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Associate Professor

Hui Liang

School of Material Science and Chemical Engineering · Xuzhou University of Technology

Studies hydrogen energy and nanostructured storage materials, focusing on magnesium-based composites, polymers, two-dimensional materials and hydrogen-storage catalysts.

huiliang@xzit.edu.cn
Portrait of Hui Liang

Hui Liang is an associate professor in the School of Material Science and Chemical Engineering at Xuzhou University of Technology. Liang studies hydrogen energy, solid- and liquid-state hydrogen-storage materials, nanostructured storage materials and catalysts, including magnesium, magnesium hydride, boron nitride, carbon nanotubes and polymer-based composites.

Education

  • 2016–2020: Doctorate in chemical sciences, University of Mons, Belgium.
  • 2015–2020: Doctorate in materials science and engineering, Tianjin University of Technology.
  • 2012–2015: Master's degree, Guangxi Normal University.
  • 2007–2011: Undergraduate studies, Huainan Normal University.

Appointments and academic experience

  • November 2023–present: Associate professor, School of Material Science and Chemical Engineering, Xuzhou University of Technology.
  • October 2020–November 2023: Lecturer, School of Material Science and Chemical Engineering, Xuzhou University of Technology.
  • March 2024–February 2025: Visiting scholar, Peking University.
  • May 2023–present: Technology vice president at 徐州洛克尔化工科技有限公司, a chemical technology company in Xuzhou. The university profile also describes an R&D director role at the company.

Research interests

  • Magnesium-based hydrogen storage: Nanostructure and catalyst design for hydrogen uptake, release and cycling performance.
  • Composite storage materials: Interfacial interactions among polymers, two-dimensional materials and metal components, including air stability and protective strategies.
  • Hydrogen-storage catalysis and surface control: Nickel-based active sites, lanthanum-containing components and surface defects affecting reaction kinetics.
  • Nanostructured films and plasma processing: Magnesium-based nanostructures and protective coatings prepared by magnetron sputtering, glancing angle deposition and plasma polymerization.

Selected projects as principal investigator

The periods below follow the project schedules reported in university sources.

  1. Jiangsu Natural Science Foundation youth project (BK20210079): Plasma-regulated construction of nanostructured magnesium–lanthanum/polymer films and their hydrogen-storage mechanisms; July 2021–June 2024. Principal investigator.
  2. Jiangsu industry–university–research collaboration project (BY20230199): Development of lightweight, environmentally friendly epoxy-based buoyancy composites for deep-sea use; November 2023–October 2024. Principal investigator.
  3. Xuzhou Natural Science Foundation project: Mechanisms of efficient, reversible hydrogen sorption in nanostructured Mg catalysed by in situ dual-functional NixB; 2023–2025. Principal investigator.
  4. University–locality integration science and technology guideline project: Effects and mechanisms of MXene terminal-group defects on the hydrogen-storage performance of magnesium hydride; 2025. Principal investigator.
  5. Xuzhou University of Technology key project development programme: Preparation of nickel@magnesium/hexagonal boron nitride through plasma-assisted hydrogen capture and its hydrogen-storage mechanisms; 2023. Principal investigator.

Research and teaching recognition

  • First prize, 2023 Jiangsu “Linghang Cup” teacher information-literacy practice activity, for the micro-lesson 《“新生”——智能材料的应用》, on applications of smart materials. The competition year follows the university's event report and award list.
  • Third-prize entry in the public notice for the 2022–2023 Xuzhou outstanding natural-science paper evaluation, published in 2024: 《通过调控碳纳米管材料表面活性位点实现高效储氢》, concerning active-site control on carbon nanotubes for hydrogen storage. Liang is listed first in the public notice.
  • First prize, 2023 educational research achievements of the China Campus Health Action initiative, for the high-quality lesson 《“新生”——智能材料的应用》. Lead contributor.
  • First prize, 2023 outstanding paper on educational research, under the China Campus Health Action project promoting collaboration among families, schools and communities. Lead contributor.
  • Second prize, 2022 Jiangsu Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Science and Technology Award. Lead contributor.
  • Municipal first prize, 2022 “Kechuang Jiangsu” innovation and entrepreneurship competition. Lead contributor.
  • University-level second prize, 2022 micro-lesson teaching competition. Lead contributor.
  • 2021 Xuzhou “Limin Chemistry” excellence award. Lead contributor.

