
Overview
Background
Dr Tebyetekerwa is an ARC DECRA Fellow and Sub-Group Leader at UQ Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation and ARC Centre of Excellence for Green Electrochemical Transformation of Carbon Dioxide(GETCO2), working with Professor Xiwang Zhang. His current main research interests at UQ School of Chemical Engineering rotate around water and electrochemical systems such as electrochemical CO2 capture and conversion to valuable chemicals and electrochemical production of hydrogen peroxide and/or hydrogen. He is deeply interested in designing scalable and industry-relevant chemical cells and generators. He completed his PhD from The Australian National University (ANU), where his research focused on optical spectroscopy and advanced characterization of semiconducting materials and their devices (Supervised by Prof Dan Macdonald, A/Prof. Dr. Hieu T. Nguyen and Prof. Yuerui (Larry) Lu). Dr Tebyetekerwa also holds a Master's in Materials Processing Engineering from Donghua University, Shanghai, where his research focused on fibrous materials for flexible energy storage (Supervised by Academician Meifang Zhu and A/Prof Shengyuan Yang). Mike supervises projects for undergraduate, master's, and PhD students on topics related to the following research interests;
- Scalable electrochemical production of hydrogen peroxide and/or hydrogen from water*
- Scalable electrochemical CO2 capture and reduction to valuable chemicals*
- Reconstructed graphite for sodium-ion batteries
- High surface area electrospun fibre materials for various applications
- Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) molecules and their engineered applications
- Light-matter understanding of 2D materials and other semiconductor materials for optoelectronics*
*Currently funded and active ongoing projects
Featured works
- 2022: His work on 2D materials (https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-physical-science/fulltext/S2666-3864(21)00213-7) was selected in the Cell Reports Physical Science “Influential papers-2021” and "Editor's Choice-2021" collection.
- 2021: His works (https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2017/sc/c8ee02607f) and other co-authored works (https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.abb8687), ( https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2017.11.012 ) are listed as "Highly Cited Papers" and "Hot Papers" in Web of Science.
- 2020:His work on nanofibers has continuously been listed as one of the highly cited articles for Advanced Fiber Materials (https://doi.org/10.1007/s42765-020-00049-5), since it was published to date.
- 2019:His work on nanofibers ( https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaem.7b00057 ) was listed as the most-read article for ACS Applied Energy Materials in 2018.
In addition to his research, Mike lectures Sustainable Energy Technologies and Supply Systems (ENGY7000) course as part of the Master of Sustainable Energy (MSE) program.
Availability
- Dr Mike Tebyetekerwa is:
- Not available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy of Engineering, Australian National University
Research interests
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Electrochemical CO2 Capture and reduction to valuable chemicals.
My research in this space heavily leans on using water and electricity to capture CO2. Fully funded in 2024 by ARC ($412,037), this project on electrochemical CO2 capture aims to improve the capture capacity for CO2 by first understanding the underlying mechanisms. At the end of the project, more energy-efficient CO2 devices built for use at different scales are expected to be possible. See more: Tebyetekerwa et al. Adv. Energy Mater. 2024, 14, 2400625.
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Electrochemical production of hydrogen peroxide.
Hydrogen peroxide is one of the most commonly used chemicals in the world. Despite its widespread use, its traditional production method—the anthraquinone process—is indirect, energy-intensive, and not environmentally friendly. My research aims to find and optimise electrochemical hydrogen peroxide production via the so-called two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e-ORR) or two-electron water oxidation reaction (2e-WOR).
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Light-matter interactions in low-dimension 2D transition-metal dichalcogenides and other semiconductors
My work in this space involves mainly utilising optical spectroscopy, such as steady-state micro-photoluminescence, time-resolved photoluminescence, and absorbance/transmission spectroscopy, to study semiconductors (mainly 2D materials, Silicon, and Perovskites) and understand their light-matter interaction properties. This can help uncover and predict their properties in devices such as solar cells, transistors, LEDs, and related devices. See more: Tebyetekerwa et al ACS Nano, 14 (2020) 14579-14604.
