Rate My Professor Hua Li

Hua Li, Dr., serves as Senior Research Fellow in the School of Molecular Sciences within the Faculty of Science at the University of Western Australia and as Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) Platform Leader at the Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis (CMCA). She earned her PhD in Applied Minerals and Materials from the Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia. Following her PhD, she held positions as research associate and lecturer at the University of Newcastle. In May 2017, she joined the School of Molecular Sciences at the University of Western Australia as a research fellow. In 2019, she assumed leadership of the SPM platform at CMCA, providing specialized support for scanning probe microscopy facilities.

Hua Li's research focuses on engineering liquid-solid and liquid-gas interfaces using state-of-the-art techniques, including video-rate atomic force microscopy at CMCA and neutron scattering at ANSTO. She applies these findings to industrial applications such as high-performance electrolytes for energy storage, superlubricants, and adsorbents for flue gas desulfurization and denitrification. Her extensive collaborations with academics and industry partners span Australia and international networks. Key publications include "Engineering high-energy-density sodium battery anodes for improved cycling with superconcentrated ionic-liquid electrolytes" (Nature Materials, 2020), "Self-assembled nanostructures in ionic liquids facilitate charge storage at electrified interfaces" (Nature Materials, 2019), "An ionic liquid lubricant enables superlubricity to be “switched on” in situ using an electrical potential" (Chemical Communications, 2014), "Biocompatible Ionic Liquids for Sustainable Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Degradation: Conventional vs Microwave Heating Approaches" (ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, 2026), "Electrochemistry and structure of locally concentrated surface-active ionic liquids" (Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2026), and "Fe-doped biomass-derived carbon nanotubes prepared by deep eutectic solvent-assisted microwave pyrolysis for electro-fenton degradation of Rhodamine B" (Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 2026). Through her expertise, she contributes to advancements in sustainable chemistry, electrochemistry, and nanotribology.