2025-Present Tsinghua University, Associate Research Professor

2022-2024 Tsinghua University, Assistant Research Professor

2021-2022 General Motors Company (USA), Senior Researcher

2017-2021 University of Maryland (USA), Postdoctoral Research Associate

2015-2017 University of South Carolina (USA), Postdoctoral Fellow

2013-2015 Tsinghua University, Postdoctor

August 2024 - Present Secretary-General of the New Battery Composite Materials Branch, Chinese Society for Composite Materials

January 2024 - Present Junior Editor of Journal of Materiomics

Dr. Ren has long been dedicated to the research on the preparation of conductive (ionic, electronic) functional ceramic materials, as well as the design, development, and industrial application of solid-state electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices. In addition, he has conducted extensive and in-depth studies on solid-state ionic conductor electrolyte materials and the electrolyte-electrode interface of solid-state batteries. Through these endeavors, Dr. Ren has accumulated a wealth of theoretical knowledge and practical experience and achieved a series of representative accomplishments, securing numerous technical patents.

Dr. Ren has led or participated in multiple major projects funded by China's National Natural Science Foundation, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Main research directions:

1. Solid-state (lithium, sodium) batteries

2. (Ionic, Electronic) conductive materials, energy storage, electrocatalytic functional ceramic materials

Dr. Ren has authored over 30 peer-reviewed journal papers and conference abstracts and is the inventor of three issued Chinese patents and one German patent.

Representative papers:

1. Jiahui Zhang, Qian Wu, Rongchuan Cao, Yuanhang Wang, Yang Shao, Di Yi, Yaoyu Ren*, Lingqiao Wu, Ce-Wen Nan, Xi Chen*, Haijun Yu, Liangliang Li*. Multifunctional Zeolites for Rechargeable Lithium-Based Batteries: Progress and Perspectives. Energy Storage Materials, 2025, 80, 104369.

2. Jingjing Ma, Yuhao Zhu, Huanchun Wang, Yue Zhang, Qian Wu, ZuoYu Qin, Jiahui Zhang, Bo Liu, Dan Huang, Yaoyu Ren*, Ce-Wen Nan, Xuanjun Wang*. Tuning Anion Chemistry to Enhance Bulk and Interfacial Stability in Low-Temperature Lithium Metal Batteries. Advanced Energy Materials, 2025, 2500631.

3. Yue Li, Peipei Ding, Li Cai, Lin Shi, Yang Zhao, Hong Liu, Haocheng Yuan, Dengfeng Yu, Chuangjie Guo, Qiang Gao, Liangliang Li, Yaoyu Ren*, Cewen Nan, Yang Shen*. Eco-Friendly Soy Protein-Based Solid-State Electrolyte Exhibiting Stable High-Rate Cyclic Performances by Molecular Regulation Design. Advanced Energy Materials, 2025, 2501056

4. Hong Liu, Yang Li, Chenxin Dong, Haocheng Yuan, Dengfeng Yu, Peipei Ding, Yue Li, Rongchuan Cao, Qian Wu, Ying Liang, Hanlin Luo, Zuoyu Qin, Lei Gao, Yaoyu Ren*, Li-Zhen Fan*, Ce-Wen Nan*. Fluorinated coating stabilizing halide solid electrolytes for all-solid-state lithium metal batteries. Energy Storage Materials, 2025, 75, 104107.

5. Jiahui Zhang, Haocheng Yuan, Zuoyu Qin, Peipei Ding, Dengfeng Yu, Huiping Wu, Jian Wang, Yang Shao, Weidong Zhou, Ce-Wen Nan, Yaoyu Ren*, Liangliang Li*. Regulating the Manganese Valence State Improves the Kinetic Properties of Manganese-Based Cathodes. Advanced Functional Materials, 2024, 25, 2413684.

