Research Interests

Our research group is focusing on the renewable fuels, chemicals and materials production from biomass and plastic wastes by chemical, biological and biochemical methods. We also investigate the biomass conversion mechanism, develop new technologies and new equipment for biomass conversion, and explore the new models for engineering application and promotion of our technologies. The specific research interests include: (1) investigate the principles and methods of hydrothermal conversion of biomass wastes, explore the separation technologies for high value-added organics, prepare the high value-added bio-based chemicals and biofuels, and develop the technologies for the better utilization of hydrochar. (2) investigate the principles and methods of anaerobic conversion of biomass wastes, develop efficient and cost-effective technologies for methane, hydrogen and volatile fatty acids production, and analyze the microbial ecology in the mixed culture system by high-throughput sequencing. (3) investigate the principles and methods of combined chemical and biological conversion of biomass wastes, develop integrated technologies that combine syngas production by chemical technology from biomass wastes and further conversion to biofuels by biological technology, and explore new pretreatment technologies for biofuels production from lignocellulosic materials. (4) carry out the pilot demonstration of new biomass waste utilization technologies and explore the commercial promotion model, to achieve efficient biomass waste utilization for various biofuel, biochemical and bio-based materials production.

Biography

• 2001 Ph.D., Northeastern University, Shenyang, China.

• 1998 M.E., Northeastern University, Shenyang, China.

• 1995 B.D., Liaoning University of Science & Technology, Anshan, China.

• 2019 - Director, Shanghai Technical Service Platform for Pollution Control and Resource Utilization of Organic Wastes, Shanghai, China

• 2013 - Professor at Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

• 2019.1-2 Visiting Professor of Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence, Department of Chemistry, University of York (UK)

• 2011–2020 Vice-Chair of Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

• 2005-2013 Associate Professor at Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

• 2007-2008 Postdoctoral Research Associate at Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, USA

• 2003-2005 Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.

• 2001-2003 Postdoctoral Fellow at the College of Chemistry & Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China.

Prizes and Awards

• 2024  Shanghai Oriental Talent Program (Top notch Project)

• 2020-2024Top 2% World Scientists

• 2023  Fudan University Undergraduate Teaching Achievement Award, Second Prize, ranked 1st/6th

• 2023  Highly Cited Researcher 2023

• 2020  Ministry of Education of China, Natural Science Award for outstanding achievements in scientific research of colleges and universities, 2nd Prize

• 2020  Annual outstanding contribution award of Department of environmental science and engineering, Fudan University

• 2020  Second prize of Fudan University Teaching Achievement Award

• 2018  Excellent innovation and entrepreneurship tutor, China Internet plus student innovation and entrepreneurship competition

• 2018  Excellent instructor, China's Internet plus student innovation and entrepreneurship competition in Shanghai

• 2017  Award for Most Cited Energy Article from China, Elsevier Publisher

• 2017  The first prize of Shanghai Teaching Achievement Award

• 2016  Superior Paper Award, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers

• 2014  Shanghai Talent Development Fund

• 2012  Excellent Advisor for Master's Thesis of Fudan University

• 2011  Shanghai Natural Science Award, 2nd Prize

• 2010  Liaoning Natural Science Award (Book Award), 3rd Prize

• 2010  K. C. Wong Education Found, Attending the 5th International Green Energy Conference, Waterloo, Canada, Jun 1-3, 2010.

• 2010  Flying Program, Shanghai Science and Technology Association

• 2007  Fudan University Young Teachers’ Long Term Oversea Training Program. 

• 2006  Shanghai Universities’ Special Fund for Selecting and Training of Young Teachers.

• 2006  The 5th Century-Star Program of Fudan University                                    

Key Publications

1. Fengbo Yu#, Wei Zhao#, Tao Qin, Wang Zhao, Yulian Chen, Xinyu Miao, Litao Lin, Hua Shang, Guodong Sui, Daxin Peng, Yi Yang, Yongguan Zhu, Shicheng Zhang*, Xiangdong Zhu*. Biosafety of human environments can be supported by effective use of renewable biomass. PNAS. 2022, 119(3), e2106843119. (Science News)

2. Jiahui Zhan, Lin Li, Ruihong Dai, Baohuan Wei, Hu Luo*, Rongfei Cong, Haozhi Zhou, Lin Xia, Xiaofang Liu, Shunan Zhang, Shicheng Zhang*, Hui Wang*, Yuhan Sun. Engineering porous beta zeolite-encapsulated nickel catalyst for waste polyolefins upcycling. Applied Catalysis B. 2025, 373, 125359.

3. Jie Gao, Chao Jia, Fengbo Yu, Yang Cao, Linyu Zhu, Aodi Li, Liming Sun, Litao Lin, Xuan Wu, Zhelin He, Zhongyue Zhou, James H. Clark, Lina Li, Yong Wang, Xiangdong Zhu*, Shicheng Zhang *. Porous graphene-assisted dynamic Pd catalysis for superior hydrogenation. Applied Catalysis B. 2024, 352, 124026

4. Liming Sun, Xuan Wu, Yubing Jiao, Chao Jia, Tao Teng, Litao Lin, Fengbo Yu, Zhelin He, Jie Gao, Shuwen Yan, Guosheng Shi, Zhiyong Jason Ren, Jinguang Yang*, Shicheng Zhang*, Xiangdong Zhu*. Millisecond self-heating and quenching synthesis of Fe/carbon nanocomposite for superior reductive remediation. Applied Catalysis B. 2024, 342, 123361.

5. Shaojie Zhou, Qi Wang, Mingda Hua, Shurong Wang,* Shicheng Zhang*. Sustainable biomass acts as an electron donor for Cr(VI) reduction during the subcritical hydrothermal process: molecular insights into the role of hydrochar and liquid compounds. Environmental Science & Technology. 2024, 58, 15855−15863.

6. Jie Gao, Yang Cao*, Yitian Zhang, Gang Luo, Jiajun Fan, James H. Clark, Shicheng Zhang*. Highly efficient lignin depolymerization and enhanced bio-oil upgrading via in-situ hydrogenation: Impact of lignin structure. Chemical Engineering Journal. 2024, 498, 155837.

7. Yuying Zhao, Jiahui Zhan, Rui Hu, Gang Luo, Jiajun Fan, James H. Clark, Shicheng Zhang*. Water-assisted catalytic transfer hydrogenation of guaiacol to cyclohexanol over Ru/NiAl2O4. Chemical Engineering Journal. 2024, 485, 149934.

8. Jie Gao, Yang Cao, Gang Luo, Jiajun Fan, James H. Clark, Shicheng Zhang*. High-efficiency catalytic hydrodeoxygenation of lignin-derived vanillin with nickel-supported metal phosphate catalysts. Chemical Engineering Journal. 2022, 448, 137723.

9. Yan Shi, Zheng Chen, Yang Cao, Jiajun Fan, James H. Clark, Gang Luo*, Shicheng Zhang*. Migration and transformation mechanism of phosphorus in waste activated sludge during anaerobic fermentation and hydrothermal conversion. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 2021, 403, 123649.

10. Shaojie Zhou, Hua Shang, Jiewen Luo, Minghao Shen, Qi Wang, Shicheng Zhang*, Xiangdong Zhu*. Organoarsenic conversion to As(III) in subcritical hydrothermal reaction of livestock manure. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 2021, 402, 12357