POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER 路 HKUST MAE
I鈥檓 Muya Cai (钄＄墽娑?. I design active-flow membraneless electrolyzers and study how metals can store renewable energy, produce hydrogen and convert carbon dioxide.
IN ONE SENTENCE
I turn complex electrochemistry into simple, scalable clean-energy systems.
CURRENT WORK 路 2026
At Prof. Qing Chen鈥檚 group at HKUST, I work on a compact active-flow electrolyzer that uses controlled liquid flow to keep hydrogen and oxygen apart.
CURRENT PROJECT / ECO ASIA EXPO 2026ACTIVE-FLOW MEMBRANELESS ELECTROLYZER
The 500 mm cubic exhibit brings the whole process into one clear system: solar input, liquid circulation, membraneless electrolysis, gas collection and hydrogen purification.
RESEARCH IN PICTURES
Representative figures are drawn directly from my first-author papers.
HYDROGEN STORAGE
Renewable electricity plates zinc. Stored zinc later releases hydrogen and electricity on demand鈥攊n the same electrolyte system.
600+ cycles 路 98.4% H鈧?efficiency
CARBON UTILIZATION
Electrolytic zinc links renewable power storage with high-utilization CO鈧?conversion.
98.3% utilization 路 68.8% voltage efficiency
SEAWATER & WASTEWATER
Space-isolated zinc hydrolysis harvests hydrogen and salts while keeping impurities away from zinc.
99.8% Zn conversion 路 salt recovery
04 / OPERANDO MICROSCOPYELECTRODEPOSITION
Real-time microscopy shows how current density and electrolyte chemistry change zinc growth, corrosion and efficiency.
FULL PUBLICATION CV
Seven first-author papers and more than twenty collaborative publications. Every title opens a precise Google Scholar search.
FIRST-AUTHOR PUBLICATIONS
EDUCATION & APPOINTMENT
A multidisciplinary path across metals, environment and electrochemical devices.
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH
PH.D. 路 ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
M.ENG. 路 METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING
B.ENG. 路 METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING
BEYOND THE LAB
I come from Taizhou, Jiangsu, China. I enjoy fitness, basketball and travel. New places often bring the same thing I value in research: a different way to see a familiar problem.
ACADEMIC LINKS
Publications, citation record and current research environment鈥攊n one place.
CONTACT
Originally from Taizhou, Jiangsu, China
Based in Hong Kong SAR
Postdoctoral Researcher 路 HKUST MAE