Background Information: 

Dr. Heng Zhao graduated from Wuhan University of Technology in 2019, majoring in materials science and engineering. His supervisor is Academician Bao-Lian Su. He is engaged in the design and synthesis of multi-component materials with hierarchical pore structures and their research on photocatalytic hydrogen production. He joined the University of Calgary in Canada after graduation with the title of Postdoctoral Associate. Supervisors are Academician Zhangxing Chen and Professor Jinguang Hu. He focuses on the biomass photorefining for hydrogen and value-added chemicals coproduction. Up to now, he has published more than 60 SCI papers in top journals related to energy and environment, such as "Advanced Energy Materials", "Advanced Functional Materials", "Nano Energy", "ACS Catalysis", "Applied Catalysis B-Environmental". Among them, 24 papers are the first/co-first author or corresponding author, and 4 other authorized patents. He has been cited more than 2,200 times in total, with an H factor of 25. He has participated in 6 projects including the National Natural Science Foundation of China Youth Science Fund, Canada's First Research Excellence Fund, etc., with a total funding of 10.38 million yuan. He served as associate editor of Frontier in Chemistry-Electrochemistry, executive editor of GLOBAL SCIENCE CHRONICLE, guest editor of Catalysts special issue "Emerging Polymeric Photocatalysts for Energy and Environmental Applications".

Research Field:

Design and fine fabrication of multifunctional catalysts with hierarchical pore structure and their application exploration in energy and environment, focusing on the new process of using renewable energy (such as solar energy, biomass energy, etc.) to achieve efficient preparation of green hydrogen and high value-added chemicals, Research applications include but are not limited to photocatalytic hydrogen production, one-carbon conversion, nitrogen fixation, biomass valorization, etc. Through refined material design, in-depth understanding of the structure-activity relationship between catalytic materials and performance, revealing the internal mechanism of catalytic reactions, and developing new and efficient catalytic materials. For the mature reaction system in the laboratory scale, through techno-economic analysis, explore and realize the industrial scale application.

Educational Background:

2013-2019: PhD. Material Science and Technology Department of Wuhan University of Technology

2009-2013: Bachelor, Applied Chemistry Department of Wuhan University of Technology

Work Experience:

2019-Present: Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering of University of Calgary

Academic Part-time Jobs (Partial):

2023-present: Associate Editor of Frontier in Chemistry-Electrochemistry

2023-present: Executive editor of GLOBAL SCIENCE CHRONICLE

2021: Guest editor of a special issue of Catalysts

Representative Works:

General Information

More than 60 SCI papers; 4 Chinese patterns

Works Information and Citation Data

Google Scholar：

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=HqIDZl4AAAAJ&hl=zh-CN

ResearchGate：

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Heng-Zhao-3

10 Representative Works (* refers to the corresponding author)

1. H. Zhao, J. Liu, N. Zhong, S. Larter, Y. Li, M. Kibria, B.-L. Su*, Z. Chen*, J. Hu*, 2023, Biomass photoreforming for hydrogen and value-added chemicals co-production on hierarchically porous photocatalysts. Advanced Energy Materials, 13(21): 2300257.

2. J. Wang, L. Chen, H. Zhao*, P. Kumar, S. Larter, M. Kibria*, J. Hu*, 2023, In-Situ Photo-Fenton-Like Tandem Reaction for Selective Gluconic Acid Production from Glucose Photo-Oxidation, ACS Catalysis, 13(4): 2637-2646. 

3. H. Zhao, Q. Jin, M. Khan, S. Larter, S. Siahrostami*, M. Kibria*, J. Hu*, 2022, Rational design of carbon nitride for remarkable photocatalytic H2O2 production. Chem Catalysis, 2(7): 1720-1733. 

4. H. Zhang, H. Zhao*, S. Zhai, R. Zhao, J., X. Cheng, H. Shiran, S. Larter, M. Kibria*, J. Hu*, 2022, Electron-enriched Lewis acid-base sites on red carbon nitride for simultaneous hydrogen production and glucose isomerization. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 316: 121647.

5. H. Zhao, J. Liu, C. Li, X. Zhang, Y. Li*, Z.i Hu, B. Li*, Z. Chen, J. Hu*, B.-L.Su*, 2022, Meso-Microporous Nanosheet-Constructed 3DOM Perovskites for Remarkable Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production. Advanced Functional Materials, 32(22): 2112831.

6. H. Zhao, C. Li, X. Yu, N. Zhong, Z. Hu*, Y. Li, S., M. Kibria*, J. Hu*, 2021, Mechanistic understanding of cellulose β-1, 4-glycosidic cleavage via photocatalysis. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 302: 120872.

7. H. Zhao, P. Liu, X. Wu, A. Wang, D. Zheng, S. Wang, Z. Chen, S. Larter, Y. Li*, B.-L. Su, M. Kibria*, J. Hu*, 2021, Plasmon enhanced glucose photoreforming for arabinose and gas fuel co-production over 3DOM TiO2-Au. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 291: 120055. 

8. H. Zhao, X. Yu, C. Li, W.i Yu, A. Wang, Z. Hu, S. Larter, Y. Li*, M. Kibria*, J. Hu*, 2022, Carbon quantum dots modified TiO2 composites for hydrogen production and selective glucose photoreforming. Journal of Energy Chemistry, 64: 201-208. 

9. H. Zhao, Z. Hu, J. Liu, Y. Li*, M. Wu*, G. Tendeloo, B.-L. Su*, 2018, Blue-edge slow photons promoting visible-light hydrogen production on gradient ternary 3DOM TiO2-Au-CdS photonic crystals. Nano Energy, 47: 266.

10. H. Zhao, M. Wu*, J. Liu, Z. Deng, Y. Li, B.-L. Su*, 2016, Synergistic promotion of solar-driven H2 generation by three-dimensionally ordered macroporous structured TiO2-Au-CdS ternary photocatalyst. Applied Catalysis B-Environmental, 184: 182.