Dr Jake (Minjun) Yang

Jake (formal name Minjun; 民俊) received his MChem and DPhil from the University of Oxford under the supervision of Prof. Richard G. Compton. In 2020, after his DPhil viva, he received an EPSRC Doctoral Prize Award to develop electrochemical sensors to monitor ‘blue carbon’ sequestered by the Ocean.
By coupling electrochemistry synergistically with spectral observations, Jake discovers the interplay between electrochemistry and marine phytoplankton thus allowing the identity and the extent of calcification of the latter to be discovered. His proof-of-concept work promoted an interdisciplinary departmental collaboration between Earth Science and Chemistry, a three-year programme funded by the Oxford Martin School, with the ambition to develop novel electrochemical-based sensors to transform how we acquire data about our ocean.

In 2023, Jake joined the School of Chemistry at the University of Leicester as a Physical Chemistry lecturer. His research combines various operando electrochemistry and fluoro/spectroscopic imaging techniques to better understand the cascades of chemical reactions occurring near and far from electrode interfaces at the onset of an applied electrode potential. Jake is interested in tackling global challenges using electrochemistry where the latter offers ample opportunities for sensor innovation for real-time environmental monitoring purposes.

Outside of research, Jake enjoys mountaineering and rock climbing. Come say hi if you spot him in Social Climbing!

Jake’s core research interest is in electrochemistry, with special emphasis on real-world applications and monitoring environmental issues in real-time. Electrochemistry is a very powerful analytical method. However, as a standalone method, knowledge of the net flux of electrons at the electrode interface does not necessarily reveal physicochemical processes occurring far from the electrode. This information is important in order to widen electrochemical sensing capability towards non-redox active materials such as plastic, phytoplankton, bacteria and viruses. By coupling electrochemistry with various in situ and non-invasive spectroscopy and imaging techniques it is possible to probe chemical perturbations triggered by the onset of electrode potentials with unparalleled spatial and temporal resolution.

The research direction of the Yang group includes, but is not limited to:

• Fundamental electrochemistry
• Operando opto/spectro-electrochemical instrumentation
• Electrochemistry of marine phytoplankton, bacteria and viruses
• Electrochemical sensor innovation
• Finite difference simulation

If you are interested in a Master and/or a PhD in electrochemistry, please contact Jake as soon as possible to discuss available projects.

Book

• Electrode Potentials (Second Edition, World Scientific, 2024)

Patents

• Method to determine the amount of carbonate in a biomineralized CaCO3 particle (P142741GB00; under review)
• AI phytoplankton classification using fluoro-electrochemical signals as inputs (P146910GB00; under review)

Research articles

For a full up-to-date publication list please see Google Scholar.

1.         H. Chen, M. Yang, B. Smetana, V. Novák, V. Matějka and R. G. Compton, Discovering Electrochemistry with an Electrochemistry‐Informed Neural Network (ECINN), Angewandte Chemie, 2024, e202315937.

2.         T. Morton-Collings, M. Yang and R. G. Compton, Controlling crystallisation and dissolution of biogenic CaCO3 via dissolved magnesium cations, Environmental Science: Advances, 2024.

3.         M. Yang, L. Tan, C. Batchelor-McAuley and R. G. Compton, The solubility product controls the rate of calcite dissolution in pure water and seawater, Chemical Science, 2024.

4.         M. Yang, C. Batchelor‐McAuley, S. Barton, R. E. Rickaby, H. A. Bouman and R. G. Compton, Calcifying Coccolithophore: An Evolutionary Advantage Against Extracellular Oxidative Damage, Small, 2023, 19, 2300346.

5.         M. Yang and R. G. Compton, Electrochemical Sensors for Phytoplankton and Ocean Health, Current Opinion in Electrochemistry, 2023, 101413.

6.         S. Barton, M. Yang, H. Chen, C. Batchelor-McAuley, R. Compton, H. Bouman and R. Rickaby, A novel fluoro-electrochemical technique for classifying diverse marine nanophytoplankton, Limnology and Oceanography, 2023, 21, 656-672.

7.         H. Chen, S. Barton, M. Yang, R. E. Rickaby, H. A. Bouman and R. G. Compton, AI facilitated fluoro-electrochemical phytoplankton classification, Chemical Science, 2023.

8.         T. Morton-Collings, M. Yang, C. Batchelor-McAuley, S. Barton, R. E. M. Rickaby, H. A. Bouman and R. G. Compton, A simple microscopy approach quantifies biomineralized CO2 in Coccolithus braarudii – a calcifying marine phytoplankton, Environmental Science: Advances, 2023, DOI: 10.1039/D2VA00252C.

