1. Heterogeneous catalysis

2. Homogeneouscatalysis

3. Biomass conversion catalysts and processes

4. Biofuels, biochemicals, and biomaterials

5. Low temperature C-H activation mechanisms

6. Green chemistry and sustainable technologies

7. Professor Zhang’s research covers both fundamental chemistries and process development for energy- efficient transformation of sustainable feedstocks.

The main search areas:

1. Address key scientific problems in biomass conversions.

2. Study low-energy pretreatment andcatalytic pathwaysin the transformation oflignocellulosic biomass compositional matters.

3. Design new methods and processes for the productionof liquid fuel, chemicals, and new materials from renewable feedstocks;

4. Establish database on the distribution and compositional matters of potential high-yield biomass feedstocks.

5. Investigate innovative catalytic systems for methane conversion.

6. Explore new methods of carbon dioxide utilization.

Professor Zongchao (Conrad) Zhang received his BS degree in Chemistry from Lanzhou University in 1982 and his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Connecticut in 1988. He has nearly thirty years of research experiences in the US on a number of subjects in industrial catalysis. He did postdoctoral research at Northwestern University. Among the various positions that he held in his career, he was a research assistant professor at the Catalysis Center of Northwestern University, a senior chemist at Johnson Matthey’s Pennsylvania Environmental Catalysis Center, a Principal Scientist with Akzo Nobel, a Chief Scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and the Science and R&D Director of KiOR. Professor Zhang joined the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics full time in 2013. He started and leads the research group DNL 0602 at the Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy.

1988C.E. Waring Excellent Graduate Student Award

1997-2004 Akzo Nobel prestigious Tiger Award

Member of Honorary Societies: Phi Beta Kappa; Phi Kappa Phi; Phi Lambda Upsilon.

1. “Catalytic transformation of carbohydrates and lignin in ionic liquids”, Z. Conrad Zhang, WIREs Energy Environ 2012. doi: 10.1002/wene.67

2. “Prominent roles of impurities in ionic liquid for catalytic conversion of carbohydrates”, Haibo Zhao, Heather M. Brown, Johnathan E. Holladay, Z. Conrad Zhang, invited contribution to a special issue in Topics in Catalysis, 55, 33-37 (2012).

3. “Catalytic degradation of lignin model compounds in acidic imidazolium based ionic liquids:Hammett acidity and anion effects” Blair Cox; Songyan Jia; Z C Zhang; John G Ekerdt, Polymer Degradation and Stability, 96 (4), 426-431 (2011)

4. “Hydrolytic cleavage of β-O-4 ether bonds of lignin model compounds in an ionic liquid with metal chlorides”, Songyan Jia, Blair J. Cox, Xinwen Guo, Z. Conrad Zhang, John G. Ekerdt, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 50, 849–855 (2011)

5. “Production of Calcium Carbide from Fine Biochars” Guodong Li, Qingya Liu, Zhenyu Liu, Z. Conrad Zhang, Chengyue Li, Weize Wu, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 49 (45), 8480–8483 (2010)

6. “[CuCln]2-n Ion-Pair Species in 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium Chloride Ionic Liquid-Water Mixtures: Ultraviolet-Visible, X-ray Absorption Fine Structure, and Density Functional Theory Characterization.” G. S. Li, D. M. Camaioni, J. E. Amonette, Z. C. Zhang,T. J. Johnson, and J. L. Fulton, J. Phys. Chem. C, 114, 12439-12764 (2010)

7.“Cleaving the ?-O-4 bonds of lignin model compounds in 1-H-3-methylimidazolium chloride,” S. Jia, B. J. Cox, X. Guo, Z. C. Zhang, J. G. Ekerdt, Chem. Sus. Chem. 3(10), 1089-1207 (2010)

8. “Decomposition of a phenolic lignin surrogate compound over organic N-bases in an ionic liquid,” S. Jia, B. J. Cox, X. Guo, Z. C. Zhang, J. G. Ekerdt, Holzforschung, 64 (5), 577-581 （2010）

9. “Accelerated Cellulose Depolymerization Catalyzed by Paired Metal Chlorides in Ionic Liquid Solvent” Y. Su, H. M. Brown, G. S. Li, X.-D. Zhou, J. E. Amonette, J. L. Fulton, D. M. Camaioni, Z. C. Zhang, Applied Catalysis A, 391, 436–442 (2011)

10. “Single-step conversion of cellulose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a versatile platform chemical”, Y. Su, H. M.Brown, X. W. Huang, X.-D. Zhou, J. E. Amonette, Z.C. Zhang, Applied Catalysis A, 361, 117 (2009)

11. “Reactions of lignin model compounds in ionic liquids”, J. B. Binder, M. J. Gray, J. F. White, Z. C. Zhang, J. E. Holladay, Biomass & bioenergy, 33, 1122 (2009)

12. “Operando High Throughput (OHT) Studies using FT-IR Imaging Technique and Raman Spectroscopy”, Guosheng Li, Dehong Hu, Guanguang Xia, John M. White, and Conrad Zhang*, Review of Scientific Instrument, 79,74101 (2008)

13.“Metal Chlorides in Ionic Liquid Solvents Convert Sugars to 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural”, Haibo Zhao, Johnathan E. Holladay, Heather Brown, Z. Conrad Zhang, Science, 316, 1597 (2007)

14.“An unusual inverse temperature dependent pathway for cellulose decrystallization in trifluoroacetic acid”, Haibo Zhao, Johnathan E. Holladay, Ja Hun Kwak, and Z. Conrad Zhang, J. Phys. Chem., B, 111, 5295 (2007)