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 "excerpt": "Yugang Sun is a chemistry professor at Temple University who won a 2007 Presidential Early Career Award at Argonne National Laboratory for chemical synthesis of metal and semiconductor nanomaterials.",
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 "markdown": "# Yugang Sun\n\n**Yugang Sun** is Professor of Chemistry at [Temple University](https://www.edgepedia.org/temple-university) who received a 2007 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in the Department of Energy section while at [Argonne National Laboratory](https://www.edgepedia.org/argonne-national-laboratory). He is known for controlled chemical synthesis of metal and two-dimensional nanomaterials, including silver nanoplates and nanowire templates, plasmonic nanoparticles, molybdenum disulfide electrocatalysts, and [high-entropy alloy nanoparticles](https://www.edgepedia.org/high-entropy-alloy-nanoparticles).<sup>[1](https://science.osti.gov/Science-Features/News-Archive/Science-Headlines/2008/12-19-08)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://sites.temple.edu/nanosungroup/people/)</sup>\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| PECASE award | 2007, Department of Energy section, for chemical synthesis and nanofabrication of metal and semiconductor nanomaterials and community educational activities<sup>[1](https://science.osti.gov/Science-Features/News-Archive/Science-Headlines/2008/12-19-08)</sup> |\n| Education | B.S. 1996 and Ph.D. 2001, University of Science and Technology of China<sup>[5](https://en.ustc.edu.cn/info/1066/2643.htm)</sup> |\n| Argonne career | Assistant Scientist 08/2006–12/2009, Scientist 01/2010–12/2015, Center for Nanoscale Materials<sup>[4](https://sites.temple.edu/nanosungroup/people/)</sup> |\n| Current position | Professor, Department of Chemistry, Temple University, since 2022<sup>[4](https://sites.temple.edu/nanosungroup/people/)</sup> |\n| MoS₂ hydrogen-evolution catalyst | Onset potential −103 mV, Tafel slope 49 mV per decade, exchange current density 9.62 × 10⁻³ mA cm⁻²<sup>[7](https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms8493)</sup> |\n| Plasmon size-dependence | Silver nanoparticle SPR band blue-shifts down to ~12 nm diameter, then strongly red-shifts<sup>[8](https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1007524107)</sup> |\n| 2011 Thomson Reuters rankings | #62 among top 100 chemists; #5 among top 100 materials scientists<sup>[5](https://en.ustc.edu.cn/info/1066/2643.htm)</sup> |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nSun earned his B.S. in 1996 and his Ph.D. in 2001 from the [University of Science and Technology of China](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-science-and-technology-of-china) (USTC) in Hefei.<sup>[5](https://en.ustc.edu.cn/info/1066/2643.htm)</sup> He then worked as a postdoctoral fellow with Prof. [Younan Xia](https://www.edgepedia.org/younan-xia) at the University of Washington and Prof. [John A. Rogers](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-a-rogers) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.<sup>[5](https://en.ustc.edu.cn/info/1066/2643.htm)</sup>\n\n## Career\n\nSun joined the Center for Nanoscale Materials at Argonne National Laboratory in August 2006 as an Assistant Scientist and was promoted to [Scientist](https://www.edgepedia.org/scientist) in January 2010.<sup>[4](https://sites.temple.edu/nanosungroup/people/)</sup> His own lab page lists the Argonne appointment ending in December 2015, with a move to Temple University's Department of Chemistry in January 2016; his ORCID record likewise lists the Center for Nanoscale Materials scientist position through December 2015, though it labels the entire 2006–2015 period as Scientist.<sup>[3](https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6351-6977)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://sites.temple.edu/nanosungroup/people/)</sup> At Temple he was promoted to Professor in 2022.<sup>[4](https://sites.temple.edu/nanosungroup/people/)</sup>\n\n## Research and contributions\n\n**Controlled synthesis** is the unifying theme of Sun's work. A Department of Energy research report from his Argonne years highlights the direct growth of anisotropic metal nanoplates with clean surfaces on semiconductor substrates: single-crystal silver nanoplates of about 25 nm uniform thickness, free of contamination from the underlying n-type GaAs, grown at room temperature from 1 M AgNO₃ solution.<sup>[6](https://www.nano.gov/sites/default/files/synthesisplasmonicnanoparticles_doe.pdf)</sup> The same program showed that these nanoplates work as surface-enhanced [Raman spectroscopy](https://www.edgepedia.org/raman-spectroscopy) (SERS) substrates for detecting molecules close to their surfaces, and that overgrowth and alloying convert them into Au/Ag, Pt/Ag, and Pd/Ag alloys, with surface plasmon resonance peaks that red-shift as nanoplate size increases; target applications included SERS, photoelectrochemical solar cells, and optoelectronics.