Yongqi Lu

Yongqi Lu serves as a Principal Research Scientist in Environmental Engineering at both the Illinois State Geological Survey and the Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His dual institutional affiliation positions him at the forefront of geological and engineering approaches to carbon management and environmental sustainability.

Lu's research program intensely focuses on carbon dioxide capture technologies, with specialization in post-combustion CO2 capture systems, enzyme-mediated absorption processes using carbonic anhydrase, and CO2 utilization pathways. His work bridges fundamental reaction mechanisms with practical engineering applications, particularly in flue gas treatment and value-added product synthesis from captured carbon.

Analysis of his publication trends reveals a strategic progression from fundamental absorption mechanisms toward integrated techno-economic and life cycle assessments of carbon capture systems. Recent work demonstrates increasing emphasis on commercial-scale implementation, enzyme-enhanced capture efficiency, and co-production systems that generate economic value from captured CO2 through products like precipitated calcium carbonate and fertilizers.

His technical contributions include a U.S. patent for novel CO2 capture compositions and leadership in major engineering projects such as the full-scale FEED study for retrofitting the Prairie State Generating Station with Mitsubishi's CO2 capture technology, representing significant advancements toward practical carbon management solutions.