  • Electrochemistry

  • Energy

Awards 2

  1. 北京航空航天大学にて優秀学術論文賞を 2 回受賞（中国）

    2021/05　北京航空航天大学（中国）

  2. 北京航空航天大学にて学長奨学金を受賞（中国）

    2018/09　北京航空航天大学（中国）

Papers 12

  1. Spray-Grown Crystalline Phthalocyanine-Based Electrode for High-Performance Electrochemical CO₂ Reduction Peer-reviewed

    Tengyi Liu, Di Zhang, Yutaro Hirai, Koju Ito, Hao Li, Hiroshi Yabu

    ECS Meeting Abstracts　MA2025-02　(53)　2564-2564　2025/11

    Publisher: The Electrochemical Society

    DOI： 10.1149/ma2025-02532564mtgabs 　

    eISSN： 2151-2043

    More details Close

    Electrochemical CO₂ reduction (ECR) offers a promising route for converting CO₂ into valuable fuels and chemicals, especially when powered by renewable electricity—contributing to atmospheric CO₂ mitigation and climate change alleviation. Phthalocyanines (Pcs) have garnered significant attention as versatile electrocatalysts with high selectivity toward various hydrocarbon products. However, conventional methods for fabricating carbon-supported Pcs are typically complex and time-consuming, thereby hindering large-scale application. [1,2] Herein, we report a novel crystalline electrocatalyst prepared via a rapid and scalable spray-growth strategy using low-cost cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) (see Figure 1). [3] The resulting CoPc crystals exhibit preferentially oriented crystallinity and self-induced surface charge transfer (SCT), which together lead to markedly enhanced intrinsic catalytic activity. When employed as a cathode for CO₂-to-CO electroreduction, the hybrid electrode achieves an exceptional current density of -1034 mA cm⁻² and an ultra-high mass activity of 5180 A g⁻¹ in 1.0 M KOH. It also displays excellent durability, maintaining -0.55 V vs. RHE over 145 hours of continuous operation at -150 mA cm⁻². Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that even minor SCT effects significantly optimize the adsorption energies of key reaction intermediates (*CO and *COOH), thereby enhancing reaction kinetics and overall activity. Moreover, the spray-grown electrode exhibits unique structural advantages—such as strong adhesion to the substrate and internal layers that continuously replenish active sites—features rarely achieved with traditional carbon-supported electrodes. These performance metrics surpass those of all previously reported metal phthalocyanine (M-Pc) catalysts, positioning our work at the forefront of the ECR field. Notably, this is the first M-Pc-based catalyst to exceed both the industrial benchmarks of 500 mA cm⁻² current density and 100 hours of operational stability. We believe that this facile, scalable spray-growth method holds great promise for enabling further application of Pc-based materials in industrial-scale ECR systems. Figure 1. (A) Schematic illustration of the spray-growth process of cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) crystals on a carbon paper gas diffusion electrode. (B) Structural features and charge transfer characteristics of CoPc crystals grown on carbon (CoPc/Carbon). (C) Comparison of key performance metrics from this work with previously reported values in the literature. (D) Long-term stability test at a current density of –150 mA cm⁻². Acknowledgements The authors gratefully acknowledge the support from the following funds: JSPS-KAKENHI (Nos. JP23H00301, JP23K13703, JP24K17741, JP24K23068), JST-MIRAI (No. JPMJMI22I5), the AIMR Fusion Research, the Hirose Foundation, the Steel Foundation for Environmental Protection Technology, and the TOKYO PRIZE Carbon Reduction. <p></p> Reference: [1] T. Liu, H. Yabu, Copper nanoclusters derived from copper phthalocyanine as real active sites for CO 2 electroreduction: Exploring size dependency on selectivity ‐ A mini review , EcoEnergy 2024 , 2, 419–432. [2] T. Liu, K. Ohashi, K. Nagita, T. Harada, S. Nakanishi, K. Kamiya, A Tin Oxide-Coated Copper Foam Hybridized with a Gas Diffusion Electrode for Efficient CO 2 Reduction to Formate with a Current Density Exceeding 1 A cm −2 , Small 2022 , 18, 2205323. [3] T. Liu, D. Zhang, Y. Hirai, K. Ito, K. Ishibashi, N. Todoroki, Surface Charge Transfer Enhanced Cobalt-Phthalocyanine Crystals for Efficient CO 2 -to-CO Electroreduction with Large Current Density Exceeding 1000 mA cm −2 , Adv. Sci. 2025 , 12 2501459. Figure 1 <p></p>

  2. Ampere‐Level Electrosynthesis of CO via Well‐Defined Pyridinic‐N Incorporated Cobalt Phthalocyanine Invited Peer-reviewed

