Weiwei Lei

Weiwei Lei is a full professor and Australian Research Council Future Fellow in Applied Chemistry & Environmental Science at the School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University. He was awarded competitive fellowship schemes: Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (Deakin University) in 2011, Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award in 2014, Australian Research Council Future Fellow in 2022. He has secured over $20 M funding as a lead/core CI from ARC grants, Australia Federal Government, international collaboration, and industry partners. He has contributed 3 book chapters, 11 patents, >230 journal publications including Nature Communications, Joule, Advanced Materials, Advanced Energy Materials, etc, which received >14,788 citations with an H-index of 62. The research outcomes have attracted more than 500 media coverages internationally (e.g. BBC, ABC, Global Water Forum, SBS, The Conversation) and industry requests (i.e. UK Highways, AquaPure, GOV. UK, Graphene technologies, MonarchGreen, Inc). He has developed expertise in nanomaterial synthesis and functionalization, focusing on nanotechnology for sustainable water and energy solutions. His current research field is focused on advanced nanomaterials, freshwater and sustainable energy harvesting, hydrogen generation and energy storage.

Research impact and contributions and collaborations

He is an interdisciplinary scientist with expertise in development of functional nanomaterials for energy conversion and storage and water applications.

Addressing the difficult challenges originating from global water pollution and the limited supply of fossil fuels are our primary targets for resolving real-world problems. He has developed a series of novel synthesis routes enabling the design of advanced nanostructures for applications in environmental and water protection, energy conversion, generation and storage. These works have garnered extensive media attention, featured in over 500 outlets, including ABC and BBC. These breakthroughs exemplify his commitment to advancing real-world solutions through innovative nanomaterials and nanotechnologies.

He has established productive collaborations with prominent researchers nationally and globally, as demonstrated by the fact that 75% of his journal publications feature international co-authors from Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

Research Outputs context

He has published more than 230 journal articles and received >14,788 citations with a h-index of 62 (Google Scholar), reflecting the breadth and depth of his impact in design of advanced nanomaterials and nanotechnology for energy and water applications. Based on Scopus citation data, on average he has 35.1 citations per publication, more than double the Australian average of 16. Of his publications, 13.9% have been ranked in the top 1% most cited publications worldwide, 47.2% have been ranked in the top 10% most cited publications worldwide, and 92.4% have been published in the world’s top 25% journals when ranked by SJR impact data. His author field weighted citation impact is 2.39, which means his papers have been cited 139% more than the world average.

Of his 240 published journal articles, 110 appear in journals with an impact factor (IF) above 10, including Nature Communications (4 papers; IF~18), Advanced Materials (2; IF~31), Joule (1; IF~46), Advanced Energy Materials (2; IF~29), Energy Storage Materials (5; IF~21), ACS Energy Letters (1; IF~24), ACS Nano (4; IF~18), and Journal of the American Chemical Society (3; IF~16). He is the first or corresponding author for 150 papers, demonstrating his lead contribution to the project or collaboration.

Grants and Awards

He has secured >$20 million of grant funding, including ARC DPs, ARC Future Fellowship, ARC DECRA, ARC Linkage, ARC Industry Hub, IMCRC etc.  $12.2M as the lead CI. He has recognised by several prestigious awards, e.g. 2019&2013 Vice-Chancellor’s Mid- and Earlier- Career Researcher Awards, Deakin University; 2015 TechConnect Innovation Award, Washington DC, USA; 2014 Finalist, Australian Innovation Challenge, Australia.

Leadership

He has held leadership roles, including Research Theme Leader and Deputy Cluster Leader for ERA Engineering submission. Recognized internationally as an expert in nanomaterials and sustainable energy and water, his leadership is evidenced by invited talks, advisory roles, editorial board members, and fostering interdisciplinary collaborations.

Mentoring

He has supervised 29 students to completion, including 17 as the primary supervisor, and mentored 6 postdocs, including 2 ARC DECRAs. Many have established successful careers as professors and industry leaders. His dedication to mentorship is highlighted by his guidance including proposing projects, sharing expertise, reviewing papers and thesis of towards prestigious awards and academic positions.