Yu Wang was born in Nanyang, a small city located in the middle of China. He received his Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from Xiamen University in 2016, under the supervision of Prof. Nanfeng Zheng. He then pursued postdoctoral research with Prof. Nicola Pinna at Humboldt University of Berlin, supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Since 2020, he has been an independent junior group leader at the Department of Chemistry. His research interests focus on the structure-property correlation of nanoclusters, particularly in the areas of solar light harvesting and energy conversion.

• 2024 - Individual research grant with „Eigene Stelle” (renewal), DFG
• 2020 - Individual research grant with „Eigene Stelle”, DFG
• 2016 - Humboldt Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Researchers, AvH
• 2015 - National Scholarship for Graduate Students, MoE, China

• Zheng, X.; Liu, Y.; Ma, W.; Su, Y.; Wang, Y.* The Structure-Activity Relationship of Copper Hydride Nanoclusters in Hydrogenation Reduction Reactions. Nanoscale Adv. 2024, 6, 1374-1379.
• Liu, Y.; Li, Z.; Liu, X.-H.; Pinna, N.; * Wang, Y.* Atomically Precise AuxAg25−x Nanoclusters with a Modulated Interstitial Au–Ag Microenvironment for Enhanced Visible-light-driven Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution. Nanoscale Horiz. 2023, 8, 1435-1439.
• Liu, Y.; Long, D.; Springer, A.; Wang, R.; Koch, N.; Schwalbe, M.; Pinna, N.; Wang, Y.* Correlating Heteroatoms Doping, Electronic Structures, and Photocatalytic Activities of Single-Atom-Doped Ag25(SR)18 Nanoclusters. Solar RRL 2023, 7, 2201057.
• Liu, Y.; Wierzbicka, E.; Springer, A.; Pinna, N.; * Wang, Y.* Influence of the Electronic Properties of the Ligand on the Photoelectrochemical Behavior of Au25 Nanocluster-Sensitized TiO2 Photoanode. J. Phys. Chem. C. 2022, 126, 1778-1784.
• Wang, Y.;*† Liu, X.-H.;† Wang, R.; Cula, B.; Chen, Z.-N.; Chen, Q.-Y.; * Koch, N.; Pinna, N.* Secondary Phosphine Oxide Functionalized Gold Clusters and their Application in Photoelectrocatalytic Hydrogenation Reactions. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 9595-9600.
• Wang, Y.;*† Liu, X.-H.;† Wang, Q.; Quick, M.; Kovalenko, A. S.; Chen, Q.-Y.; * Koch, N.; Pinna, N.* Insights into Charge Transfer at an Atomically Precise Nanocluster/Semiconductor Interface. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 7748-7754.
• Wang, Y.; *† Liu, X.-H.;† Kovalenko, A. S.; Chen, Q.-Y.; Pinna, N.* Atomically Precise Bimetallic Nanoclusters as Photosensitizers in Photoelectrochemical Cells. Chem. Eur. J. 2019, 25, 4814-4820.
• Su, H; Wang, Y.; Ren, L.; Yuan, P.; Teo, B. K.; Lin, S.; Zheng, L.; Zheng, N. F.* Fractal Patterns in Nucleation and Growth of Icosahedral Core of [AunAg44–n(SC6H3F2)30]4– (n = 0–12) via ab Initio Synthesis: Continuously Tunable Composition Control. Inorg. Chem. 2019, 58, 259-264.
• Yang, H. Y.; Yan, J.; Wang, Y.; Deng, G.; Su, H.; Zhao, X.; Xu, C.; Teo, B. K.; Zheng, N. F.* From Racemic Metal Nanoparticles to Optically Pure Enantiomers in One Pot. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2017, 139, 16113-16116.
• Yang, H. Y.; Yan, J.; Wang, Y.; Su, H.; Gell, L.; Zhao, X.; Xu, C.; Teo, B. K.; Hakkinen, H.;* Zheng, N. F.* Embryonic Growth of Face-Center-Cubic Silver Nanoclusters Shaped in Nearly Perfect Half-Cubes and Cubes. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2017, 139, 31-34.
• Yang, H. Y.;† Wang, Y.;† Chen, X.; Zhao, X. J.; Gu, L.; Huang, H. Q.; Yan, J. Z.; Li, G.; Wu, J. C.; Edwards, A.;* Dittrich, B.; Tang, Z. C.; Wang, D. D.; Lehtovaara, L.; Hakkinen, H.;* Zheng, N. F.* Plasmonic twinned silver nanoparticles with molecular precision. Nat. Commun. 2016, 7, 12809.