    Tengyi Liu, Xiaofan Hou, Di Zhang, Yutaro Hirai, Kosuke Ishibashi, Yasutaka Matsuo, Junya Yoshida, Shimpei Ono, Hao Li, Hiroshi Yabu

    Small　21　(47)　e07824　2025/09

    Publisher: Wiley

    DOI： 10.1002/smll.202507824 　

    ISSN： 1613-6810

    eISSN： 1613-6829

    More details Close

    Abstract High‐rate CO electrosynthesis from CO 2 is vital for efficient CO 2 ‐CO‐C 2+ tandem conversion. Cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc), featuring a Co‐N 4 site naturally favorable for CO production, suffers from low conductivity. Herein, a molecular engineering strategy is reported to construct cobalt tetra‐aza‐phthalocyanine (CoTAP) by incorporating four pyridinic‐N atoms at the β‐positions of the CoPc macrocyclic backbone, effectively enhancing both conductivity and intrinsic activity. The resulting CoTAP electrode achieves ≈100% CO selectivity at an ultralow onset overpotential of 140 mV (−0.25 V vs. RHE), significantly outperforming pristine CoPc (−0.57 V vs. RHE). Furthermore, it also delivers a record‐high CO current density of −1084 mA cm −2 , an exceptional mass activity of 24,636.4 A g −1 , and an ultrahigh turnover frequency of 73.4 s −1 , with excellent stability for 112 h at −150 mA cm −2 , surpassing all reported Pc‐based catalysts. Systematic analysis shows that pyridinic‐N incorporation alters the electronic environment around Co centers and reduces resistance to only 3.8% of CoPc. Theoretical calculations further confirm more favorable adsorption energies for key intermediates ( * COOH and * CO), underpinning the enhanced intrinsic activity. Collectively, these advancements maximize site‐specific reaction kinetics in CoTAP. This work presents a molecular‐level strategy to simultaneously boost conductivity and intrinsic activity for advanced CO 2 electroreduction.

  3. Breaking the Single-Molecule Paradigm: Multilayer Cobalt Phthalocyanine/Carbon Core-Shell Structure as the Superior Active Unit for CO2-to-CO Electroreduction Peer-reviewed

    Tengyi Liu, Di Zhang, Yue Chu, Keitaro Ohashi, Yutaro Hirai, Koju Ito, Kosuke Ishibashi, Yasutaka Matsuo, Junya Yoshida, Shimpei Ono, Kazuhide Kamiya, Hao Li, Hiroshi Yabu

    Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy　381　125852　2025/08

    Publisher: Elsevier BV

    DOI： 10.1016/j.apcatb.2025.125852 　

    ISSN： 0926-3373

  4. Surface Charge Transfer Enhanced Cobalt-Phthalocyanine Crystals for Efficient CO2-to-CO Electroreduction with Large Current Density Exceeding 1000 mA cm−2 Peer-reviewed

    Tengyi Liu, Di Zhang, Yutaro Hirai, Koju Ito, Kosuke Ishibashi, Naoto Todoroki, Yasutaka Matsuo, Junya Yoshida, Shimpei Ono, Hao Li, Hiroshi Yabu

    Advanced Science　12　(14)　2501459　2025/04

    DOI： 10.1002/advs.202501459 　

  5. Realizing Ampere-Level Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Using Gas Diffusion Electrodes Invited Peer-reviewed

    Tengyi Liu, Xiaofan Hou, Hiroshi Yabu

    ACS Electrochemistry　1　(11)　2317-2325　2025

    DOI： 10.1021/acselectrochem.5c00318 　

  6. Crystalline Formation Enhances Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Property of Copper Azaphthalocyanine on Carbon Electrodes Peer-reviewed

    Kosuke Ishibashi, Tengyi Liu, Yuya Ishizaki, Shusaku Nagano, Junya Yoshida, Shimpei Ono, Yasufumi Takahashi, Akichika Kumatani, Hiroshi Yabu

    ACS Applied Energy Materials　2024/11/08

    Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)

    DOI： 10.1021/acsaem.4c02102 　

    ISSN： 2574-0962

    eISSN： 2574-0962

  7. Copper nanoclusters derived from copper phthalocyanine as real active sites for CO2 electroreduction: Exploring size dependency on selectivity ‐ A mini review Invited Peer-reviewed