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Functional fiber materials for energy and environment
Traditionally, textile fibers are used for clothing, upholstery, and insulation in homes, offices, and industries due to their insulating properties derived from pure insulating polymers. However, this is changing rapidly. My work in this area of research involves the incorporation of nanomaterials into fibers for new functional properties to expand their use in several other industries, such as automotive, electronics, energy, water purification, construction, agro-food sectors, and more. See more: Tebyetekerwa et al. Energy Environ. Sci., 12 (2019) 2148-2160. Tebyetekerwa et al , Matter, 2 (2020) 279-283.
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Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) molecules and their applications
Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) molecules are a relatively new class of materials known to have the so-called molecular rotors in their structures. These rotors can be restricted or left to rotate as they wish. The extent of their restriction gives them unique properties, making them suitable for a wide range of applications, such as molecular machines, sensors, photodetectors, LEDs, paints, solar concentrators, and more. My research direction involves studying their possible applications in various fields. See more: Tebyetekerwa et al, ACS Nano, 14 (2020) 7444-7453.
Research impacts
In 2023, Mike was awarded an ARC DECRA fellowship (commenced in 2024), which is one of the country's most competitive fellowships for early career researchers. His ARC DECRA fellowship aims to develop new electrochemical carbon capture technology. Mike's research has been widely recognized and published in leading peer-reviewed journals such as Science, Adv. Mater., Energy Environ. Sci. , ACS Energy Lett., Angew. Chem., Matter, Nat. Commun., ACS Nano, etc. Also, his works have received extensive media coverage, having been featured by over 60 media channels worldwide.
Some International Media Releases.
- 09/2028:UQ-industry deal unlocks greener hydrogen peroxide supply. UQ News
- 04/2024:GETCO2 Nanogenerator turns CO2 into Sustainable Power. ABC News, Brisbane Times, UQ News, GETCo2, etc
- 08/2023: ARC supports UQ research and innovation-UQ News
- 08/2021: Twist brings new possibilities for ultra-thin 2D materials - ANU, The Graphene Council, Physics.org, etc
- 01/2021: New study reveals secrets to solar success (a world-record perovskite solar cell) - ANU, Renew Economy, etc
- 08/2020: Notable mentions in CECS's 2020 Remote Teaching and Student Experience awards for exceptional support to the convenor and students in course ENG4524/ENGN6524 Photovoltaic Technologies
- 05/2019: Scientists unlock the potential of ultra-thin 2D materials - ANU, CECS ANU, 2CC Radio Canberra Weekender, Physics.org, Opli, etc.
- 02/2019: What lies in the future of fibre materials and devices - DHU, China News, etc
Works
Search Professor Mike Tebyetekerwa’s works on UQ eSpace
