Liang Feng

Assistant Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

Feng Group's mission is to develop innovative materials and mechanisms to address pressing global challenges in energy, climate, and health. We have three directions in the group: (1) Carbon Capture and Removal: The climate crisis is reshaping how we harvest, store, and consume energy globally. Our group at Duke is dedicated to tackling grand challenges in environmental sustainability by working at the intersection of materials science, photochemical and electrochemical processes, and polymer science and engineering to capture and remove carbon from complex and often dilute mixtures. (2) Critical Materials, Metals, and Minerals: Our work draws inspiration from biological systems to develop innovative solutions for capturing and utilizing critical materials, metals, and minerals directly from water. (3) Bioinspired Soft Matter: Learning from nature, our project seeks to develop molecular systems that replicate the intricate synthesis and high-fidelity mechanisms seen in biological processes, such as those driven by ribosomes.

We are actively recruiting multiple members at varying levels to our group.

Appointments and Affiliations

  • Assistant Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

Contact Information

Education

  • Ph.D. Texas A&M University, 2020

Research Interests

Carbon Capture and Removal | Negative Emissions | Decarbonization | Critical Materials, Metals, and Minerals | Bioinspired Soft Matter | Supramolecular & Porous Materials | Polymer Science & Engineering

Awards, Honors, and Distinctions

  • Early Career Editorial Board of ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. American Chemical Society. 2025
  • ACS Sustainability Star. American Chemical Society. 2024
  • Bezos Earth Fund $1M Greenhouse Gas Removal Ideation Prize Winner. Bezos Earth Fund. 2024
  • IUPAC Top Ten Emerging Technologies in Chemistry. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. 2024
  • Scialog Collaborative Innovation Award. Sloan Foundation. 2024
  • Duke Trailblazer. Pratt School of Engineering. 2024
  • IGNIITE Early-Career Innovator. ARPA-E / US Department of Energy. 2024
  • Agilent Early Career Professor Award Finalist . Agilent. 2024
  • Scialog Fellow in Negative Emissions Science. Research Corporation for Science Advancement. 2023
  • Forbes 30 Under 30. Forbes. 2022
  • MRS Postdoctoral Award. Materials Research Society. 2022
  • Award for Excellence in Publications by a Young Member. International Adsorption Society. 2022
  • 12 Under 12 Young Alumni Spotlight. Association of Former Students, Texas A&M University. 2022
  • Distinguished Student Award in Nanotechnology. Foresight Institute. 2020
  • Distinguished Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Research. Association of Former Students, Texas A&M University. 2020
  • Graduate Student Award . Materials Research Society. 2020

Courses Taught

  • ME 555: Advanced Topics in Mechanical Engineering
  • ME 491: Special Projects in Mechanical Engineering
  • ME 490: Special Topics in Mechanical Engineering
  • ME 331L: Thermodynamics

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