    Tengyi Liu, Hiroshi Yabu

    EcoEnergy　2024/08

    Publisher: Wiley

    DOI： 10.1002/ece2.57 　

    ISSN： 2835-9380

    eISSN： 2835-9399

    More details Close

    Abstract The electrochemical reduction reaction of CO2 (CO2RR) holds promise for converting CO2 into valuable fuels and chemicals, particularly when powered by renewable electricity, thereby aiding in reducing atmospheric CO2 levels and addressing climate change. Copper phthalocyanine and its derivatives (Cu‐Pcs) have attracted significant attention as versatile electrocatalytic materials with high selectivity toward various hydrocarbon products. However, the real active sites of Cu‐Pcs for different products vary, and there is a lack of comprehensive summary. To address this gap, we analyze and summarize previous research, yielding the following insights: Cu‐Pcs undergo reconstruction and demetallization during CO2RR, with Cu(II) converting to Cu(0), forming transient copper nanoclusters (Cu NCs). The selectivity for CO2RR products closely correlates with the size of those derived Cu NCs. Specifically, reversible Cu NCs with ultrasmall sizes (≤2 nm), which revert to Cu‐Pcs after electrolysis, exhibit high selectivity toward CH4. As Cu NCs increase in size, there is a higher CO coverage, promoting CO generation. When Cu NCs exceed a critical threshold size (approximately 15 nm), C‐C coupling can occur, facilitating the formation of multicarbon (C2+) products. Furthermore, the structure of macrocycles, types of functional groups, and properties of carbon substrates influence the size and electron density of Cu NCs, thereby impacting the selectivity of CO2RR products.

  8. Biomass‐Derived Electrocatalysts: Low‐Cost, Robust Materials for Sustainable Electrochemical Energy Conversion Invited Peer-reviewed

    Tengyi Liu, Hiroshi Yabu

    Advanced Energy and Sustainability Research　2023/10/06

    Publisher: Wiley

    DOI： 10.1002/aesr.202300168 　

    ISSN： 2699-9412

    eISSN： 2699-9412

    More details Close

    Electrochemical energy conversion is an important strategy for addressing climate change and building a carbon‐neutral society. The use of inexpensive biomass resources to develop high‐performance catalytic materials that reduce the energy barrier of electrochemical reactions and minimize energy consumption has become a research hotspot for energy materials. Previous reviews have often categorized biomass‐derived catalysts by the biomass feedstocks used, but this classification method has major limitations because the roles of the same biomass material in different catalysts can vary. In this review, a new classification approach for biomass‐derived catalytic materials by focusing on the role of bio‐based materials in the overall catalyst system is proposed. The review is divided into three main sections, categorizing bio‐based materials by 1) the active components, 2) the carbon support, and 3) the entire catalyst. Additionally, a comprehensive summary is provided of catalytic materials at different scales, including the nanoscale, molecular scale, and single‐atom scale. It is hoped that this review will guide and inspire the future development of biomass‐derived electrocatalysts.

  9. A Tin Oxide‐Coated Copper Foam Hybridized with a Gas Diffusion Electrode for Efficient CO2 Reduction to Formate with a Current Density Exceeding 1 A cm−2 Peer-reviewed

    Tengyi Liu, Keitaro Ohashi, Kaito Nagita, Takashi Harada, Shuji Nakanishi, Kazuhide Kamiya

    Small　18　(50)　2022/11

    Publisher: Wiley

    DOI： 10.1002/smll.202205323 　

    ISSN： 1613-6810

    eISSN： 1613-6829

    More details Close

    Abstract The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is a promising strategy for closing the carbon cycle. Increasing the current density (  J) for CO2RR products is a critical requirement for the social implementation of this technology. Herein, nanoscale tin–oxide‐modified copper–oxide foam is hybridized with a carbon‐based gas‐diffusion electrode (GDE). Using the resultant electrode, the Jformate is increased to −1152 mA cm−2 at −1.2 V versus RHE in 1 m KOH, which is the highest value for CO2‐to‐formate electrolysis. The formate faradaic efficiency (FEformate) reaches ≈99% at −0.6 V versus RHE. The achievement of ultra‐high‐rate formate production is attributable to the following factors: i) homogeneously‐modified Sn atoms suppressing H2 evolution and ii) the hydrophobic carbon nanoparticles on GDEs penetrating the macroporous structure of the foam causing the increase in the thickness of triple‐phase interface. Additionally, the FEformate remains at ≈70% under a high J of −1.0 A cm−2 for more than 20 h.

  10. Nickel foam supported Cr-doped NiCo2O4/FeOOH nanoneedle arrays as a high-performance bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting Peer-reviewed

    Tengyi Liu, Peng Diao

    Nano Research　13　(12)　3299-3309　2020/08/15

    Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

    DOI： 10.1007/s12274-020-3006-3 　

    ISSN： 1998-0124

    eISSN： 1998-0000

  11. Sulfur and selenium doped nickel chalcogenides as efficient and stable electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction: The importance of the dopant atoms in and beneath the surface

    Tengyi Liu, Peng Diao, Zheng Lin, Hailiang Wang

    Nano Energy　74　104787-104787　2020/08

    Publisher: Elsevier BV

    DOI： 10.1016/j.nanoen.2020.104787 　

    ISSN： 2211-2855

  12. Photo-catalyzed surface hydrolysis of iridium(<scp>iii</scp>) ions on semiconductors: a facile method for the preparation of semiconductor/IrOx composite photoanodes toward oxygen evolution reaction Peer-reviewed