2021
Journal Article
Highly Stretchable and Reconfigurable Ionogels with Unprecedented Thermoplasticity and Ultrafast Self-Healability Enabled by Gradient-Responsive Networks
Wang, Yufeng, Liu, Ying, Plamthottam, Roshan, Tebyetekerwa, Mike, Xu, Jingsan, Zhu, Jixin, Zhang, Chao and Liu, Tianxi (2021). Highly Stretchable and Reconfigurable Ionogels with Unprecedented Thermoplasticity and Ultrafast Self-Healability Enabled by Gradient-Responsive Networks. Macromolecules, 54 (8), 3832-3844. doi: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00443
2021
Journal Article
Highly Enhanced Light–Matter Interaction in MXene Quantum Dots–Monolayer WS2 Heterostructure
Neupane, Guru Prakash, Wang, Bowen, Tebyetekerwa, Mike, Nguyen, Hieu T., Taheri, Mahdiar, Liu, Boqing, Nauman, Mudassar and Basnet, Rabin (2021). Highly Enhanced Light–Matter Interaction in MXene Quantum Dots–Monolayer WS2 Heterostructure. Small, 17 (11) 2006309, 1-10. doi: 10.1002/smll.202006309
2021
Journal Article
Nanoscale localized contacts for high fill factors in polymer-passivated perovskite solar cells
Peng, Jun, Walter, Daniel, Ren, Yuhao, Tebyetekerwa, Mike, Wu, Yiliang, Duong, The, Lin, Qiaoling, Li, Juntao, Lu, Teng, Mahmud, Md Arafat, Lem, Olivier Lee Cheong, Zhao, Shenyou, Liu, Wenzhu, Liu, Yun, Shen, Heping, Li, Li, Kremer, Felipe, Nguyen, Hieu T., Choi, Duk-Yong, Weber, Klaus J., Catchpole, Kylie R. and White, Thomas P. (2021). Nanoscale localized contacts for high fill factors in polymer-passivated perovskite solar cells. Science, 371 (6527), 390-395. doi: 10.1126/science.abb8687
2021
Journal Article
Vanadium-doped monolayer MoS2 with tunable optical properties for field-effect transistors
Zhang, Jian, Zhu, Yi, Tebyetekerwa, Mike, Li, Delong, Liu, Dan, Lei, Weiwei, Wang, Lifeng, Zhang, Yupeng and Lu, Yuerui (2021). Vanadium-doped monolayer MoS2 with tunable optical properties for field-effect transistors. ACS Applied Nano Materials, 4 (1), 769-777. doi: 10.1021/acsanm.0c03083
2020
Journal Article
Polyindole batteries and supercapacitors
Marriam, Ifra, Wang, Yuanhao and Tebyetekerwa, Mike (2020). Polyindole batteries and supercapacitors. Energy Storage Materials, 33, 336-359. doi: 10.1016/j.ensm.2020.08.010
2020
Journal Article
Mechanisms and applications of steady-state photoluminescence spectroscopy in two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides
Tebyetekerwa, Mike, Zhang, Jian, Xu, Zhen, Truong, Thien N., Yin, Zongyou, Lu, Yuerui, Ramakrishna, Seeram, Macdonald, Daniel and Nguyen, Hieu T. (2020). Mechanisms and applications of steady-state photoluminescence spectroscopy in two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides. ACS Nano, 14 (11), 14579-14604. doi: 10.1021/acsnano.0c08668
2020
Journal Article
Intelligent materials
Liu, Kai, Tebyetekerwa, Mike, Ji, Dongxiao and Ramakrishna, Seeram (2020). Intelligent materials. Matter, 3 (3), 590-593. doi: 10.1016/j.matt.2020.07.003
2020
Journal Article
Which is a better fluorescent sensor: aggregation-induced emission-based nanofibers or thin-coating films?
