Projects per year
Personal profile
Personal Statement
I am a Reader and a UKRI Future Leader Fellow (FLF). I joined University of Strathclyde in July 2019 as a Senior Lecturer (Chancellor's Fellow) under Strathclyde Global Talent Programme. I was promoted to Reader in February 2024. I received a Ph.D. degree from Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden, and previously worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at University of Alberta, Canada. From January 2015 to June 2019, I worked at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) as a Lecturer before joining University of Strathclyde.
I have secured approximately £4.5 million in research funding from a range of sources, including UKRI, EPSRC, BBSRC, the Leverhulme Trust, and industry partners. Currently, as a UKRI Future Leader Fellow (FLF), I lead a £2 million project focused on accelerating the transition to net-zero by developing a pioneering Carbon Measuring Framework, a key step toward ensuring a fossil-free supply of carbon-based engineering materials. Additionally, I lead a team at the University of Strathclyde that is part of the Global Center for Sustainable Bioproducts (GCSB), one of six newly established centers dedicated to addressing the challenge of creating environmentally and economically sustainable bio-derived composites and plastics. GCSB unites expertise from the U.S., Canada, South Korea, and the U.K., and collaborates with global industry partners to drive innovative approaches in converting waste biomass into bioplastics.
My vision is to lead world-class research group in Sustainability and Decarbonisation, to solve macroscopic engineering challenges in this area by finding ways of valorising the wastes into valuable products (e.g., fuels and chemicals). The pathways to achieve circular economy and zero emissions are complex and requires the combined effort from academia, industry, and society. My research is centred on fundamental development of innovative waste valorising technologies using scientifically-proven principles such as Density Functional Theory and Molecular Dynamics. The technologies include (a). converting organic solid wastes, such as biomass, into liquid transportation fuels and value-added chemicals; (b). recycling waste plastics and composites; and (c). advancing carbon materials such as carbon-nanotubes, meso-porous carbon, and biochar.
I am currently on the editorial board of two international journals and I am an academic member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), a member of the Energy Institute (EI) and a member of American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). I am a Fellow of Higher Education Academy in the UK, and have taught core Engineering courses include Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, and Heat Transfer.
Research Interests
- Net-Zero, Decarbonisation, wastes valorisation towards a Circular Economy
- Liquid transportation fuels and value-added chemicals from organic solid wastes, e.g. biomass
- Recycling of waste plastics and waste composites
- Advanced carbon materials, carbon-nanotube, meso-porous carbon, biochar
Available PDRA positions:
https://strathvacancies.engageats.co.uk/Vacancies/W/6494/0/440677/15019/research-associate-631968
Available PhD positions:
PhD 1: Carbon Assessment of Transforming CO2 and Waste Plastics into Sustainable Fuels and Chemicals
PhD 2: Recycling and upcycling of End-of-life PHA-based 3D/4D printed materials;
Expertise & Capabilities
- Quantum Mechanics (QM) modelling based on Density Functional Theory (DFT);
- Process design and optimization of energy systems;
- Thermodynamic, Energy and Exergy analysis;
- Techno-economic analysis, System design;
- Experimental investigation.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Education/Academic qualification
Doctor of Philosophy, Micro-reaction Mechanism Study of the Biomass Thermal Conversion Process using Density Functional Theory, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)
Sept 2009 → May 2013
Award Date: 23 May 2013
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Reshaping Fossil-free Carbon Supply Landscape for Accelerated Materials-based Net-zero Transition (RAN-Trans)
Zhang, X. (Principal Investigator)
MRC (Medical Research Council)
1/10/24 → 30/09/28
Project: Research Fellowship
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From solar energy to fuel: A holistic artificial photosynthesis platform for the production of viable solar fuels (HORIZON-CL5-2022-D3-03)(REFINE)
Neagu, D. (Principal Investigator), Somorin, T. (Co-investigator) & Zhang, X. (Co-investigator)
1/11/23 → 31/10/27
Project: Research
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Molecular dynamics interpretation of citric acid-water assisting mechanism in deep eutectic solvent to destruct agricultural residue and improve enzymatic hydrolyzability of cellulose
Zhou, S., Zhang, X. & Xu, Y., May 2025, In: Industrial Crops and Products. 227, 120805.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
CO2‐assisted controllable synthesis of PdNi nanoalloys for highly selective hydrogenation of biomass‐derived 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural
Guo, R., Zeng, Y., Lin, L., Hu, D., Lu, C., Conroy, S., Zhang, S., Zeng, C., Luo, H., Jiang, Z., Zhang, X., Tu, X. & Yan, K., 3 Feb 2025, In: Angewandte Chemie International Edition . 64, 6, e202418234.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Citations (Scopus)9 Downloads (Pure)
Activities
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Strategic Themes: EPSRC Critical Mass Programmes to Drive a Sustainable Future
Bedford, T. (Organiser), Owens, S. R. (Participant), Bellingham, R. (Participant), Turan, O. (Participant), Fu, Y. (Participant), Zhang, X. (Participant), Ivaturi, A. (Participant), Dai, D. (Participant), Li, J. (Participant), Tapinos, E. (Participant), Zhao, J. (Participant), Kelly, N. (Participant), Werkmeister, A. (Participant), Ijomah, W. (Participant), Macdonald, E. (Participant), Yang, E. (Participant), Robertson, S. (Participant), Gonzalez-Longo, C. (Participant), Moshfeghi, Y. (Participant), Nematiaram, T. (Participant), Pierce, G. (Participant), Calvillo Munoz, C. (Participant), Lau, K. H. A. (Participant) & Moqaddamerad, S. (Participant)
30 Jan 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
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The use of biochar towards a circular economy- optimisation of chemically activated biochar for aqueous phosphate recovery
McFadden, M. A. (Speaker), Zhang, X. (Contributor), Fletcher, A. (Contributor) & Davidson, C. (Contributor)
20 Nov 2024Activity: Talk or presentation types › Oral presentation