Yan Zhang

Dr. Yan Zhang is a Professor of Chemical Engineering at Memorial University, where she has held positions since 2010, advancing from Assistant Professor (2010) to Associate Professor (2016) and Full Professor (2022). She earned her B.Eng and M.Eng in Chemical Engineering from Tianjin University, followed by a PhD in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from the National University of Singapore. Her research focuses on environmentally sustainable technologies, including the development of adsorbents and photocatalysts for water pollution control, bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass to biofuels, and fluorescent sensors based on carbon quantum dots.

Key areas of investigation include porous polysaccharide composites for water pollutant removal, nanocarbon/metal oxide heterojunctions for photocatalytic applications, and core-shell MOF nanoparticles for dye adsorption. Her work integrates experimental and computational methods to address challenges in environmental engineering and materials science. Recent studies emphasize visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants and selective detection of contaminants via advanced sensor technologies.

Dr. Zhang’s publications span 20+ years, with contributions to journals like Applied Catalysis A: General, Environmental Chemistry Letters, and Chemical Engineering Journal. Her research themes reflect a balance between fundamental materials science and applied environmental solutions. Grants and collaborations have supported her interdisciplinary projects, though specific funding details are not elaborated here. No awards are explicitly mentioned in the provided texts.