• Wang, Y.;† Su, H. F.;† Ren, L. T.;† Malola, S.; Lin, S. C.; Tang, Z. C.; Teo, B. K.;* Hakkinen, H.; Zheng, N. F.* Site Preference in Multimetallic Nanoclusters: Incorporation of Alkali Metal Ions or Copper Atoms into Alkynyl-Protected Body-Centered-Cubic Cluster [Au7Ag8(C≡CtBu)12]+ . Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2016, 55, 15152-15156.
• Wang, Y.; Wan, X. K.; Ren, L. T.; Su, H. F.; Li, G.; Malola, S.; Lin, S. C.; Tang, Z. C.; Hakkinen, H.; Teo, B. K.; Wang, Q. M.;* Zheng, N. F.* Atomically Precise Alkynyl-Protected Metal Nanoclusters as a Model Catalyst: Observation of Promoting Effect of Surface Ligands on Catalysis by Metal Nanoparticles. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138, 3278-3281.
• Wang, Y.; Su, H. F.; Xu, C. F.; Li, G.; Gell, L.; Lin, S. C.; Tang, Z. C.; Hakkinen, H.; Zheng, N. F.* An Intermetallic Au24Ag20 Superatom Nanocluster Stabilized by Labile Ligands. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015, 137, 4324-4327.
• Wang, Y.; Yang, H. Y.; Zheng, N. F.* Chapter 4 - Structural Engineering of Heterometallic Nanoclusters. Frontiers of Nanoscience, Elsevier, 2015, 9, 73-102.
• Yang, H. Y.; † Wang, Y.; † Yan, J. Z.; Chen, X.; Zhang, X.; Hakkinen, H.; Zheng, N. F.* Structural Evolution of Atomically Precise Thiolated Bimetallic [Au12+nCu32(SR)30+n]4- (n=0, 2, 4, 6) Nanoclusters. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136, 7197-7200.
• Yang, H. Y.; † Wang, Y.; † Edwards, A. J.; Yan, J. Z.; Zheng, N. F.* High-yield Synthesis and Crystal Structure of A Green Au30 Cluster Co-capped by Thiolate and Sulfide. Chem. Commun. 2014, 50, 14325-14327.
• Zhang, X.; Yang, H. Y.; Zhao, X.; Wang, Y.; Zheng, N. F.* The Effects of Surface Ligands and Counter Cations on the Stability of Anionic Thiolated M12Ag32 (M = Au, Ag) Nanoclusters. Chin. Chem. Lett. 2014, 25, 839-843.
• Yang, H. Y.; Wang, Y.; Huang, H. Q.; Gell, L,; Lehtovaara, L.; Malola, S,; Hakkinen, H.;* Zheng, N. F.* All-thiol-stabilized Ag44 and Au12Ag32 Nanoparticles with Single-crystal Structures Nat. Commun. 2013, 4, 2422.
• Yang, H. Y.; Wang, Y.; Lei, J.; Shi, L.; Wu, X.; Makinen, V.; Lin, S.; Tang, Z.; He, J.; Hakkinen, H.; Zheng, L.; Zheng, N. F.* Ligand-Stabilized Au13Cux (x = 2, 4, 8) Bimetallic Nanoclusters: Ligand Engineering to Control the Exposure of Metal Sites. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 9568-9571.
• Yang, H. Y.; Lei, J.; Wu, B.; Wang, Y.; Zhou, M.; Xia, A.; Zheng, L.; Zheng, N. F.* Crystal Structure of A Luminescent Thiolated Ag Nanocluster with An Octahedral Ag64+ Core. Chem. Commun. 2013, 49, 300-302.
• Yang, H. Y.; Wang, Y.; Zheng, N. F.* Stabilizing Subnanometer Ag(0) Nanoclusters by Thiolate and Diphosphine Ligands and Their Crystal Structures. Nanoscale 2013, 5, 2674-2677.
• Chen, L.; Shi, D.; Wang, Y.; Cheng, H.; Geng, Z.; Zhao, J.;* Ma, P.; Niu, J. Two 3d–4f Heterometallic Monovacant Keggin Phosphotungstate Derivatives. J.Coord. Chem. 2011, 64, 400-412.
• Shi, D.; Chen, L.; Zhao, J.;* Wang, Y.; Ma, P.; Niu, J.* Two Novel 2D Organic–inorganic Hybrid Lacunary Keggin Phosphotungstate 3d–4f Heterometallic Derivatives: [Cu(en)2]2H6[Ce(α-PW11O39)2]·8H2O and [Cu(dap)2(H2O)][Cu(dap)2]4.5[Dy(α-PW11O39)2]·4H2O. Inorg. Chem. Commun. 2011, 14, 324-329.