Richard Yuchen Niu

Hi, I'm Yuchen 👋

I'm a physical chemist finishing my Ph.D. with Prof. Janice Reutt-Robey at the University of Maryland. My thesis, Chemo-Structural Evolution of Lithium-Rich Surfaces under Driven Conditions, resolves how battery-relevant surfaces reconstruct, alloy, and oxidize — one atom at a time — by combining ultra-high-vacuum instrumentation, scanning probe microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Getting there often means building the experiment first: I've designed cryogenic cleavers and in-situ Li sources, run an entire surface-analysis facility, and trained dozens of researchers across chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering. I'm now seeking a postdoctoral position in surface chemistry to bring this atomic-scale toolkit to energy materials, catalysis, and interfacial science.

Research interests: surface science · UHV instrumentation · STM/STS · XPS & UPS · scanning probe microscopy (KPFM, MFM, PFM, EC-AFM) · battery interfaces · energy materials · electrocatalysis

Education

University of Maryland, College Park

Ph.D., Physical Chemistry — 2017–2025

Advisor: Prof. Janice Reutt-Robey

University of Science & Technology of China

B.S., Polymer Chemistry — 2013–2017

Advisor: Prof. Hangxun Xu

Publications

Author name in bold. Full list with DOIs in the CV.

Peer-reviewed & accepted

  1. Y. Niu, K. J. Gaskell, J. E. Reutt-Robey. “Chemo-Structural Evolution of LiCoO2(001) under Varied Oxygen Chemical Potentials.” J. Phys. Chem. C, 2026. [doi]
  2. D. Dong, J. Heo, Z. Li, X. Zhang, K. Xia, Q. Zhang, Y. Niu, Z. Wang, E. Hu, C. Wang. “Beyond Water-in-Salt: Dilute Aqueous Electrolytes with Cation-Associated Hydrophilic Anions.” Nature Nanotechnology, 2026. accepted
  3. S. J. Hong, T. Li, H. C. Mandujano, A. Manjón-Sanz, S.-C. Liou, Y. Niu, E. E. Rodriguez. “Reversible structural and colorimetric transitions in LuMnGaO4 upon oxygen uptake and release.” Dalton Trans., 2025, 54, 13431–13442. [doi]
  4. L. Wang, Y. Wan, Y. Ding, Y. Niu, Y. Xiong, X. Wu, H. Xu. “Photocatalytic Oxygen Evolution from Low-Bandgap Conjugated Microporous Polymer Nanosheets.” Nanoscale, 2017, 9, 4090–4096. [doi]
  5. Y. Ding, Y. Niu, J. Yang, L. Ma, J. Liu, Y. Xiong, H. Xu. “A Metal-Amino Acid Complex-Derived Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalyst for Rechargeable Zinc–Air Batteries.” Small, 2016, 12, 5414–5421. [doi]

Under review

  1. Z. Li, Y. Niu, D. Dong, et al., C. Wang. “Critical Aspects of Cycling Stability in Lithium-Metal Batteries.” Science (revise & resubmit), 2026.
  2. W. Zhang, Y. Liu, H. Wan, et al., Y. Niu, P. Albertus, L. Hu, C. Wang. “Interface Engineering Enables High Loading in All-Solid-State Batteries.” Nature Nanotechnology (revise & resubmit), 2026.
  3. Z. Wang, et al., Y. Niu, et al., S. Ren. “Chiral Multiferroic Heterostructures.” Nano Letters (revise & resubmit), 2026.

In preparation

  1. Y. Niu, J. E. Reutt-Robey. “Dynamical Li Alloying and Growth on Ag(111).”
  2. Y. Niu, J. E. Reutt-Robey. “Phase-Dependent Oxidation of Li-Ag Alloy Surfaces.”
  3. P. Li, Y. Niu, C. Wang. “Li battery interface study.”

Research

Richard Yuchen Niu in the UHV surface-science laboratory
In the UHV surface-science lab at the University of Maryland.

Chemo-structural evolution of LiCoO2(001)

Reported the first atomically-resolved room-temperature images of LiCoO2(001), proposed an atomistic model for the local (√7×√7) R19.1° reconstruction, and developed a dry chemical route to atomically-flat, stoichiometric Li1.0CoO2.0(001).

Dynamical Li alloying & growth on Ag(111)

Built and calibrated an in-situ Li source, mapped the atomic structures of numerous surface LixAg(111) phases, and deciphered the alloying dynamics and growth mode of Li on Ag(111).

Phase-dependent oxidation & work-function of Li-rich surfaces

Revealed the initial oxidation of LixAg(111) at the atomic scale, and studied the valence-band structure and work function of nanoscale Co3O4 and Li-terminated phases via in-situ XPS/UPS and KPFM.

Battery interfaces & UHV instrumentation

With the Chunsheng Wang group, analyzed Li- and Zn-metal battery interfaces by XPS and electrochemistry to improve loading and lifetime. Designed and built sample holders and an in-situ cryogenic crystal cleaver for low-temperature preparation of LiCoO2(104) and (001).

Talks & Presentations

  • 2025 ACS Fall 2025 — Oral
  • 2024 AVS 70th International Symposium & Exhibition — Oral
  • 2024 NC20: 20 Years of the Maryland NanoCenter — Best Poster
  • 2024 Kratos XPS Workshop — Invited Talk
  • 2024 AVS Mid-Atlantic Chapter, DC Regional Meeting — Poster
  • 2021 95th ACS Colloid & Surface Science Symposium — Oral

Honors & Awards

  • 2024 Best Poster Award, NC20 — University of Maryland
  • 2024 Jacob K. Goldhaber Travel Grant — University of Maryland
  • 2024 Dorothy M. & Earl S. Hoffman Travel Grant — AVS
  • 2018 Dean's Fellowship for Summer Research — University of Maryland
  • 2017 Dean's Fellowship for First Year — University of Maryland

Experience & Teaching

Graduate Assistant, Surface Analysis Center, UMD 2023–2025

Maintained all instruments (AFMs, XPSs, Raman), developed ~100 protocols, customized instrumentation for academic and industry users, and trained ~60 new users to independently operate AFMs and the confocal Raman microscope. Co-authored 6 papers through facility work.

Teaching Assistant, Dept. of Chemistry & Biochemistry, UMD 2017–2023

CHEM131 General Chemistry I (Discussion); CHEM425 Instrumental Analysis Lab (4 terms); CHEM132 General Chemistry I Lab; CHEM272 General Chemistry II Lab.

Skills

Experimental: UHV technologies, UHV instrument design, STM/STS, AFM (KPFM, MFM, PFM, AM-FM, EC-AFM), XPS, UPS, Raman, LEED, Ar plasma etching, SEM, XRD, TGA

Software: CasaXPS, Gwyddion, ImageJ, LEEDpat, LabVIEW, Materials Studio, Origin, MATLAB, Python, ChemDraw, SolidWorks