<sup>[6](https://www.nano.gov/sites/default/files/synthesisplasmonicnanoparticles_doe.pdf)</sup>\n\nHis research program centers on designing hybrid nanostructures and exploiting their properties in nanophotonics, photocatalysis, sensing, and energy storage and conversion.<sup>[5](https://en.ustc.edu.cn/info/1066/2643.htm)</sup> One proposed design attaches quantum-sized platinum-group-metal nanocrystals to transparent silica spheres that support dielectric scattering resonances; the intensified near fields enhance the metal's absorption cross-section and improve the yield of \"hot electrons\" in the metal nanocrystals under solar excitation.<sup>[5](https://en.ustc.edu.cn/info/1066/2643.htm)</sup>\n\n## Key publications\n\n**Graphene composite photocatalysts (Chem Rev, 2015).** \"Waltzing with the Versatile Platform of Graphene to Synthesize Composite Photocatalysts\" reviews how graphene serves as a platform for building composite photocatalysts. About 247 citations per iCite.<sup>[14](https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrev.5b00267)</sup>\n\n**Edge-terminated MoS₂ for hydrogen evolution (Nat Commun, 2015).** A microwave-assisted synthesis produced narrow MoS₂ nanosheets with edge-terminated structure and an expanded 9.4-Å interlayer spacing, giving an onset potential of −103 mV, a Tafel slope of 49 mV per decade, and an exchange current density of 9.62 × 10⁻³ mA cm⁻², which the authors place among the best MoS₂ catalysts for electrochemical hydrogen production from water, a low-cost alternative to platinum. The expanded interlayer distance modifies the electronic structure and suggests interlayer modulation as a design lever. About 226 citations per iCite.<sup>[7](https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms8493)</sup>\n\n**Reversing the plasmon size-dependence (PNAS, 2010).** Using colloidal silver nanoparticles with highly uniform morphologies and narrow size distributions across the ~2–20 nm range, the study showed that the surface plasmon resonance band blue-shifts as diameter decreases from ~20 nm but turns over near ~12 nm and strongly red-shifts. A multilayer Mie theory model attributed the red-shift to lowered electron conductivity in the outermost atomic layer from chemical interactions, confirmed by controlling SPR peak positions through ligand exchange. About 190 citations per iCite.<sup>[8](https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1007524107)</sup>\n\n**In situ liquid-cell TEM of nanoparticle self-assembly (JACS, 2013).** In a liquid cell inside a transmission electron microscope, hydrated electrons generated by beam illumination reduced the positive charge of cetyltrimethylammonium-coated gold nanoparticles, weakening electrostatic repulsion and driving assembly into one-dimensional structures; citrate-coated negatively charged particles stayed dispersed regardless of beam intensity. About 121 citations per iCite.<sup>[9](https://doi.org/10.1021/ja312620e)</sup>\n\n**Ruthenium nanoframes (Nano Lett, 2016).** Seeded growth on the corners and edges of palladium truncated octahedra, followed by chemical etching of the Pd cores, yielded the first reported ruthenium nanoframes, about 2 nm thick. The palladium seeds' face-centered cubic structure was replicated by ruthenium, which normally adopts the hcp structure, and the fcc Ru nanoframes showed higher catalytic activity for p-nitrophenol reduction and ammonia borane dehydrogenation than hcp Ru nanowires of similar thickness. About 100 citations per iCite.<sup>[10](https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b00607)</sup>\n\n**High-entropy alloy nanoparticles (Chem Soc Rev, 2024).** This review organizes the methods for synthesizing metallic high-entropy alloy nanoparticles, nanoparticles mixing several principal elements, into five categories based on their commonality. About 92 citations per Crossref.<sup>[11](https://doi.org/10.1039/d3cs00954h)</sup>\n\n**Silver nanowire templates (Nanoscale, 2010).** A review of a polyol process producing high-quality silver nanowires at high yield, and of their use as physical templates for metal/dielectric core/shell nanowires and chemical templates for metal nanotubes and semiconductor nanowires, with examples including Ag/SiO₂ coaxial nanocables, Au-Ag alloy nanotubes and AgCl/Au core/shell nanowires, for applications in electronics, photonics, optoelectronics, catalysis, and medicine. About 87 citations per iCite.<sup>[12](https://doi.org/10.1039/c0nr00258e)</sup>\n\n**Nucleation engineering in organic solution (Chem Soc Rev, 2013).** A tutorial review using colloidal silver nanoparticle synthesis in organic solutions, which offers higher yield and uniformity than aqueous synthesis, to derive empirical rules for controlling nucleation and so obtain high-quality nanoparticles. About 82 citations per iCite.