Dr. Zain Hassan Yamani
Professor of Physics

Brief Research Interests

Most recent research focuses on developing solutions for low carbon energy production, including involving hydrocarbons.

Research Areas

Condensed Matter Experiment/Simulation

Office: 6/227
Tel: 966-1-860-4363
email: zhyamani@kfupm.edu.saWebsite: https://faculty.kfupm.edu.sa/PHYS/zhyamani/
Lab(s): 15-3207/9 
Affiliated Center(s): IRC-HTCM (IRC for Hydrogen Technologies and Carbon Management)

Research Interests

The Yamani Group develops materials, designs systems and tests processes that are meant to lowering emissions from non ‘green’ sources, and to deal with the CO₂ emissions. This includes synergizing with solar energy, and preferring solar thermal over PVs when appropriate.

Biographical Sketch

Professor Yamani earned his BS. (general physics, 1991), Masters in (Physics, laser spectroscopy, 1993). Returning to KFUPM after earning his Ph.D. from UIUC (condensed matter physics, 1999), professor Yamani was assigned Director of the campus’ Academic Improvement Program, and then was appointed as the founding Director of the Center of Excellence in Nanotechnology (2007 – 2021), Director of IRC-Hydrogen and Energy Storage (2021 – 2023) and Director of IRC-Hydrogen Technologies & Carbon Management (2023-2025). He served on numerous committees, including on the KFUPM Scientific Council (2018-2026). He was one of the founders of the Saudi Physical Society, is the Kingdom’s representative at WFEO, and is a Lead Author for IPCC AR7.

AWARDS & HONORS

• The King Abdul-Aziz Medal of the First Type for his scientific accomplishment, in 2006.
• The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Award for Honoring the Inventors and Gifted Ones, in 2017.
  

KEY PUBLICATIONS:

With over 240 ISI papers published, and 55 USPTO patents issued, example of the his latest publications include:

1-   Akolade I. Bakare, Mohammed A. Sanhoob, Galal A. Nasser, Sagir Adamu, E.N. Al-Shafei, Abbas S. Hakeem, Z.H. Yamani, Oki Muraza Si-MFI/Catapal system an economic catalyst for the conversion of dodecane to olefins at mild temperature. Fuel 386 (2025) 134307

2-   Muhammad Usman, Munzir H. Suliman , Maryam Abdinejad, Jesse Kok, Hussain Al Naji, Aasif Helal, Zain H. Yamani, Gabriele Centi. Highly efficient CO₂ electroreduction to formate using Bismuth nanodots within ZIF-8 scaffold. Carbon Capture Science & Technology 16 (2025) 100450

3-   Muhammad Aurang Zeb Gul Sial, Mohammad Furquan, Rabia Hassan, Zahid Manzoor Bhat, Umair Alam, Zain H. Yamani, Mohammad Qamar, Ultrafast Laser-Driven Fabrication of NiCoFe Carbides for Exceptional Oxygen Evolution Reaction (2025-06-30). ACS Appl. Energy Mater.  2025, 8, 13, 9166-9174

4-   Yuda Prima Hardianto, Md. Abdul Aziz, and Zain H. Yamani. Exploring the Potential of Rechargeable Ni-Zn Battery (Ni-Zn): A Comprehensive Review of Recent Research and Future Challenges. The Chemical Record 2026, 26, e202500192

5-   Mohammad Usman, Mohamed A.T. Hussein, Tarek A. Kandiel, Zain H. Yamani and M. Nasiruzzaman Shaikh. Catalytic ammonia oxidation mediated by high-spin Fe(III) complex: combined experimental and DFT study. Catal. Sci. Technol., (2026). DOI: 10.1039/d5cy01107h

6-   Yuda Prima Hardianto, Md. Abdul Aziz, Syed Shaheen Shah, Subrata Sarker, and Zain Hassan Yamani. Electrochemical Modeling of Hybrid Electrode Systems under Galvanostatic Charge–Discharge: An Experimentally Fitted Approach. Journal of Power Sources. 666, 239107 (2026)

7-   Munir H Nayfeh, Zain Yamani, Jiacheng Xu, Dmitry Gorin, Julia Skibina, Haichuan Yu, Hakan Ates, Ersin Bahceci, Mete Bakir, Bulent Aydogan. Effect of nanosilicon coating on the EUV/x-ray reflectance of silica polycapillary optic. AIP Advances 16, 025212 (2026)

8-   Ibnu Jihad, M. Qamar, Fahhad H. Alharbi, Zain H. Yamani.  Exploring Compositional-Only Descriptors in Machine Learning Screening of Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Catalysts. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 221 (2026) 154089

9-   Ibnu Jihad, Umair Alam, Mohammad Furquan, Muhammad Aurang Zeb Gul Sial, Zahid Manzoor Bhat, Iqbal Azka Al Hamid, Mohammad Qamar, Zain H. Yamani. Carbon-black-supported NiFeP as cost-effective and high-performance OER catalysts for alkaline electrolysis. Solid State Sciences 176 (2026) 108306

10-  Amar K. Salih, Abdul Zeeshan Khan, Qasem A. Drmoshd, Tarek A. Kandiel, Cuong Ton-Thata, Zain H. Yamani, Thickness-tuned WO₃ underlayers in all-vacuum BiVO4/WO₃ photoanodes enable long-lived holes. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 224 (2026) 154455

11-  Essalhi, Mohamed ; Al-Qahtani, Rawan; Helal, Aasif; Otaibi, Mona ; Alahmed, Ammar; Yamani, Zain; Mekhemer, Islam; Abdelnaby. Amine-Functionalized Covalent Organic Framework for Direct Air Capture of Carbon Dioxide. Energy & Fuels (2026) 40 (31): 17032–17042