9.         J. Yu, M. Yang, C. Batchelor-McAuley, S. Barton, R. E. Rickaby, H. A. Bouman and R. G. Compton, Does the life cycle stage matter for distinguishing phytoplankton via fluoro-electrochemical microscopy?, Cell Reports Physical Science, 2023, 101223.

10.       C. Batchelor‐McAuley, M. Yang, R. E. Rickaby and R. G. Compton, Frontispiece: Calcium Carbonate Dissolution from the Laboratory to the Ocean: Kinetics and Mechanism, Chemistry–A European Journal, 2022, 28, e202286861.

11.       M. Yang, C. Batchelor-McAuley, S. Barton, R. E. Rickaby, H. A. Bouman and R. G. Compton, Single-entity coccolithophore electrochemistry shows size is no guide to the degree of calcification, Environmental Science: Advances, 2022, 1, 156-163.

12.       C. Batchelor‐McAuley, M. Yang, R. E. Rickaby and R. G. Compton, Calcium Carbonate Dissolution from the Laboratory to the Ocean: Kinetics and Mechanism, Chemistry–A European Journal, 2022, e202202290.

13.       X. Fan, C. Batchelor-McAuley, M. Yang, S. Barton, R. E. Rickaby, H. A. Bouman and R. G. Compton, Quantifying the Extent of Calcification of a Coccolithophore Using a Coulter Counter, Analytical Chemistry, 2022, 94, 12664-12672.

14.       R. Wong, C. Batchelor-McAuley, M. Yang and R. G. Compton, Electrochemical Heterogeneity at the Nanoscale: Diffusion to Partially Active Nanocubes, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 2022, 13, 7689-7693.

15.       X. Fan, C. Batchelor-McAuley, M. Yang and R. G. Compton, Single Calcite Particle Dissolution Kinetics: Revealing the Influence of Mass Transport, ACS Measurement Science Au, 2022, 2, 422-429.

16.       J. Yu, M. Yang, C. Batchelor-McAuley, S. Barton, R. E. M. Rickaby, H. A. Bouman and R. G. Compton, Rapid optoelectrochemical differentiation of marine phytoplankton, ACS Measurement Science Au, 2022.

17.       P. Nayak, M. Yang, Z. Wang, X. Li, R. Miao and R. G. Compton, Single-entity Ti3C2Tx MXene electro-oxidation, Applied Materials Today, 2022, 26, 101335.

18.       R.-C. Xie, C. Batchelor-McAuley, M. Yang and R. G. Compton, Substrate mediated dissolution of redox active nanoparticles; electron transfer over long distances, Nano Research, 2022, 15, 429-437.

19.       M. Yang, C. Batchelor‐McAuley, S. Barton, R. E. Rickaby, H. A. Bouman and R. G. Compton, Opto‐Electrochemical Dissolution Reveals Coccolith Calcium Carbonate Content, Angewandte Chemie, 2021, 133, 21167-21174.

20.       M. Yang, C. Batchelor-McAuley, E. Kätelhön and R. G. Compton, A new approach to characterising the porosity of particle modified electrodes: Potential step chronoamperometry and the diffusion indicator, Applied Materials Today, 2021, 25, 101249.

21.       R. Wong, C. Batchelor-McAuley, M. Yang and R. G. Compton, The steady-state diffusional flux to isolated square cuboids in solution and supported on an inert substrate, Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, 2021, 903, 115818.

22.       R. L. Pindar, C. Batchelor-McAuley, M. Yang and R. G. Compton, Towards Direct Electroanalysis in Seawater: Understanding the Role of the Buffer Capacity of Seawater in Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer Reactions, The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2021, 125, 27949–27958.

23.       O. Orrick, M. Yang, C. Batchelor-McAuley and R. G. Compton, Characterising Fickian diffusion on the surface of a sphere, Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, 2021, 900, 115738.

24.       R. Miao, M. Yang and R. G. Compton, The Electro-oxidation of Hydrazine with Palladium Nanoparticle Modified Electrodes: Dissecting Chemical and Physical Effects: Catalysis, Surface Roughness, or Porosity?, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 2021, 12, 6661-6666.

25.       Y. Guo, M. Yang, R.-C. Xie and R. G. Compton, The oxygen reduction reaction at silver electrodes in high chloride media and the implications for silver nanoparticle toxicity, Chemical Science, 2021, 12, 397-406.