Ding, Yexin, Li, Weili, Wang, Fangming, Li, Hongkun, Yang, Shengyuan, Wang, Lijun, Wang, Zhiming, Tebyetekerwa, Mike and Tang, Ben Zhong (2020). Which is a better fluorescent sensor: aggregation-induced emission-based nanofibers or thin-coating films?. Materials Advances, 1 (4), 574-578. doi: 10.1039/d0ma00409j
2020
Journal Article
Emission control from transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers by aggregation-induced molecular rotors
Tebyetekerwa, Mike, Cheng, Yanhua, Zhang, Jian, Li, Weili, Li, Hongkun, Neupane, Guru Prakash, Wang, Bowen, Truong, Thien N., Xiao, Chuanxiao, Al-Jassim, Mowafak M., Yin, Zongyou, Lu, Yuerui, Macdonald, Daniel and Nguyen, Hieu T. (2020). Emission control from transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers by aggregation-induced molecular rotors. ACS Nano, 14 (6), 7444-7453. doi: 10.1021/acsnano.0c03086
2020
Journal Article
Electrospun nanofibers-based face masks
Tebyetekerwa, Mike, Xu, Zhen, Yang, Shengyuan and Ramakrishna, Seeram (2020). Electrospun nanofibers-based face masks. Advanced Fiber Materials, 2 (3), 161-166. doi: 10.1007/s42765-020-00049-5
2020
Journal Article
Hydrogenation Mechanisms of Poly‐Si/SiO x Passivating Contacts by Different Capping Layers
Truong, Thien N., Yan, Di, Chen, Wenhao, Tebyetekerwa, Mike, Young, Matthew, Al-Jassim, Mowafak, Cuevas, Andres, Macdonald, Daniel and Nguyen, Hieu T. (2020). Hydrogenation Mechanisms of Poly‐Si/SiO x Passivating Contacts by Different Capping Layers. Solar RRL, 4 (3) 1900476, 1-1. doi: 10.1002/solr.202070033
2020
Journal Article
High stress-driven voltages in net-like layer-supported organic-inorganic perovskites
Tusiime, Rogers, Zabihi, Fatemeh, Tebyetekerwa, Mike, Yousry, Yasmin Mohamed, Wu, Yue, Eslamian, Morteza, Yang, Shengyuan, Ramakrishna, Seeram, Yu, Muhuo and Zhang, Hui (2020). High stress-driven voltages in net-like layer-supported organic-inorganic perovskites. Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 8 (8), 2643-2658. doi: 10.1039/c9tc05468e
2020
Journal Article
What is next for electrospinning?
Tebyetekerwa, Mike and Ramakrishna, Seeram (2020). What is next for electrospinning?. Matter, 2 (2), 279-283. doi: 10.1016/j.matt.2020.01.004
2020
Book Chapter
Advanced chemical applications of modified cotton
Lugoloobi, Ishaq, Tebyetekerwa, Mike, Memon, Hafeezullah and Sun, Chao (2020). Advanced chemical applications of modified cotton. Textile science and clothing technology. (pp. 501-527) edited by Hua Wang and Hafeezullah Memon. Singapore: Springer Singapore. doi: 10.1007/978-981-15-9169-3_20
2020
Journal Article
Tandem Solar Cells: Spatially and Spectrally Resolved Absorptivity: New Approach for Degradation Studies in Perovskite and Perovskite/Silicon Tandem Solar Cells (Adv. Energy Mater. 4/2020)
Nguyen, Hieu T., Gerritsen, Sven, Mahmud, Md Arafat, Wu, Yiliang, Cai, Ziyuan, Truong, Thien, Tebyetekerwa, Mike, Duong, The, Peng, Jun, Weber, Klaus, White, Thomas P., Catchpole, Kylie and Macdonald, Daniel (2020). Tandem Solar Cells: Spatially and Spectrally Resolved Absorptivity: New Approach for Degradation Studies in Perovskite and Perovskite/Silicon Tandem Solar Cells (Adv. Energy Mater. 4/2020). Advanced Energy Materials, 10 (4). doi: 10.1002/aenm.202070016
2019
Journal Article
Hydrogen-Assisted Defect Engineering of Doped Poly-Si Films for Passivating Contact Solar Cells
Truong, Thien N., Yan, Di, Samundsett, Christian, Liu, Anyao, Harvey, Steven P., Young, Matthew, Ding, Zetao, Tebyetekerwa, Mike, Kremer, Felipe, Al-Jassim, Mowafak, Cuevas, Andres, MacDonald, Daniel and Nguyen, Hieu T. (2019). Hydrogen-Assisted Defect Engineering of Doped Poly-Si Films for Passivating Contact Solar Cells. ACS Applied Energy Materials, 2 (12), 8783-8791. doi: 10.1021/acsaem.9b01771
2019
Journal Article
Spatially and spectrally resolved absorptivity: new approach for degradation studies in perovskite and perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells
Nguyen, Hieu T., Gerritsen, Sven, Mahmud, Md Arafat, Wu, Yiliang, Cai, Ziyuan, Truong, Thien, Tebyetekerwa, Mike, The Duong, , Peng, Jun, Weber, Klaus, White, Thomas P., Catchpole, Kylie and Macdonald, Daniel (2019). Spatially and spectrally resolved absorptivity: new approach for degradation studies in perovskite and perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells. Advanced Energy Materials, 10 (4) 1902901, 1902901. doi: 10.1002/aenm.201902901
