Jiao receives 2026 Saint Louis Section ACS Award
Feng Jiao recognized for outstanding contributions to chemistry by American Chemical Society
Feng Jiao, the Lauren and Lee Fixel Distinguished Professor in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, has received the 2026 Saint Louis Section American Chemical Society (ACS) Award.
The annual award recognizes outstanding contributions to chemistry and demonstrated potential to further advance the profession.
Jiao is internationally recognized for his innovative research in electrochemical technologies and contributions to energy storage, chemical manufacturing and sustainability. His lab’s efforts are centered on transforming carbon utilization by designing and engineering high-performance carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide electrolysis systems that exceed the efficiency and capabilities of traditional fossil-based technologies. Through innovative reactor development and interface optimization, Jiao’s research pushes the boundaries of electrochemical performance, combatting climate change through clean, sustainable and eco-friendly solutions.
A renowned expert in carbon capture and utilization, Jiao joined the faculty at WashU in 2023. In his role as the Lauren and Lee Fixel Distinguished Professor, Jiao supports the newly launched Food and Agriculture Research Mission (FARM) initiative aimed at driving transformative change in global food systems. He also serves as the director of the Center for Carbon Management and deputy director of the National Science Foundation-funded Carbon Utilization Redesign for Biomanufacturing (CURB) Engineering Research Center.
Jiao was named a Fellow of the ACS in 2025. His many honors also include receiving the ACS Mid-Career Award in 2025 and the National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2014. He’s been recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate in 2023, 2024, and 2025 and was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He holds three patents and cofounded the green chemistry company Lectrolyst in 2018.
Jiao is an executive editor of Chemical Engineering Journal and an editorial board member of Materials Today Sustainability. He is an advisory board member of Renewables, Journal of Materials Chemistry, Cell Reports Physical Science and Trends in Chemistry.
Jiao earned a bachelor’s degree from Fudan University in China and a doctoral degree from the University of St. Andrews in the United Kingdom. He conducted postdoctoral training at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
The American Chemical Society is the world’s largest scientific society, with a membership of over 160,000 chemists and chemical engineers in the U.S. and worldwide. The Saint Louis Section comprises the counties of St. Louis, St. Louis City, St. Charles, Jefferson, Ste. Genevieve, Warren and Lincoln in Missouri; and Madison, Jersey, Macoupin, Montgomery, Fayette, Bond and St. Clair in Illinois.