26.       Y. Zhang, A. K. Selva Kumar, D. Li, M. Yang and R. G. Compton, Nanoparticle‐and Nanotube‐Modified Electrodes: Response of Drop‐Cast Surfaces, ChemElectroChem, 2020, 7, 4614-4624.

27.       M. Yang, B. Rasche and R. G. Compton, Acoustic cavitation generates molecular mercury (ii) hydroxide, Hg (OH) 2, from biphasic water/mercury mixtures, Chemical Science, 2020, 11, 556.

28.       M. Yang and R. G. Compton, Voltammetry of Adsorbed Species: Nonideal Interactions Leading to Phase Transitions, The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2020, 124, 18031-18044.

29.       R.-C. Xie, M. Volokhova, A. Boldin, L. Seinberg, M. Tsujimoto, M. Yang, B. Rasche and R. G. Compton, Electro‐catalytic oxidation of hydroxide ion by Co3O4 and Co3O4@ SiO2 nanoparticles both at particle ensembles and single particle level, ChemElectroChem, 2020.

30.       J. Ma, M. Yang, C. Batchelor-McAuley and R. G. Compton, Visualising electrochemical reaction layers: mediated vs. direct oxidation, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2020, 22, 12422-12433.

31.       J. R. Elliott, H. Le, M. Yang and R. G. Compton, Using Simulations to Guide the Design of Amperometric Electrochemical Sensors Based on Mediated Electron Transfer, ChemElectroChem, 2020, 7.

32.       Y. Chen, M. Yang, J. F. Cooper, S. J. Clarke, B. Rasche and R. G. Compton, Designing Selective Electrode Materials for Electroanalysis–New Tungsten Bronzes as Selective Potassium Hosts, ChemElectroChem, 2020, 7, 3160-3167.

33.       H. Chen, J. R. Elliott, H. Le, M. Yang and R. G. Compton, Super-Nernstian Tafel slopes: An origin in coupled homogeneous kinetics, Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, 2020, 869, 114185.

34.       M. Yang and R. G. Compton, Adsorption processes coupled with mass transport at macro-electrodes: New insights from simulation, Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, 2019, 836, 68-76.

35.       M. Yang, C. Batchelor-McAuley, L. Chen, Y. Guo, Q. Zhang, R. E. Rickaby, H. A. Bouman and R. G. Compton, Fluoro-electrochemical microscopy reveals group specific differential susceptibility of phytoplankton towards oxidative damage, Chemical Science, 2019, 10, 7988-7993.

36.       B. Rasche, M. Yang, L. Nikonow, J. F. Cooper, C. A. Murray, S. J. Day, K. Kleiner, S. J. Clarke and R. G. Compton, In‐situ electrochemical X‐ray diffraction: A rigorous method to navigate within phase diagrams reveals β‐Fe1+ xSe as superconductor for all x, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2019, 58, 15401-15406.

37.       Y. Guo, M. Yang, C. Batchelor-McAuley and R. G. Compton, Metal deposition and stripping under self-supported conditions: Experiment and simulation, Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, 2019, 849, 113370.

38.       M. Yang and R. G. Compton, A New Composite Electrode Applied for Studying the Electrochemistry of Insoluble Particles: α‐HgS, Chemistry–A European Journal, 2018, 24, 10208-10215.

39.       M. Yang, C. Batchelor-McAuley, E. Kätelhön and R. G. Compton, Reaction layer imaging using fluorescence electrochemical microscopy, Analytical chemistry, 2017, 89, 6870-6877.

40.       J. Pruchyathamkorn, M. Yang, H. M. Amin, C. Batchelor-McAuley and R. G. Compton, Imaging Electrode Heterogeneity Using Chemically Confined Fluorescence Electrochemical Microscopy, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 2017, 8, 6124-6127.

41.       M. Yang, C. Batchelor‐McAuley, L. Moreira Goncalves, C. F. Lima, V. Vyskočil, K. Tschulik and R. G. Compton, Ferrocene aryl derivatives for the redox tagging of graphene nanoplatelets, Electroanalysis, 2016, 28, 197-202.

42.       C. Batchelor-McAuley, M. Yang, E. M. Hall and R. G. Compton, Correction factors for the analysis of voltammetric peak currents measured using staircase voltammetry, Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, 2015, 758, 1-6.

Monitoring Ocean Ecosystem

What happens when you sonicate liquid mercury?