Peidong Yang

Peidong Yang is the S.K. and Angela Chan Distinguished Professor of Energy and Professor of Chemistry and Materials Science & Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. He earned his B.A. in Chemistry from the University of Science and Technology of China in 1993 before completing his Ph.D. in Chemistry at Harvard University in 1997. Following his doctoral studies, he conducted postdoctoral research at the University of California, Santa Barbara from 1997 to 1999 before joining the UC Berkeley faculty.

Over the course of his career, Yang has become a leading figure in nanoscience and materials chemistry, receiving numerous honors including the NSF CAREER Award, the ACS Pure Chemistry Award, the MRS Medal, the DOE E. O. Lawrence Award, and a MacArthur Fellowship. In 2016, he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of his pioneering contributions to nanomaterials and energy research.

Yang’s research focuses on materials chemistry, solid-state chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and physical chemistry, with a particular emphasis on low-dimensional nanoscale building blocks and their assembly into complex architectures with novel chemical and physical properties. His group is especially well known for advancing the synthesis and application of semiconductor nanowires, which exhibit unique electrical, optical, thermal, and mechanical behaviors due to their reduced dimensionality.

The Yang Group explores how semiconductor nanowires can be designed and engineered for a broad range of applications, including nanoscale electronics, photonics, renewable energy conversion, spectroscopy, and biological sensing. By developing highly controlled synthetic strategies, the group studies how nanowire structures can function as nanoscale lasers, optical waveguides, photodetectors, and energy-conversion materials.

A major focus of his work is artificial photosynthesis and solar-to-fuel conversion. His research investigates how nanowire-based systems can mimic natural photosynthesis by integrating light absorption, charge separation, and catalytic reactions within compartmentalized architectures. Through this work, Yang seeks to develop efficient and scalable systems for converting sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into valuable fuels and chemicals.

More broadly, his research emphasizes the importance of interfaces in modern materials systems, particularly for energy conversion and storage technologies. By integrating concepts across chemistry, physics, and materials science, Yang’s work continues to shape the development of next-generation nanomaterials and sustainable energy technologies.