Tiancun Xiao

Tiancun Xiao is a Senior Research Fellow in the Chemistry Department at Oxford University since 2004. He co-founded Oxford Catalysts Ltd and Oxford Sustainable Fuels, serving as part-time CEO of the latter. His research focuses on catalyst design for industrial applications and environmental sustainability.

• Education: BSc (Northwest University, China, 1987); PhD (Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1993)

Research Interests include:

• Developing cleaner catalysts for energy production (e.g., sustainable aviation fuel from CO₂)
• Microwave-assisted catalysis for polymer waste conversion
• Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCUS) technologies
• Advanced material synthesis via the Organic Metal-Matrix (OMX) method

Scientific Awards

• Royal Society BP-Amoco Fellowship (1999)

Industrial Collaborations: Co-founded Oxford Catalysts Ltd (now Velocys) and Oxford Sustainable Fuels. His catalysts have been validated by international companies and commercialized in pyrolysis oil refining.