Except where a competition report or evaluation notice is linked separately, the names, dates and contributor roles above follow the university supervisor profile. English award and programme names are descriptive translations.

Selected patents and published applications

Filing, grant and application-publication dates are distinguished below. Xuzhou University of Technology is the named applicant or assignee.

  1. Nickel/nickel boride/hexagonal boron nitride composite material, preparation method and application. Chinese application 202310803722.X; grant publication CN116706168B. Filed 3 July 2023; grant published 26 January 2024. Hui Liang is the first inventor.

  2. Trace nickel-compounded layered magnesium composite material and preparation method and use thereof. US application 18/145,117; patent US11878907B2. Filed 22 December 2022; granted 23 January 2024. Hui Liang is the first inventor. This US application claims priority to Chinese application 202210069627.7, listed below.

  3. Trace nickel-composited layered magnesium composite material, preparation method and application. Chinese application 202210069627.7; grant publication CN114411028B. Filed 21 January 2022; grant published 20 September 2022. Hui Liang is the first inventor.

  4. Amorphous trace-lanthanum-composited layered magnesium composite material, preparation method and application. Chinese application 202210100565.1; grant publication CN114348958B. Filed 27 January 2022; grant published 7 July 2023. Hui Liang is the first inventor.

  5. Carbon nanotube composite material, preparation method and application. Chinese application 202211082081.5; grant publication CN115784210B. Filed 6 September 2022; grant published 7 July 2023. Hui Liang is the first inventor.

  6. Magnesium nanowire film, preparation method and application. Chinese application 202110308343.4; grant publication CN113061860B. Filed 23 March 2021; grant published 15 April 2022. Hui Liang is the sole inventor.

  7. Preparation of a Pd catalyst supported on walnut-shell-doped carbon nitride by deposition–precipitation, and its application to hydrogen production from formic acid decomposition. Chinese application 202510463396.1; published application CN120394058A. Filed 14 April 2025; application published 1 August 2025. Hui Liang is a co-inventor, listed fourth among eleven inventors.

Chinese patent titles are translated descriptively; the linked grant documents retain the original titles.

Teaching, books and student development

  • Teaches Physical Chemistry, College Chemistry, Principles and Technology of Polymer Synthesis, and Organic Chemistry Laboratory.
  • Sole author of 《绿色低碳固体储氢材料》 (2023; a Chinese-language monograph on green, low-carbon solid hydrogen-storage materials), and a contributor to the textbook 《化工新材料概论》 (an introduction to new chemical materials; in Chinese).
  • Participates in joint master's supervision with Tianjin University of Technology. The university's March 2026 supervisor profile reports three jointly supervised master's students.
  • Co-supervised the project “镁氢智储-低温便携固态储氢材料领航者”, on low-temperature portable solid-state hydrogen-storage materials, with Peng Wang. The project received first prize in the higher-education main track of the Jiangsu University Student Innovation Competition (2025); see entry 142 in the provincial education department's award list.
  • Co-supervised Xuzhou University of Technology's “砜华正茂” team with Peng Wang, Shuai Wei, Yuanyuan Liu and Yan Xu. The team received third prize in the East China regional preliminary round of the 2025 “Tianzheng Design Cup”, the 19th National University Student Chemical Engineering Design Competition; see the confirmed regional award list.
  • The faculty profile records supervision of a student project receiving a national bronze award in the 2025 China International College Students’ Innovation Competition. The supervisor profile also records supervision of a student team receiving a Jiangsu third prize in the “Challenge Cup”. These are student-team awards and supervision activities.

Selected publications

1. Rare Metals · 2025

Hui Liang; Peng‐Fei Zhang; Yuan Wang; Jie Zheng. Enhancing hydrogen storage performance of magnesium hydride with Ni cluster-loaded MXene-Nb2CTx (Tx = F, O). Rare Metals, 2025, 44(7), 4712–4723. DOI: 10.1007/s12598-025-03255-5.

Role of Hui Liang: First author.

