Zhengrong Gu

ZhengRong Gu

Professor

Biography

I started my research career as a master's student focusing on nanomaterials, carbon adsorbents and catalysts in 1997, when I was a major pioneer of photocatalysis technology in China.

After 2001, my doctoral research focused on bioseparation technology, especially recombinant protein purification. From 2004 to 2006, I developed the first three-dimensional protein (size, surface charge and hydrophobicity) characterization methods and applied this innovative method to a complex corn extract protein. After completing my doctoral study, I joined GE-Lifescience Fast Trak as lead applicant scientist and managed typical training courses on biopharmaceutical processing development. I also led customized biopharm downstream processes development service team in Shanghai. In March 2008, I returned to academia for more research freedom and innovation and joined the microbiology department at the University of Illinois as a postdoctoral researcher. In this short period, I solved multiple critical challenges in the expression and purification of the new botulinum neurotoxin therapeutical delivery vehicle.

Since I joined the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at ձavƵ in December 2008, my multidisciplinary background and experiences have enabled my research more flexibility in a currently intensely competitive environment.

Since 2010, I started to focus on biorenewable advanced carbon materials, electrochemical energy storage devices and functional adsorbents for biofuel separation in biorefinery. Our recent biorenewable carbon materials work has led us to prepare multiple advanced carbon materials from different biomass and evaluate these carbon materials’ energy storage function in electrochemical supercapacitor and lithium-ion batteries. Our subsequent work showed that a novel nitrogen doped 3D graphene, which demonstrated excellent electrochemical properties as electrode materials of a supercapacitor, was synthesized from distiller’s dried grains with solubles and a facile low-temperature catalytic graphenization process. In addition, we developed multiple methods to control surface oxygen and hydrophobicity of carbon adsorbents for improving electrochemical energy storage properties, as well as enhancing adsorption selectivity for biofuel harvesting. Recently, I've started to integrate bioseparation techniques and graphene materials into a new biosensor platform and explore next-generation, high-selective and high-conductive disposable probes of electrochemical biosensor devices.

Education

  • B.S. in chemical engineering | East China University of Science and Technology
  • M.S. in chemical engineering | East China University of Science and Technology
  • M.S. in chemical engineering | Iowa State University
  • Ph.D. in chemical engineering | University of Illinois-Urbana
  • Postdoc in microbiology

Academic and Professional Experience

Academic Interests

Research interests:

  1. Renewable graphene and advanced carbon materials
  2. Bioseparation technology (biomedical engineering, biopharma and biorefinery)
  3. Tailored materials for biomedical engineering
  4. Catalysts of biorefinery
  5. Water purification and recovery
  6. Biodust fire monitoring and prevention
  7. Transmission electron microscope techniques for materials characterization and biomedical diagnosis
  8. Bioinspired silicon-carbon and silica materials
Academic Responsibilities
  • ABE 748 Bioseparation
  • ABE 444/544 Unit Operation and Lab
Committees and Professional Memberships

Committees:

  • A leader of the National Science Foundation-Major Research Instrumentation Program-funded Transmission Electron Microscopy facility “Acquisition of a Transmission Electron Microscope.”
  • Graduate council member of SDState.
  • Review panels for these funding agencies: Canada “Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions” (spring 2016), U.S. Department of Agriculture Small Business Innovation Research (fall 2015) and NSF Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems Biomass and Chemical Separation (spring 2016).
  • Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Curriculum committee.
  • Review activity for more than 20 journals, including top journals like Advanced Materials, Energy and Environmental Science, Nanoscale, RSC Advances, Bioresource Technology, Journal of Membrane Science, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, Separation and Purification Technology, Journal of Chromatography A, Current Analytical Chemistry, and Green Chemistry.
  • Editorial board of The Scientific Pages of Agricultural Technologies; Chromatography and Separation Techniques Journal; International Journal of Environment and Bioenergy; and The Scientific Pages of Surface Chemistry.