6. Hong Liu, Dabing Li, Chenxin Dong, Yang Li, Haocheng Yuan, Dengfeng Yu, Lei Gao*, Peipei Ding, Yue Li, Zuoyu Qin, Ying Liang, HanLin Luo, Liangliang Li, Yaoyu Ren*, Li-Zhen Fan*, Ce-Wen Nan*. Generalized Interphase Design for Stabilized Li/Inorganic Electrolyte Interfaces. Advanced Energy Materials, 2024, 2402064. (Front Cover Article)

7. Dengfeng Yu, Haocheng Yuan, Kaihua Wen, Peipei Ding, Hong Liu, Yu-Hsien Wu, Rong Yang, Ce-Wen Nan, Yaoyu Ren*, Liangliang Li*. A CuS-based composite cathode with a high areal capacity for sulfide-based all-solid-state batteries. Nano Energy, 2024, 127, 109767.

8. Xiang Miao, Chenxi Song, Wei Hu, Yaoyu Ren*, Yang Shen*, Ce-Wen Nan*. Achieving High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries by Modulating Li⁺ Desolvation Barrier with Liquid Crystal Polymers. Advanced Materials, 2024, 36(29), 2401473.

9. Yaoyu Ren, Timo Danner, Alexandra Moy, Martin Finsterbusch, Tanner Hamann, Jan Dippell, Till Fuchs, Marius Müller, Ricky Hoft, André Weber, Larry A. Curtiss, Peter Zapol, Matthew Klenk, Anh T. Ngo, Pallab Barai, Brandon Wood, Rongpei Shi, Liwen F. Wan, Tae Wook, Martin Engels, Jagjit Nanda, Felix H. Richter, Arnulf Latz, Venkat Srinivasan*, Jürgen Janek*, Jeff Sakamoto*, Eric Wachsman*, Dina Fattakhova-Rohlfing*. Oxide-based solid-state batteries: A perspective on composite cathode architecture. Advanced Energy Materials, 2023, 13 (1), 2201939. (Editor’s Choice)

10. Yaoyu Ren, Eric Wachsman*. All solid-state Li/LLZO/LCO battery enabled by alumina interfacial coating. Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 2022, 169 (4), 040529. (Focus issue in honor of John Goodenough: a centenarian milestone)

11. Yaoyu Ren*, Yang Shen, Yuanhua Lin, Ce-Wen Nan*. Microstructure manipulation for enhancing the resistance of garnet-type solid electrolytes to “short circuit” by Li metal anodes. ACS applied materials & interfaces, 2019, 11 (6), 5928-5937.

12. Yaoyu Ren, Yuan Cheng, Raymond J. Gorte, Kevin Huang*. Toward stabilizing Co3O4 nanoparticles as an oxygen reduction reaction catalyst for intermediate-temperature SOFCs. Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 2017, 164, F3001-F3007.

13. Yaoyu Ren*, Ting Liu, Yang Shen, Yuanhua Lin, Ce-Wen Nan. Garnet-type oxide electrolyte with novel porous-dense bilayer configuration for rechargeable all-solid-state lithium batteries. Ionics, 2017, 23 (9), 2521-2527.

14. Yaoyu Ren*, Ting Liu, Yang Shen, Yuanhua Lin, Ce-Wen Nan*. Chemical compatibility between garnet-like solid state electrolyte Li6.75La3Zr1.75Ta0.25O12 and major commercial lithium battery cathode materials. Journal of Materiomics, 2016, 2, 256-264.

15. Yaoyu Ren*, Yang Shen, Yuanhua Lin, Ce-Wen Nan*. Direct observation of lithium dendrites inside garnet-type lithium-ion solid electrolyte. Electrochemistry Communications, 2015, 57, 27-30. (ISI highly cited paper)

16. Yaoyu Ren*, Kai Chen, Rujun Chen, Ting Liu, Yibo Zhang, Ce-Wen Nan*. Oxide Electrolytes for Lithium Batteries. Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 2015, 98, 1–21. (Invited feature article)

17. Yaoyu Ren*, Hui Deng, Rujun Chen, Yang Shen, Yuanhua Lin, Ce-Wen Nan*. Effect of Li source on microstructure and ionic conductivity of Li6.75La3Zr1.75Ta0.25O12 ceramics. Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 2015, 35, 561-572.

18. Yaoyu Ren*, Rainer Küngas, Raymond Gorte, Changsheng Deng. The effect of A-site cation (Ln = La, Pr, Sm) on the crystal structure, conductivity and oxygen reduction properties of Sr-doped ferrite perovskites. Solid State Ionics, 2012, 212, 47-54.