Zhang Zhenghua

Prof. Zhenghua Zhang is the Principle Investigator in Institute of Environment and Ecology, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University since Oct 2017. He is the Fellow of International Advanced Materials Association, World's Top 2% Scientist, Adjunct Professor of Queensland University of Science and Technology, and winner of the Guangdong Province Outstanding Youth Fund. He was selected as the Cover of MIT Technology Review-China (Dec of 2023), the winner of the Most Picked Award of 2022 Chinese Scientists with Cell Press, and the winner of 2021 Emerging Investigators-Journal of Materials Chemistry A. Meanwhile, he also serves as the Associate Editor of Frontiers in Environmental Chemistry and the Editorial Board Member of Separations and Processes journals. Before joining Tsinghua University, he previous worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Water Research Centre, The University of New South Wales (Supervisor: Prof. T. David Waite, Member of US National Academy of Engineering).Dr. Zhang got his PhD degree from The University of New South Wales in Environmental Engineering (Supervisors: Prof. T David Waite; Prof. Greg L. Leslie, Director of UNESCO Centre for Membrane Science & Technology). Meanwhile, Dr. Zhang also has the backgrounds of Polymer Chemistry and Physics (Master), and Polymer Materials and Engineering (Bachelor).    

So far, Dr. Zhang has published 100+ SCI papers in professional top journals (all JCR Q1). As the sole first/corresponding author, he has published 90+ SCI papers including Nature Communications (Featured article, sole corresponding author, 2 papers), Energy & Environmental Science. Meanwhile, the applicant has participated in editing three English monographs published by Elsevier/Springer, and applied for 15 Invention Patents, of which 7 were authorized. In addition, he also participated in the preparation and formulation of one industry standard. As the PI, he has attracted >16 million RMB funding. Additionally, he is also the reviewer of Nature Water, Nature Communications, PNAS, Chemical Review, Advanced Materials, Environmental Science & Technology, Water Research et al (> 20+ Top journals).    

1.   Associate Editor of Frontiers in Environmental Chemistry 

2.   Guest editor of Processes

3.   Editorial Board Member of Separations, and Processes journals

4.   Reviewers of Chemical Review, Environmental Science & Technology, Water Research, Journal of Membrane Science, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental et al more than 20 Top Journals

5.   Member of the Youth Expert Committee of the China Sea Water Desalination and Water Reuse Society

6.   Committee Member of Qingdao Water International Conference

7.   Review Expert of National Natural Science Foundation of Czech and China

8.   Member of International Water Association (IWA)

9.   Member of American Chemical Society (ACS)

• Membrane Science and Technology 

• Advanced Environmental Chemistry

  Environmental Functional Material 
  

Dr. Zhang’s research areas include but are not limited to:

i) Membrane-based Water Treatment (membrane fabrication, process, fouling control and cleaning);

ii) Advanced Oxidation Processes (electrochemistry, nanoconfinement catalysis, Fenton-like);

iii) Functional Materials-based Water Treatment (nanofiber-based, CQDs, polymers).

So far, Dr. Zhang has published 100+ SCI papers in professional top journals (all JCR Q1). As the sole first/corresponding author, he has published 90+ SCI papers including Nature Communications (Featured article, sole corresponding author, 2 papers), Energy & Environmental Science.

https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=zh-CN&user=R64NyKYAAAAJ&view_op=list_works

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Zhenghua-Zhang

Representative papers：

1.  M Tian, Y Liu, C Yu, K Ostrikov, Z Zhang*, 2024, Overcoming the permeability-selectivity challenge in water purification using two-dimensional cobalt-functionalized vermiculite membrane, Nature Communications, 391, 15

2.  C Meng, B Ding, S Zhang, L Cui, K Ostrikov, Z Huang, B Yang, J Kim, Z Zhang*, 2022, Angstrom-confined catalytic water purification within Co-TiO_x laminar membrane nanochannels, NatureCommunications, 13, 4010 (Featured article) 

3.  X Zhao, M Long, Z Li, Z Zhang*, 2024,Two dimensional Co(OH)₂ catalytic gravity-driven membrane for water purification: A green and facile fabrication strategy and excellent water decontamination performance,Materials Horizons. 10.1039/D3MH01924A

4.  L Cui, B Chen, L Zhang, H Kang, J Qiu, W Jing*, K Ostrikov, Z Zhang*, 2024, Anti-electrowetting carbon film electrode with self-sustained aeration for industrial H₂O₂ electrosynthesis, Energy & Environmental Science.17, 655-667

5.  W Zhang, S Zhang, C Meng, Z Zhang*, 2023, Nanoconfined catalytic membranes assembled by cobalt-functionalized graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets for rapid degradation of pollutants, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 322, 122098

6.  W Zhang, S Zhang, Z Chen, Z Zhang*, 2023, Cobalt-ferrite functionalized graphitic carbon nitride (CoFe₂O₄@g-C₃N₄) nanoconfined catalytic membrane for efficient water purification: Performance and mechanism,Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 11, 18933-18944  

7.  L Cui, X Zhao, H Xie, Z Zhang*, 2022, Overcoming the Activity-Stability Trade-Off in Heterogeneous Electro-Fenton Catalysis: Encapsulating Carbon Cloth-Supported Iron Oxychloride within Graphitic Layers, ACS Catalysis, 12, 13334-13348

8.  M Asif,  S Zhang, L Qiu, Z Zhang*, 2022, Ultrahigh permeance functionalised boron nitride membrane for nanoconfined heterogeneous catalysis, Chem Catalysis, 2,1-13

9.  Q Ly, L Cui, M Asif, W Khan, L Nghiem, Y Hwang, Z Zhang*, 2023, Membrane-based nanoconfined heterogeneous catalysis for water purification: A critical review, Water Research, 230, 119577  

