HOME > Profile > YU, Yau Wai Denis
- YU.Denis@nims.go.jp
- Address
- 305-0044 1-1 Namiki Tsukuba Ibaraki JAPAN [Access]
Accepting Students
Research
- Keywords
Battery materials; electrochemistry; ion transport; energy storage
Battery is a key component to sustainable development that would increase energy efficiency and also enable fast adoption of renewable energies. The performances of batteries such as capacity, power, cycle life, safety and cost depend on the materials that are used inside. Prof. Yu’s research focuses on developing novel materials (cathode, anode, membrane and electrolyte) for energy storage applications and understanding their fundamental charge-discharge mechanisms and stability.
PublicationsNIMS affiliated publications since 2004.
Research papers
- Zhenfei Cai, Shuai Wang, Mengqin Tao, Yangzhou Ma, Denis Y.W. Yu, Guangsheng Song. Inducing reconstruction of Li-rich layered oxides to improve electrochemical performance of Li1.2Ni0.2Mn0.6O2. Electrochimica Acta. 543 (2025) 147644 10.1016/j.electacta.2025.147644
- Yu Zhao, Hekang Zhu, Lidan Xing, Denis Y.W. Yu. Electrolyte design for high power dual-ion battery with graphite cathode for low temperature applications. Chemical Engineering Journal. 493 (2024) 152602 10.1016/j.cej.2024.152602 Open Access
- Kaiming Xue, Qiaohui Duan, Kotaro Imaizumi, Hongfei Li, Denis Y.W. Yu. Improving reversibility and reducing overpotential of Cu–Zn battery with electrolyte engineering and cation-selective membrane. Electrochimica Acta. 514 (2025) 145690 10.1016/j.electacta.2025.145690
Presentations
- LIN, Chia-Ching, UDVARHELYI, Peter, Hao-Hsiang Chang, Tsung-Yi Chen, Zhenfei Cai, Yu Zhao, Han-Yi Chen, YU, Yau Wai Denis. Regulating Cation Disorder to Stabilize Oxygen Redox in Li-Rich DRX Cathodes via Fe Substitution. The 23rd International Meeting on Lithium Batteries (IMLB 2026). 2026
- LYU, Shaofan, LIN, Chia-Ching, YU, Yau Wai Denis, Kajiyama, Satoshi, Okubo, Masashi. Surface Modification of O3-type Sodium Layered Oxides for Improvement of Safety of Sodium-Ion Batteries. The 66th Battery Symposium in Japan. 2025
- LIN, Chia-Ching, KUBOTA, Kei, Zhao, Yu, YU, Yau Wai Denis. Investigating the Structural Change and Degradation Mechanism of MnO2 for Lithium-ion Batteries. The 66th Battery Symposium in Japan. 2025
Society memberships
電気化学会
Research Center for Energy and Environmental Materials (GREEN)
Battery and energy storage technologies
Battery materials and systems, Ion transport, Electrochemistry, Battery safety
Overview
Battery is a key component to sustainable development that would increase energy efficiency and also enable fast adoption of renewable energies. The performances of batteries such as capacity, power, cycle life, safety and cost depend on the materials that are used inside. Prof. Yu’s research focuses on developing novel materials (cathode, anode, membrane and electrolyte) for energy storage applications and understanding their fundamental charge-discharge mechanisms and stability.
Novelty and originality
• Lithium-ion battery materials and characterizations
• Anionic reactions in sodium-ion cathodes
• High power dual-ion batteries and anion intercalation
• Technologies on electrolyte, membranes and battery safety
• Low cost metal-metal batteries
Details
In a battery, ions are stored inside material structures, transported through interfaces and electrolyte, as well as reacted on surfaces. Our group uses advanced characterizations to study ion transports and charge-discharge mechanisms in various energy storage systems in order to develop technologies applicable for industry.
Summary
Prof. Denis Yu received his A.B. (Physics) from Princeton University and PhD (Applied Physics) from Harvard University. After completing his PhD, he moved to Japan to work as an engineer at SANYO Electric Co. Ltd. for 8 years, developing cathode and anode materials for Li-ion batteries. Afterwards, he joined Nanyang Technological University and then City University of Hong Kong, and was promoted to associate professor in 2018. He joined the National Institute for Materials Science in 2022 and is now also an affiliated professor at the University of Tsukuba.