Investigates Ni clusters coupled with Nb2C-MXene as catalysts for magnesium-based hydrogen storage.

2. Journal of Materials Chemistry A · 2024

Hui Liang; Wenjiang Li; Jie Zheng. In situ construction of dual-functional Ni/NixB catalysts for the hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of magnesium hydride. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2024, 12(38), 25829–25836. DOI: 10.1039/D4TA05395H.

Role of Hui Liang: First and corresponding author.

Studies in situ construction of dual-functional Ni/NixB catalysts for hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of magnesium hydride.

3. Applied Surface Science · 2023

Hui Liang; Xihua Du; Jing Li; Limei Sun; Ming Song; Wenjiang Li. Manipulating active sites on carbon nanotube materials for highly efficient hydrogen storage. Applied Surface Science, 2023, 619, 156740. DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2023.156740.

Role of Hui Liang: First author.

Examines active-site control on carbon nanotube materials for hydrogen storage.

4. Applied Surface Science · 2022

Hui Liang; Benliang Cao; Junxiang Zhu; Xinhui Shen; Mengya Zhu; Baozhang Geng; Pengfei Zhang; Shule Zhu; Feiyang Yu; Rou Zhang; Hao Tang; Qiaoqiao Yuan; Jing Li; Wenjiang Li; Yan Chen. Intercalation optimized hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets for high efficiency hydrogen storage. Applied Surface Science, 2022, 604, 154118. DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2022.154118.

Role of Hui Liang: First author.

Examines polymer grafting and nickel nanoparticle doping of hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets for hydrogen storage.

5. Journal of Alloys and Compounds · 2022

Hui Liang; Hao Zhang; Yi Zong; Heng Xu; Jun Luo; Xijun Liu; Jie Xu. Studies of Ni-Mg catalyst for stable high efficiency hydrogen storage. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2022, 905, 164279. DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2022.164279.

Role of Hui Liang: First author.

Studies nickel-containing magnesium composites for reversible hydrogen sorption and cycling stability.

6. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy · 2022

Hui Liang; Jing Li; Xinhui Shen; Benliang Cao; Junxiang Zhu; Baozhang Geng; Sihang Zhu; Wenjiang Li. The study of amorphous La@Mg catalyst for high efficiency hydrogen storage. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2022, 47(42), 18404–18411. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.04.032.

Role of Hui Liang: First author.

Examines amorphous magnesium–lanthanum structures and their effects on reversible hydrogen sorption and kinetics.

7. Thin Solid Films · 2021

X. Geng; H. Liang; W.J. Li; A. Panepinto; D. Thiry; M.F. Chen; R. Snyders. Experimental evaluation of the role of oxygen on the growth of MgOx nano-sculpted thin films synthesized by reactive magnetron sputtering combined with glancing angle deposition. Thin Solid Films, 2021, 718, 138480. DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2020.138480.

Role of Hui Liang: Co-first author, listed second; the article explicitly records equal contribution with X. Geng.

Studies how oxygen affects the growth, morphology and composition of MgOx films prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering with glancing angle deposition.

8. Plasma Processes and Polymers · 2020

Hui Liang; Adriano Panepinto; Loic Prince; Marjorie Olivier; Damien Cossement; Etienne Bousser; Xi Geng; Wenjiang Li; Minfang Chen; Rony Snyders; Damien Thiry. Study of the synthesis of C:H coating by PECVD for protecting Mg‐based nano‐objects. Plasma Processes and Polymers, 2020, 17(11), 2000083. DOI: 10.1002/ppap.202000083.

Role of Hui Liang: First author.

Examines protective C:H coatings on magnesium-based nanostructures prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition.

9. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy · 2020

Hui Liang; Dandan Chen; Minfang Chen; Wenjiang Li; Rony Snyders. Study of the synthesis of PMMA-Mg nanocomposite for hydrogen storage application. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2020, 45(7), 4743–4753. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.12.039.

Role of Hui Liang: First author.

Examines the synthesis, air stability and hydrogen-storage use of PMMA–magnesium nanoparticle composites.

Academic contact

Email: huiliang@xzit.edu.cn.

University supervisor profile · Faculty profile