10.  L Cui, M Sun, Z Zhang*, 2023, An efficient, green and residual oxidant-free wastewater treatment technology enabled by coupling dual-cathode heterogeneous electro-Fenton and UV radiation in tandem, Green Chemistry, 25, 6315-6326

11.  M Asif, H Kang, Z Zhang*, 2023, Assembling CoAl-layered metal oxide into the gravity-driven catalytic membrane for Fenton-like catalytic degradation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products, Chemical Engineering Journal, 463, 142340

12.  L Cui, M Sun, Z Zhang*, 2022, Flow-through integration of FeOCl/graphite felt-based heterogeneous electro-Fenton and Ti4O7-based anodic oxidation for efficient contaminant degradation, Chemical Engineering Journal, 450, 138263   

13.  T Maqbool, Q Ly, K He, L Cui, Y Zhang, M Sun, Z Zhang*, 2022, Reactive electrochemical ceramic membrane for effective removal of high concentration humic acid: insights of different performance and mechanisms, Journal of Membrane Science, 651, 120460 

14.  Y Ma, H Wang, X Lv, D Xiong, H Xie, Z Zhang*, 2022, Three-dimensional ordered mesoporous Co₃O₄/peroxymonsulfate triggered confined heterogeneous catalysis for rapid removal of ranitidine in aqueous solution, Chemical Engineering Journal, 443, 136495 

15.  T Maqbool, M Sun, L Chen, Z Zhang*, 2022, Exploring the fate of dissolved organic matter at the molecular level in the reactive electrochemical ceramic membrane using fluorescence spectroscopy and FT-ICR MS, Water Research, 210, 117979

16.  C Meng, Z Wang, W Zhang, B Yang*, H Xie, Z Zhang*, 2022, Laminar membranes assembled by ultrathin cobalt-copper oxide nanosheets for nanoconfined catalytic degradation of contaminants, Chemical Engineering Journal, 449, 137811

17.  Y Ma, B Ji, X Lv, D Xiong, X Zhao, H Xie, Z Zhang*, 2022, Confined heterogeneous catalysis by boron nitride-Co₃O₄ nanosheet cluster for peroxymonosulfate oxidation toward ranitidine removal, Chemical Engineering Journal, 435, 135126

18.  M Asif, H Kang, Z Zhang*, 2022, Gravity-driven layered double hydroxide nanosheet membrane activated peroxymonosulfate system for micropollutant degradation, Journal of Hazardous Materials, 425, 127988

19.  M Asif,  S Iftekhar, T Maqbool, B Paramanik, S Tabraiz, M Sillanpää, Z Zhang*, 2022, Two-dimensional nanoporous and lamellar membranes for water purification: Reality or a myth?Chemical Engineering Journal, 432, 134335 

20.  M Asif, B Ren, C Li, K He, X Zhang, Z Zhang*, 2021, Understanding the role of in-situ ozonation in Fe(II)-dosed membrane bioreactor (MBR) for membrane fouling mitigation, Journal of Membrane Science, 633, 119400

21.  Y Ma, X Lv, D Xiong, X Zhao, Z Zhang*, 2021, Catalytic degradation of ranitidine using novel magnetic Ti₃C₂-based MXene nanosheets modified with nanoscale zero-valent iron particles, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 284, 119720

22.  M Asif, Z Zhang*, 2021, Ceramic membrane technology for water and wastewater treatment: A critical review of performance, full-scale applications, membrane fouling and prospects, Chemical Engineering Journal, 418, 129481

23.  X Zou, X Zhao, J Zhang, W Lv, Q Lin, Z Zhang*, 2021, Photocatalytic degradation of ranitidine and reduction of nitrosamine dimethylamine formation potential over MXene–Ti₃C₂/MoS₂ under visible light irradiation, Journal of Hazardous Materials, 413, 125424

24.  M Asif, C Li, B Ren, T Maqbool, X Zhang, Z Zhang*, 2021, Elucidating the impacts of intermittent in-situ ozonation in a ceramic membrane bioreactor: Micropollutant removal, fouling mechanisms and functional genes,Journal of Hazardous Materials, 402, 123730 

25.  T Maqbool, Q Ly, Y Qin, C Li, M Asif, Z Zhang*, 2020, Exploring the relative changes in dissolved organic matter for assessing the water quality of full-scale drinking water treatment plants using a fluorescence ratio approach, Water Research, 183, 116125

1. Z Zhang*, 2020, Chapter 8: Nutrient removal in MBRs and by membrane separation, Current Developments in Biotechnology and Bioengineering: Advanced Membrane Separation Processes for Sustainable Water and Wastewater Management – Aerobic Membrane Bioreactor Processes and Technologies,ISBN 9780128198094,Elsevier.

2. M Asif, Z Zhang, T Vu, M.A.H Johir, N Pathak, L Nghiem and L Nguyen, 2021, Chapter: Membrane bioreactor for wastewater treatment: Current status, novel configurations and cost analysis, Cost-efficient Wastewater Treatment Technologies: Engineered Systems (The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry), Nasr M. & Negm A. Eds, Springer.

3. M Asif*, Z Zhang*, S Iftekharb, V Lehtob, 2021, Chapter: Recent advances in polysaccharide-derived biopolymeric nanomaterials for water treatment, Biopolymeric Nanomaterials: Fundamentals and Applications, Gupta R.M. et al. Eds. ISBN 9780128243640, Elsevier. 

1.       Fellow of International Advanced Materials Association

2.       World's Top 2% Scientist

3.       Winner of the Guangdong Province Outstanding Youth Fund

4.       Cover of MIT Technology Review-China

5.       The Most Picked Award of 2022 Chinese Scientists with Cell Press

6.       2021 Emerging Investigators-Journal of Materials Chemistry A