The research mainly focuses on the electrochemical basic research of charge transfer and material transformation at the surface interface and the dynamic change of the surface structure of electrode materials during the important electrochemical reactions in the field of energy storage and conversion. Including electrochemical synthesis of ammonia, hydrogen production, fuel cells and CO2 resource utilization. Most recently, he was the first author of the Journal Nature Communications, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Chemical Science, Nature Reviews Methods Primers and other internationally renowned journals published more than 20 papers. He has received the national Scholarship for graduate students, the Research Fund of Hitachi Production Co., LTD., and has been invited to give presentations at the International Electrochemistry Conference (ISE) many times. It has obtained 1 national invention technology patent from Japan and 1 national invention technology patent from China. Presided over 1 project of National Natural Science Foundation and participated in 1 project of Beijing Science and Technology Plan. He has been a guest reviewer of ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Journal of Catalysis and other journals for a long time.

(1) Basic theory of interface electrochemistry of metal single crystal electrode and other electrode materials/electrolyte surface
(2) Development and application of in situ microscanning probe technology
(3) New energy materials, water battery, fuel cell, electrolytic water hydrogen production, etc.
(4) Low temperature electrolyte and anti-icing material

2015.09-2019.08 Leiden University Chemistry/PhD
2012.09-2015.06 Shandong University Materials Science and Engineering/Master
2014.10-2015.06 University of Michigan Department of Materials Science and Engineering/Exchange

2023.02-present Pre-appointed Assistant Professor, School of Materials, Beijing Institute of Technology
2019.09-2022.12 Hitachi, Japan/Postdoctoral Fellow, Leiden University, The Netherlands

[1] X.T. Chen, Laura P. Granda-Marulanda, I.T. McCrum, M.T.M. Koper*. How palladium inhibits CO poisoning during electrocatalytic formic acid oxidation and carbon dioxide reduction Nat. Commun. 2022, (13), 1-11.
[2] X.T. Chen, K. Ojha, M.T.M. Koper*. Subsurface hydride formation leads to slow Surface Adsorption Processes on a Pd(111) Single-Crystal Electrode in Acidic Electrolytes J. Am. Chem. Sci. Au 2023, (3), 2501-2513.
[3] X.T. Chen, I.T. McCrum, K.S. Schwarz, M. J. Janik, M.T.M. Koper*. Co‐adsorption of cations as the cause of the apparent pH dependence of hydrogen adsorption on a stepped platinum single‐crystal electrode Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017, (56), 15025-15029.
[4] X.T. Chen, Laura P. Granda-Marulanda, I.T. McCrum, M.T.M. Koper*. Adsorption processes on a Pd monolayer-modified Pt (111) electrode Chem. Sci. 2020, (11), 1703-1713.
[5] X.T. Chen, M.T.M. Koper*. In situ EC-AFM study of the initial stages of cathodic corrosion of Pt(111) and polycrystalline Pt in acid solution J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2023, (14), 4997–5003.
[6] X.T. Chen, M.T.M. Koper*. Mass-transport-limited oxidation of formic acid on a PdMLPt (100) electrode in perchloric acid Electrochem. Commun. 2017, (82), 155-158.
[7] X.T. Chen, C.H. Si, Q.G. Bai, J. Frenzel, G. Eggeler, Z.H. Zhang*. Multicomponent platinum-free nanoporous Pd-based alloy as an active and methanol-tolerant electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction Nano Res. 2016, (9), 1831-1843.
[8] X.T. Chen, C.H. Si, Y.L. Gao, J.Z. Sun, J. Frenzel, G. Eggeler, Z.H. Zhang*. Multi-component nanoporous platinum–ruthenium–copper–osmium–iridium alloy with enhanced electrocatalytic activity towards methanol oxidation and oxygen reduction J. Power Sources 2015, (273), 324-332.
[9] X.T. Chen, Y.Y. Jiang, J.Z. Sun, C.H. Jin, Z.H. Zhang*. Highly active nanoporous Pt-based alloy as anode and cathode catalyst for direct methanol fuel cells J. Power Sources 2014, (267), 212-218
[10] X.T. Chen, H. W, Y. W, Q.G. Bai, Y. L. Gao, Z.H. Zhang*. Synthesis and electrocatalytic performance of multi-component nanoporous PtRuCuW alloy for direct methanol fuel cells Catal. 2015, (3), 1003-1015.
[11] I.T. McCrum+, X.T. Chen+, K.S. Schwarz, M. J. Janik, M.T.M. Koper*. Effect of step density and orientation on the apparent pH dependence of hydrogen and hydroxide adsorption on stepped platinum surfaces J. Phys. Chem. C 2018, (29), 16756-16764.
[12] C.H. Si, X.J. Yan, Q.F. Lu, E.Y. Guo, L.J. Luo. Z. Yang. Z.H. Zhang*, X.T. Chen*. Coralloid-Pt nanodendrites decorated nanoporous gold films with exceptional ORR performance and ab initio DFT studies Appl. Surf. Sci. 2021, (578), 152117.
[13] P. Lei*, X.T. Chen, Y. Yan, J.Q. Zhu, The tunable dielectric properties of sputtered yttrium oxide films. Appl. Phys. A 2021, (99), 127.
[14] J.X. Diao, X.L. Li, S.Y. Wang, Z.J. Zhao, W.T. Wang, K. Chen, X.T. Chen*, T.T. Chao*, Y. Yang*, Promoting water splitting on arrayed molybdenum carbide nanosheets with electronic modulation J. Mater. Chem. A 2021, (9), 21440. (Corresponding author)
[15] Z.H. Zhai, X.T. Chen*, Z.H. Zhang*. Recent advances of anion regulated NiFe-based electrocatalysts for water oxidation Sustain. Energy & Fuel 2021, (5), 6298-6309.