National Science Foundation Funds Dr. Cheng Zhang's Research

National Science Foundation Funds Dr. Cheng Zhang’s Carbon Research

LIU students frequently work in Dr. Zhang’s research group and often present their work at both national and regional conferences.

The National Science Foundation is funding research from Dr. Cheng Zhang, associate professor of chemistry, that will mitigate the negative impacts of carbon emissions on the environment and the ecosystem. Dr. Zhang is developing a new approach that has the dual impact of removing CO2 from the atmosphere while generating commercial products. It has been well documented that carbon-rich fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, have been heavily utilized to power human civilization, resulting in the massive emission of CO2 to the environment as a greenhouse gas byproduct. Efficient

utilization of CO2 to produce chemicals and fuels is critical in reducing these emissions.

Dr. Zhang’s work with carbon nanospheres dates back more than a decade, preceding her career in academia. She initiated and led a project on the novel chemical compound back in 2005, while working as a scientist in research and development for Headwaters Technology Innovation Group. The project proved lucrative, garnering $3 million in funding from Sumitomo, a major Japanese company, and ultimately became a joint venture for commercial development. “At that time, we were looking for some material that could be used for high-end applications,” Dr. Zhang said. “Carbon nanosphere is a highly graphitic carbon material with unique hollow spherical structure.”

At the time, her team was required to ensure the material maintained its empty core. In her current project, different from her previous work, Dr. Zhang will modify the synthetic process and encapture various metal particles inside the carbon nanospheres as core-shell catalysts for CO2 conversion to light olefins, which are useful for

the packaging, plastic processing, construction and textile industries. The high market demand for light olefins

offers a tremendous opportunity for this technology to profoundly impact the scale of CO2 utilization. “I felt proud to be part of the project,” Dr. Zhang said, reflecting on the connection that yielded a remarkable breakthrough. “Looking back, it seems like all the dots connected. It’s amazing.” The move to academia was a long time coming for Dr. Zhang, who joined LIU in 2015. Both of her parents were high school teachers and encouraged her to pursue a career in higher education. “I always wanted to be a professor. I really like to interact with others and share ideas,” she said. While Dr. Zhang admits some days were a grind when she worked as an industry professional, she never dreads the morning alarm clock now. “I enjoy going to work every day. I love seeing the smiles on my students’ faces.”

The feeling is clearly mutual, as LIU students frequently work in Dr. Zhang’s research group and often present their work at both national and regional conferences. Last year, senior David Triger co-authored a paper that was published in The Journal of Chemical Thermodynamics. Dr. Zhang is developing a training-learning platform that allows undergraduate and high school students to gain valuable skills in synthesis, catalyst evaluation techniques and basic characterization, in conjunction with their quantitative and critical thinking skills, which paves the way for their future career development. “My projects connect very closely with real world problems, so that’s why I can get students interested right away,” Dr. Zhang said. “We are converting this greenhouse gas into something that can bring value to society.”