2019
Journal Article
Contactless, nondestructive determination of dopant profiles of localized boron-diffused regions in silicon wafers at room temperature
Nguyen, Hieu T., Li, Zhuofeng, Han, Young-Joon, Basnet, Rabin, Tebyetekerwa, Mike, Truong, Thien N., Wu, Huiting, Yan, Di and Macdonald, Daniel (2019). Contactless, nondestructive determination of dopant profiles of localized boron-diffused regions in silicon wafers at room temperature. Scientific Reports, 9 (1) 10423, 10423. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-46986-z
2019
Journal Article
Aluminium and zinc co-doped CuInS2 QDs for enhanced trion modulation in monolayer WS2 toward improved electrical properties
Zhang, Jian, Zhang, Yupeng, Zhang, Jian, Wang, Bowen, Tebyetekerwa, Mike, Zhu, Yi, Liu, Boqing, Nguyen, Hieu T., Lu, Yuerui and Tian, Shouqin (2019). Aluminium and zinc co-doped CuInS2 QDs for enhanced trion modulation in monolayer WS2 toward improved electrical properties. Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 7 (47), 15074-15081. doi: 10.1039/c9tc05469c
2019
Journal Article
Fluorescent aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-based thermosetting electrospun nanofibers: Fabrication, properties and applications
Li, Weili, Ding, Yexin, Tebyetekerwa, Mike, Xie, Yixiao, Wang, Lin, Li, Hongkun, Hu, Rong, Wang, Zhiming, Qin, Anjun and Tang, Ben Zhong (2019). Fluorescent aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-based thermosetting electrospun nanofibers: Fabrication, properties and applications. Materials Chemistry Frontiers, 3 (11), 2491-2498. doi: 10.1039/c9qm00342h
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Mike Tebyetekerwa is:
- Not available for supervision
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Materials for electrochemical CO2 capture
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Lei Ge, Professor Xiwang Zhang
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Doctor Philosophy
Sustainable materials for electrochemical capture of CO2
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Xiangkang Zeng
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Doctor Philosophy
Engineering and Design of Industry-Relevant Hydrogen Peroxide Electrolyser and Generator
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Xiwang Zhang
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Doctor Philosophy
Utilising co-products of water electrolysis in wastewater treatment
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Tom Rufford, Dr Ray Bi, Professor Xiwang Zhang
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Doctor Philosophy
Exploring lignocellulose-derived nanomaterials in CO2 electrochemical conversion
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Xiwang Zhang, Professor Darren Martin, Dr Hima Haridevan
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Doctor Philosophy
Enzyme-assisted deconstruction of lignocellulose and reconstruction into high value bio-derived advanced materials
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gary Schenk, Associate Professor Adrian Oehmen, Professor Darren Martin
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Doctor Philosophy
Enhanced approaches to engineering the scale-up of CO2 electrolysers from bench to pilot scale
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Xiwang Zhang, Professor Tom Rufford
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Doctor Philosophy
2D transition metal phosphide nanomaterials for H2 production
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Xiwang Zhang
Completed supervision
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2025
Doctor Philosophy
Tailoring local interfacial environments for efficient electrochemical ion separation and carbon capture
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Xiwang Zhang
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2025
Doctor Philosophy
Engineering Surface Oxygen Reduction Reaction in 2D Photocatalysts for Hydrogen Peroxide Production
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Xiangkang Zeng, Professor Xiwang Zhang
Media
Enquiries
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