Chemist, Joint Appointee
Chemist, Joint Appointee

Biography

Jenny Yang’s research interests include the discovery and study of inorganic electrocatalysts for the generation and utilization of chemical fuels. Dr Yang’s current and prior research includes oxygen activation, hydrogen production and oxidation, and carbon dioxide reduction. These studies have primarily focused on discerning the effect of bio-inspired secondary coordination sphere interactions and understanding the effect of thermochemical properties on catalytic activity. She has also initiated projects in electrochemical separations, with a specific focus on CO2 from dilute sources or rare earths metal ions. Dr Yang is a joint appointee with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the University of California, Irvine.

Research Interest

  • Coordination chemistry
  • Inorganic synthesis
  • Electrocatalysis
  • Electrochemical separations
  • Bio-inspired chemistry
  • Electric field effects
  • Small molecule activation
  • Proton-coupled electron transfer
  • Hybrid materials
  • Molecular attachment onto surfaces. 

Disciplines and Skills

  • Molecular synthesis and characterization
  • Ligand design
  • Electrochemical analysis
  • Electrocatalytic studies
  • Kinetic and mechanistic studies
  • Structural characterization
  • Surface characterization
  • Non-covalent interactions.

Education

  • Postdoctoral fellow, Institute for Interfacial Catalysis, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA
  • PhD in Inorganic Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • BS in Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley.

Affiliations and Professional Service

  • Editorial Advisory Board, ACS Energy Letters (2021 – Current)
  • Editorial Advisory Board, Organic and Inorganic Chemistry Au (2021 – Current)
  • Editorial Advisory Board, Chem Catalysis  (2021 – Current)
  • American Chemical Society, division of Inorganic Chemistry (2001 – Current)
  • Executive Board, Solutions that Scale (UCI) (2020 – Current)
  • Advisory Board, University of California Chemical Symposium (UCCS) (2019 – Current)
  • Early Career Editorial Advisory Board, ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering (2018 – Current)
  • Editorial Advisory Board, Inorganic Chemistry (2019 –2021)
  • Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, Integration team  (2012 – 2013)
  • Chemistry graduate student council, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2002 – 2004)
  • Women in chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2001 – 2007, Chair, 2002-2003).

Awards and Recognitions

  • Inorganic Chemistry Lectureship, Inorganic Chemistry and the ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry (DIC) (2021)
  • Research Corporation Scialog Fellow for Negative Emissions Science (2020)
  • UC Irvine Academic Senate Early Career Research Award (2019)
  • Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award (2019)
  • Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Fostering Undergraduate Research (2019)
  • CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar (2018)
  • Sloan Foundation Fellow (2018)
  • Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering (PECASE) (2017)
  • Research Corporation Scialog Fellow for Advanced Energy Storage (2017)
  • Kavli Frontiers of Science Fellow (2017)
  • National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2016)
  • Camille and Henry Dreyfus Environmental Postdoctoral Mentor (2015)
  • ACS Catalysis Lectureship (member of team award from work at PNNL) (2015)
  • Hellman Faculty Fellow, University of California (2015)
  • Department of Energy Early Career Award, U.S. Department of Energy (2014)
  • Presidential Fellowship, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2001).

Publications

2024

  • Appel A.M., and J.Y. Yang. 2024. "Maximum and Comparative Efficiency Calculations for Integrated Capture and Electrochemical Conversion CO2." ACS Energy Letters 9, no. 2:768-770. PNNL-SA-192746. doi:10.1021/acsenergylett.3c02489

2013

  • Yang J.Y., S.E. Smith, T.L. Liu, W.G. Dougherty, W.A. Hoffert, W.S. Kassel, and M. Rakowski DuBois, et al. 2013. "Two Pathways for Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Hydrogen by a Nickel Bis(diphosphine) Complex with Pendant Amines in the Second Coordination Sphere." Journal of the American Chemical Society 135, no. 26:9700-9712. PNNL-SA-92342. doi:10.1021/ja400705a

