About

Ou Chen is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Brown University. His research focuses on developing novel materials ranging from nanoscopic to macroscopic scales, with an emphasis on characterizing and elucidating their chemical and physical properties for applications in energy, biological systems, optics, and catalysis. His laboratory investigates quantum dots, perovskite nanomaterials, nanocrystal superstructures, multifunctional nanomaterials, hybrid nano-structures, and nanotechnology for energy and photocatalysis. Dr. Chen earned his Ph.D. from the University of Florida in 2010 and his B.A. from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2004. His work involves synthesizing and studying advanced nanomaterials to address challenges in energy conversion, photocatalysis, and optoelectronic applications, contributing to the understanding and development of next-generation functional materials.

Research topics

• Nanotechnology
• Chemistry
• Crystallography
• Materials science
• Optoelectronics
• Physics
• Atomic physics
• Chemical engineering
• Optics
• Inorganic chemistry
• Chemical physics

Selected publications

• Lanthanide Double Perovskite Nanocrystals with Emissions Covering the UV‐C to NIR Spectral Range

  Advanced Optical Materials · 2023 · 70 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Materials science
  • Optoelectronics
  • Nanotechnology

  Abstract Lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) have recently drawn considerable attention in the fields of materials science and nanotechnology. However, a major drawback of these NCs is the reliance on toxic lead, which hinders widespread application. Herein, a new class of lead‐free perovskite NCs, that is, lanthanide double perovskite (Ln‐DP) NCs, with f‐orbital‐induced optical properties, is introduced. The Pr‐, Ce‐, Tb‐, Eu‐, Sm‐, and Yb‐based Ln‐DP NCs display narrow d→f and f→f emissions ranging from the UV‐C to the near‐infrared spectral region. Experimental data and calculations reveal that the emissive Ln‐DP NCs exhibit small molecule‐like electronic absorptions: f→d atomic transitions or ligand‐to‐metal charge transfer transitions. Last, it is demonstrated that by alloying Ln compositions in the DP NCs, new materials with unique and improved optical properties can be obtained. These Ln‐DP NCs are promising for optical sensing and lighting, and as components in optoelectronic and/or magneto‐fluorescent devices.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Synthesis of Lead-Free Cs₂AgBiX₆ (X = Cl, Br, I) Double Perovskite Nanoplatelets and Their Application in CO₂ Photocatalytic Reduction

  Nano Letters · 2021 · 229 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Materials science
  • Chemical engineering
  • Nanotechnology

  reduction compared with their nanocube counterpart. Our work demonstrates the first example with two-dimensional morphology of this important class of lead-free perovskite materials, shedding light on the synthetic manipulation and the application integration of such promising materials.

  DOI

• Structural distortion and electron redistribution in dual-emitting gold nanoclusters

  Nature Communications · 2020 · 94 citations

  • Materials science
  • Nanotechnology
  • Chemical physics

  Deciphering the complicated excited-state process is critical for the development of luminescent materials with controllable emissions in different applications. Here we report the emergence of a photo-induced structural distortion accompanied by an electron redistribution in a series of gold nanoclusters. Such unexpected slow process of excited-state transformation results in near-infrared dual emission with extended photoluminescent lifetime. We demonstrate that this dual emission exhibits highly sensitive and ratiometric response to solvent polarity, viscosity, temperature and pressure. Thus, a versatile luminescent nano-sensor for multiple environmental parameters is developed based on this strategy. Furthermore, we fully unravel the atomic-scale structural origin of this unexpected excited-state transformation, and demonstrate control over the transition dynamics by tailoring the bi-tetrahedral core structures of gold nanoclusters. Overall, this work provides a substantial advance in the excited-state physical chemistry of luminescent nanoclusters and a general strategy for the rational design of next-generation nano-probes, sensors and switches.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Lead-Free Cs₄CuSb₂Cl₁₂ Layered Double Perovskite Nanocrystals

  Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2020 · 200 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Chemistry
  • Nanotechnology
  • Crystallography

  NCs can be solution-processed as high-speed photodetectors with ultrafast photoresponse and narrow bandwidth. We anticipate that our study will prompt future research to design and fabricate novel and high-performance lead-free perovskite-type NCs for a range of applications.

  DOI

Recent grants

• EAGER: COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Hybrid Quantum Dot-Metal Nanocrystals for Photoreduction of CO2: Synthesis, Spectroscopy and Catalysis

  NSF · $150k · 2019–2021

• CAREER: Understanding Quasicrystalline Superstructures Formed from Pyramidal Nanocrystals

  NSF · $678k · 2020–2026

Frequent coauthors

• Tong Cai

  Providence College

  151 shared

• Hua Zhu

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  116 shared

• Hanjun Yang

  Purdue University West Lafayette

  103 shared

• Katie Hills‐Kimball

  Brown University

  99 shared

• Yasutaka Nagaoka

  Brown University

  98 shared

• Yucheng Yuan

  Huazhong University of Science and Technology

  78 shared

• Wenwu Shi

  58 shared

• Lacie Dube

  Brown University

  49 shared

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