Chemical Engineering researcher named in the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30

Anqi Wang was recognised as one of Europe's leading innovators for his research on flow batteries.

Anqi's innovative work on membranes for flow batteries helps store green electricity on a grid scale with a goal of a 20-year lifetime, advancing the transition to a carbon-neutral economy.

The membranes allow for a 50% efficiency boost, tenfold capacity loss improvement and do not use the toxic "forever chemicals" used in comparable materials.

Anqi’s research was recognised in the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30 (Europe), under the Science and Healthcare category.

On being recognised for his research achievements, Anqi, a researcher with the Department of Chemical Engineering, stated, "I am thrilled to be among the Forbes Under 30 list of innovators in Europe. Teamwork is really the key to any of my progress in this highly multidisciplinary research area of clean energy technologies!"

Green Electricity

The deployment of renewable energy from sources such as wind and solar plays a decisive role in the global transition towards net-zero carbon emissions. As these renewables are not dispatchable or constantly available, energy storage units, such as batteries, are required to store the massive amount of green electricity generated and release them on demand. However, today’s batteries are too expensive and not durable enough.

Working around the boundaries of polymers, electrochemistry, and chemical engineering, Anqi tackles these challenges by developing next-gen membrane separators, a crucial component in batteries, with a molecular design and engineering approach. He tailors the nanoscale structures of polymer membranes to improve their macroscopic properties, such as ionic resistance and selectivity, and ultimately applies these membranes in sustainable organic-based redox flow battery systems, which are well-suited for grid-scale energy storage.

In addition to further membrane development, Anqi and the team are in close contact with potential industry partners and exploring commercialisation opportunities. Prior to this recognition, Anqi has also been awarded the Energy Sector Award and the Stephanie L Kwolek Prize from the Royal Society of Chemistry and among the list of American Chemical Society Future Faculty honorees.

Funding: UKRI, EPSRC, ERC

Forbes 30 under 30

Forbes 30 Under 30 is a set of lists of 30 notable people under 30 years old in various industries. The lists are issued annually by Forbes magazine. The lists recognize 600 business and industry figures in the American edition, and feature different categories such as healthcare, science, consumer technology, Hollywood, retail, social media, sports, finance and more.