2012

  • O'Hagan M.J., M. Ho, J.Y. Yang, A.M. Appel, M. Rakowski DuBois, S. Raugei, and W.J. Shaw, et al. 2012. "Proton Delivery and Removal in [Ni(PR2NR'2)2]2+ Hydrogen Production and Oxidation Catalysts." Journal of the American Chemical Society 134, no. 47:19409-19424. PNNL-SA-88737. doi:10.1021/ja307413x
  • Smith S.E., J.Y. Yang, D.L. DuBois, and R.M. Bullock. 2012. "Reversible Electrocatalytic Production and Oxidation of Hydrogen at Low Overpotentials by a Functional Hydrogenase Mimic." Angewandte Chemie International Edition 51, no. 13:3152-3155. PNNL-SA-84487. doi:10.1002/anie.201108461
  • Wiedner E.S., J.Y. Yang, S. Chen, S. Raugei, W.G. Dougherty, W.S. Kassel, and M.L. Helm, et al. 2012. "Stabilization of Nickel Complexes with Ni0···H-N Bonding Interactions Using Sterically Demanding Cyclic Diphosphine Ligands." Organometallics 31, no. 1:144-156. PNNL-SA-81603. doi:10.1021/om200709z

2011

  • Appel A.M., D.H. Pool, M.J. O'Hagan, W.J. Shaw, J.Y. Yang, M. Rakowski DuBois, and D.L. DuBois, et al. 2011. "[Ni(PPh2NBn2)2(CH3CN)]2+ as an Electrocatalyst for H2 Production: Dependence on Acid Strength and Isomer Distribution." ACS Catalysis 1, no. 7:777-785. PNNL-SA-77921. doi:10.1021/cs2000939
  • Galan B.R., J. Schoffel, J.C. Linehan, C. Seu, A.M. Appel, J.A. Roberts, and M.L. Helm, et al. 2011. "Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Formate by [Ni(PR2NR`2)2(CH3CN)]2+ Complexes." Journal of the American Chemical Society 113, no. 35:12767-12779. PNNL-SA-77812. doi:10.1021/ja204489e
  • O'Hagan M.J., W.J. Shaw, S. Raugei, S. Chen, J.Y. Yang, U.J. Kilgore, and D.L. DuBois, et al. 2011. "Moving Protons with Pendant Amines: Proton Mobility in a Nickel Catalyst for Oxidation of Hydrogen." Journal of the American Chemical Society 133, no. 36:14301-14312. PNNL-SA-77814. doi:10.1021/ja201838x
  • Yang J.Y., R.M. Bullock, M. Rakowski DuBois, and D.L. DuBois. 2011. "Fast and efficient molecular electrocatalysts for H2 production: Using hydrogenase enzymes as guides." MRS Bulletin 36, no. 1:39-47. PNNL-SA-75088. doi:10.1557/mrs.2010.8

2010

  • Wiedner E.S., J.Y. Yang, W.G. Dougherty, W.S. Kassel, R.M. Bullock, M. Rakowski DuBois, and D.L. DuBois. 2010. "Comparison of Cobalt and Nickel Complexes with Sterically Demanding Cyclic Diphosphine Ligands: Electrocatalytic H2 Production by [Co(PtBu2NPh2)(CH3CN)3](BF4)2." Organometallics 29, no. 21:5390-5401. PNNL-SA-72956. doi:10.1021/om100395r
  • Yang J.Y., R.M. Bullock, W.G. Dougherty, W.S. Kassel, B. Twamley, D.L. DuBois, and M. Rakowski DuBois. 2010. "Reduction of Oxygen Catalyzed by Nickel Diphosphine Complexes with Positioned Pendant Amines." Dalton Transactions 39, no. 12:3001-3010. PNNL-SA-68965.
  • Yang J.Y., S. Chen, W.G. Dougherty, W.S. Kassel, R.M. Bullock, D.L. DuBois, and S. Raugei, et al. 2010. "Hydrogen Oxidation Catalysis by a Nickel Diphosphine Complex with Pendant tert-Butyl Amines." Chemical Communications 46. PNNL-SA-74657. doi:10.1039/C0CC03246H

2009

  • Yang J.Y., R.M. Bullock, W.J. Shaw, B. Twamley, K. Fraze, K. Fraze, and M. Rakowski DuBois, et al. 2009. "Mechanistic Insights into Catalytic H2 Oxidation by Ni Complexes Containing a Diphosphine Ligand with a Positioned Amine Base." Journal of the American Chemical Society 131, no. 16:5935-5945. PNNL-SA-64310.

2008

  • Jacobsen G.M., J.Y. Yang, B. Twamley, A. Wilson, A. Wilson, R.M. Bullock, and M. Rakowski DuBois, et al. 2008. "Hydrogen Production Using Cobalt-Based Molecular Catalysts Containing a Proton Relay in the Second Coordination Sphere." Energy & Environmental Science 1, no. 1:167-174. PNNL-SA-59889. doi:10.1039/b805309j