    Qingyong Wu, Di Xu, Ning Xue, Tengyi Liu, Min Xiang, Peng Diao

    Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics　19　(1)　145-154　2017

    Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)

    DOI： 10.1039/c6cp06821a 　

    ISSN： 1463-9076

    eISSN： 1463-9084

    More details Close

    <p>Surface hydrolysis of Ir3+ induced by photo-generated holes on n-type semiconductors was developed to prepare semiconductor/IrOx composites for water splitting.</p>

Show all ︎Show first 5

Misc. 4

  1. Pyridinic-N Incorporated Phthalocyanine for Efficient and Durable CO2 Electroreduction Invited

    Tengyi Liu, Hiroshi Yabu

    2025/10

  2. Layered Cobalt Catalyst Reimagines Pigment as a Pathway for Carbon Dioxide Recycling Invited

    Tengyi Liu, Hiroshi Yabu

    2025/09

  3. Turning Pollution into Fuel with Record-Breaking CO2-to-CO Conversion Rates Invited

    Tengyi Liu, Hiroshi Yabu

    2025/04

  4. Biomass-derived electrocatalysts: A leap towards sustainable energy conversion Invited

    Tengyi Liu, Hiroshi Yabu

    2025/02/25

Presentations 5

  1. Self-Induced Surface Charge Transfer Enhances CO2 Electroreduction on Crystalline CoPc Electrodes

    Tengyi Liu, Di Zhang, Yutaro Hirai, Koju Ito, Hao Li, Hiroshi Yabu

    Pacifichem 2025　2025/12/16

  2. An Efficient and Durable 3D-Nickel Hydroxide Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Alkaline Media

    Tengyi Liu, Q. Wu, N. Xue, C. Li, Q. Zhang, M. Xiang, P. Diao

    The 20th Romanian International Conference on Chemistry and Chemical Engineering　2017/09

  3. Spray-Grown Crystalline Phthalocyanine-Based Electrode for High-Performance Electrochemical CO₂ Reduction

    Tengyi Liu, Di Zhang, Yutaro Hirai, Koju Ito, Hao Li, Hiroshi Yabu

    The 248 ECS Meeting　2025/10

  4. Spray-Grown Crystalline Cobalt-Phthalocyanine on Carbon Paper as an Efficient Gas Diffusion Electrode for CO2-to-CO Electroreduction.

    Tengyi Liu, Di Zhang, Yutaro Hirai, Koju Ito, Hao Li, Hiroshi Yabu

    The International Symposium of CRCGP-MSSP-2024　2024/11

  5. A Metallic-Skeleton based Gas Diffusion Layer with Enhanced Triple-Phase Boundary for Highly Efficient CO2-to-Formate Electroreduction.

    Tengyi Liu, Hiroshi Yabu, Shuji Nakanishi, Kazuhide Kamiya

    The 8th International Conference on Materials Science & Engineering　2023/09

Research Projects 6

  1. Cuナノ粒子-金属錯体混合触媒と金属骨格ガス拡散電極によるCO2電解還元技術の開発

    LIU TENGYI

    Offer Organization: 日本学術振興会

    System: 科学研究費助成事業

    Category: 若手研究

    Institution: 東北大学

    2024/04/01 - 2026/03/31

  2. 金属錯体担持中空銅ナノ粒子触媒による高効率C2H4製造技術の開発

    Offer Organization: The Steel Foundation for Environmental Protection Technology (JP)

    Category: Early-Career Scientists

    2025/04 - 2026/03

  3. 電気化学醸造技術：CO2を原料とした効率的かつ安定した液体化学品の製造の探求

    Offer Organization: The Hirose Foundation (JP)

    Category: The 10th Research Grant

    2024/04 - 2026/03

  4. FY2025 Overseas Dispatch Program for Young Researchers

    Offer Organization: WPI-AIMR, Tohoku University

    2025/07 - 2025/12

  5. Experimental and Theoretical Dual Explorations : Hollow Cu Nanoparticles & Metal Phthalocyanine Hybrids for Efficient Electrochemical CO2 Reduction

    Offer Organization: WPI-AIMR, Tohoku University

    Category: The AIMR Fusion Research

    2023/11 - 2024/03

  6. FY2023 Overseas Dispatch Program for Young Researchers

    Offer Organization: WPI-AIMR, Tohoku University

    2023/07 - 2023/12

Show all Show first 5

Media Coverage 1

  1. 東北大、CO2をCOに 金属錯体触媒で電解還元

    日刊工業新聞

    2025/09/04

    Type: Newspaper, magazine