Researcher biography

Dr Bin Luo is currently an ARC Future Fellow in the Nanomaterials Centre,  Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), The University of Queensland (UQ), and leading a sub-group focusing on energy storage research in Professor Lianzhou Wang's group in AIBN. He received his doctoral degree in Physical Chemistry from National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST) of China, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) in July 2013. In August 2014, Dr Luo joined UQ as a full-time Research Fellow in AIBN. He then secured highly competitive UQ Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (2015-2018) and ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award Fellowship (commencing in 2018). He has received many competitive Awards/Fellowships in the past few years, including UQ Foundation Research Excellence Award (2018), ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (2017), CAS Excellent PhD Thesis Award (2014), and CAS President Excellent Award (2013).

Research Overview

Dr Bin Luo's research focuses on the design of new functional nanomaterials/nanostructures for energy storage application. Specially, the goal of his current research is to develop two-dimensional materials for high performance energy storage devices, including Lithium/Sodium/Aluminium-ion batteries and metal-sulfur batteries. Dr Luo's research interest also includes the design of next generation energy storage devices (i.e. flexible/transparent/microsized energy storage devices) and new conceptual integrated energy storage system (i.e. solar rechargeable battery). In the last few years, as a Chief Investigator, he has succeeded in winning 4 competitive ARC grants and 3 UQ grants. So far, Dr Luo has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles in flagship journals including Advanced Materials, Energy & Environmental Science, Nano Letters, J. Am. Chem. Soc., Materials Today, ACS Nano, and Nano Energy. The impact and quality of his research is evidenced by his citation counts, with a career total of >3500 citations resulting in an h-index of 28 (google scholar). Eleven papers (including six as first author) have been recognised as highly cited papers by Essential Science Indicators (ESI, top 1% of the academic field of Materials Science). Dr Luo’s research has also generated significant novel IP: he is an inventor on 13 patents on functional nanomaterials and their applications for energy conversion or storage.

Teaching and RHD supervision activities

•    Guest Lecturer of CHEE4302 Electrochemistry & Corrosion
•    Research Supervision: 1 RHD awarded, currently associate advisor of 5 PhD students.

Current Projects 

2021-2025 Solar rechargeable batteries for wearable electronics ARC Future Fellowship
2018-2019 Planar solar rechargeable batteries for wearable electronics; UQ FREA
2018-2021 Designing solar rechargeable batteries for efficient solar energy storage; ARC DECRA
2018-2021 New Hierarchical Electrode Design for High-Power Lithium Ion Batteries; ARC DP
2016–2020 Design of New Two-dimensional Materials for Lithium Sulfur Batteries; ARC LP
2015-2018 Designing new graphene-based functional nanocomposites for lithium ion batteries UQ Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
2017-2017 A new solar rechargeable lithium sulfur battery system; UQ ECR
2015-2016 A new integrated photo-electrochemical device fabrication & testing system; ARC LIEF

Key Publications:  

1)    B. Luo, Y. Hu, X. Zhu, T. Qiu, L. Zhi, M. Xiao, H. Zhang, M. Zou, A. Cao, L. Wang*, Controllable growth of SnS2 nanostructures on nanocarbon surfaces for lithium-ion and sodium-ion storage with high rate capability. Journal of Material Chemistry A, 2018, 6(4), 1462-1472.
2)    B. Luo, D. Ye, L. Wang. Recent Progress on Integrated Energy Conversion and Storage Systems. Advanced Science 2017, 1700104.
3)    Y. Hu#, B. Luo#, D. Ye, X. Zhu, M. Lyu, L. Wang*. Freeze-Drying Assisted Synthesis of Reduced Graphene Oxide Supported SnS2 Cathode Active Material for Aluminum-ion Batteries. Advanced Materials, 2017, 29, 1606132. (Co-first author)
4)    B. Luo, T. Qiu, D. Ye, L. Wang*, L. Zhi*. Tin nanoparticles encapsulated in graphene backboned carbonaceous foams as high-performance anodes for lithium-ion and sodium-ion storage. Nano Energy, 2016, 22, 232-240.
5)    B. Luo, G. Liu, L. Wang*. Recent Advances in 2D Nanomaterials for Photocatalysis. Nanoscale, 2016, 8, 6904-20.
6)    B. Luo, L. Zhi*. Design and construction of three-dimensional graphene-based composites for lithium ion battery applications. Energy & Environmental Science 2015, 8, 456.
7)    B. Luo, B. Wang, X. Li, Y. Jia, M. Liang, L. Zhi*. Graphene-Confined Sn Nanosheets with Enhanced Lithium Storage Capability. Advanced Materials 2012, 3538.
8)    B. Luo, B. Wang, M. Liang, J. Ning, X. Li, L. Zhi*. Reduced Graphene Oxide-Mediated Growth of Uniform Tin-Core/Carbon-Sheath Coaxial Nanocables with Enhanced Lithium Ion Storage Properties. Advanced Materials 2012, 24, 1405.
9)    B. Luo, Y. Fang, B. Wang, J. Zhou, H. Song, L. Zhi*. Two dimensional graphene-SnS2 hybrids with superior rate capability for lithium ion storage. Energy & Environmental Science 2012, 5, 5226.
10)    B. Luo, S. Liu, L. Zhi*. Chemical Approaches toward Graphene-Based Nanomaterials and their Applications in Energy-Related Areas. Small 2012, 8, 630-646.