<sup>[13](https://doi.org/10.1039/c2cs35289c)</sup>\n\n## Electrocatalysis and energy materials\n\nThe 2015 MoS₂ paper illustrates how Sun's synthetic control translates into energy-relevant performance. Layered MoS₂ had shown promise as a low-cost alternative to platinum-based catalysts for producing hydrogen electrochemically from water, with most work focused on exposing active edge sites through nanostructuring. The microwave-assisted route produced narrow, edge-terminated nanosheets and simultaneously expanded the interlayer spacing, and both effects contributed to the catalytic improvement: the exposed edges plus an interlayer distance large enough to modify the electronic structure. The reported kinetic metrics, an onset potential of −103 mV, a Tafel slope of 49 mV per decade, and an exchange current density of 9.62 × 10⁻³ mA cm⁻², placed the material among the best MoS₂ catalysts at the time.<sup>[7](https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms8493)</sup> The 2016 Ru nanoframes extended this catalytic work to noble-metal structures whose open geometry and metastable fcc phase raised activity in solution-phase reactions.<sup>[10](https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b00607)</sup>\n\n## Honours and recognition\n\nSun's PECASE citation credited him with \"developing ground-breaking techniques for chemical synthesis and nanofabrication of metal and semiconductor nanomaterials; and for educational activities for the community,\" identifying him with DOE's Argonne National Laboratory in Argonne, Illinois.<sup>[1](https://science.osti.gov/Science-Features/News-Archive/Science-Headlines/2008/12-19-08)</sup> The DOE Office of Science honor roll lists him in the 2007 cohort.<sup>[2](https://science.osti.gov/-/media/About/pdf/organization/honors-and-awards/pecase/2009_pecase.pdf)</sup> In 2008 he received DOE's Office of Science Early Career Scientist and Engineer Award.<sup>[5](https://en.ustc.edu.cn/info/1066/2643.htm)</sup> A 2011 [Thomson Reuters](https://www.edgepedia.org/thomson-reuters) analysis placed him #62 among the top 100 chemists and #5 among the top 100 materials scientists.<sup>[5](https://en.ustc.edu.cn/info/1066/2643.htm)</sup>\n\n## Recent developments\n\nThe 2024 Chemical Society Reviews review of metallic high-entropy alloy nanoparticle synthesis shows continued activity in nanocrystal synthesis at Temple University.<sup>[11](https://doi.org/10.1039/d3cs00954h)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6351-6977)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [Energy Department Scientists and Engineers Receive Presidential Early Career Awards — U.S. DOE Office of Science](https://science.osti.gov/Science-Features/News-Archive/Science-Headlines/2008/12-19-08)\n2. [DOE Office of Science PECASE honoree list](https://science.osti.gov/-/media/About/pdf/organization/honors-and-awards/pecase/2009_pecase.pdf)\n3. [Yugang Sun (0000-0001-6351-6977) — ORCID](https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6351-6977)\n4. [Dr. Yugang Sun's Group — People (Temple University)](https://sites.temple.edu/nanosungroup/people/)\n5. ['Quantum-Sized' Metal Nanoparticles for Photochemical Energy Conversion — USTC seminar page with biography](https://en.ustc.edu.cn/info/1066/2643.htm)\n6. [Synthesis of Plasmonic Nanoparticles for Hybrid Nanophotonic Materials (Sun & Wiederrecht, Argonne CNM)](https://www.nano.gov/sites/default/files/synthesisplasmonicnanoparticles_doe.pdf)\n7. [Edge-terminated molybdenum disulfide with a 9.4-Å interlayer spacing for electrochemical hydrogen production, Nat Commun 2015](https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms8493)\n8. [Reversing the size-dependence of surface plasmon resonances, PNAS 2010](https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1007524107)\n9. [In situ visualization of self-assembly of charged gold nanoparticles, JACS 2013](https://doi.org/10.1021/ja312620e)\n10. [Ru Nanoframes with an fcc Structure and Enhanced Catalytic Properties, Nano Lett 2016](https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b00607)\n11. [Synthesis of metallic high-entropy alloy nanoparticles, Chem Soc Rev 2024](https://doi.org/10.1039/d3cs00954h)\n12. [Silver nanowires — unique templates for functional nanostructures, Nanoscale 2010](https://doi.org/10.1039/c0nr00258e)\n13. [Controlled synthesis of colloidal silver nanoparticles in organic solutions: empirical rules for nucleation engineering, Chem Soc Rev 2013](https://doi.org/10.1039/c2cs35289c)\n14. [doi.org](https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrev.5b00267)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Physical world and mathematics › Chemistry › Chemical principles and methods › Chemical synthesis › Inorganic and organometallic synthesis*\n\n*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Nov 11, 2026 · Last review: Sep 19, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n",
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