Professional Memberships:

  • American Institute of Chemical Engineers
  • American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
  • American Chemical Society
Work Experience
  • GE-Lifescience Fast Trak, lead scientist in biopharm downstream training and processes development (September 2006-February 2008)

ձavƵ

  1. Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering | associate professor, research and teaching in biorenewable engineering (materials, separation of biofuel and biorenewables) (July 2015-present)
  2. Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering | assistant professor, research and teaching in biorenewable engineering (materials, separation of biofuel and biorenewables) (December 2008-June 2015)

Research and Scholarly Work

Areas of Research
  1. Scalable biorenewable graphene (solid phase catalytic thermochemical) preparation technology.
    1. Preparation of biorenewable advanced carbon adsorbents from biochar of thermochemical platform.
    2. Preparation of biorenewable graphene with scalable thermochemical pathway.
    3. Preparation of graphene with scalable low-temperature (room temperature) pathway.
  2. Bioseparation technology.
    1. Recovery and separation platforms for microbial biofuel.
    2. Downstream processing techniques of biopharms production and formulation stability.
    3. Nanocrystal cellulose recovery and purification from cellulosic ethanol waste-stream.
    4. Downstream processing techniques and materials of native bioactive compounds production.
  3. Tailored materials for biomedical engineering.
    1. Tailored bioaffinity adsorbents for blood purification and advanced biomedical engineering applications (especially target on emerging pathogens and infectious diseases).
    2. The multifunctional electrochemical immune-sensor platform (based on magnetic-graphene core-shell nanomaterial) for on-site diagnosis of critical pathogens (especially target on emerging pathogens and outbreak of infectious diseases).
  4. Catalysts of biorefinery.
    1. Catalytic hydrothermal conversion lignin and lignin based advanced coating film materials.
    2. Carbon-solid acid catalysts for cellulosic chemicals.
    3. Catalysts for thermochemical biorefinery.
    4. Integrated catalytic pyrolysis platform for producing graphene and biofuel.
  5. Water purification and recovery.
    1. Photocatalysis-photobioreactor integration system for aquaculture wastewater treatment and recycling.
    2. Capacitive deionization (based on 3D graphene and new membrane materials) for water recovery from Brackish water and hydraulic fracturing wastewater.
  6. Biodust fire monitoring and prevention.
    1. Characterization of biodust ignition and combustion properties.
    2. Heat resource management of biomass mechanic processing instruments.
  7. Transmission electron microscope techniques for materials characterization and biomedical diagnosis.
    1. Cryo-TEM in identifying and quantifying biomolecules interactions.
    2. In-situ TEM analysis of electrode materials in electrochemical energy storage systems.
    3. In-situ TEM characterization of catalysts.
  8. Bioinspired silicon-carbon and silica materials.
    1. Bioinspired hierarchical silicon-carbon nanomaterials as anode of lithium ion batteries.
    2. Scalable biorenewable mesoporous silica preparation technology.

Current projects:

  1. Project/Proposal Title: Impact of Biochar on Lifecycles of Agricultural Chemicals and Interactions between Plants and Soil Microorganisms (principal investigator); Source of Support: USDA-NIFA (education).
    1. Total Award Amount: $275,603
    2. Total Award Period Covered: February 2016-January 2019
  2. Project/proposal title: Plasma Modified Biochar Electrode for Nitrate Recycle with Capacitive Deionization Technology (PI); Source of Support: Sun-Grant North Central (USDA-NIFA).
    1. Total award amount: $100,000
    2. Total award period covered: November 2016-October 2018
  3. Project/proposal title: Develop lignocellulosic nanocomposites from prairie cordgrass and corn stalks for smart packaging applications (co-principal investigator), Source of Support: Sun-Grant North Central (USDA-NIFA).
    1. Total award amount: $100,000
    2. Total award period covered: November 2016-October 2018
  4. Project/proposal title: Advanced bioelectrochemical module for waste-to-electricity generation during Long-term space exploration (co-principal investigator), Source of Support: NASA-EPSCoR.
    1. Total award amount: $750,000
    2. Total award period covered: July 2016-June 2019
  5. Project/proposal title: MRI: Acquisition of a Transmission Electron Microscope (principal investigator); Source of Support: NSF-MRI.
    1. Total award amount: $1,210,576 (NSF $775,000)
    2. Total award period covered: September 2014-October 2017
  6. Project/proposal title: Separate Glucosinolates from non-food oil-seeds as value added co-products and improve nutrition value of oil-seeds as animal feed (PI); Source of Support: South Dakota Oilseeds Initiative Program.
    1. Total award amount: $90,000
    2. Total award period covered: July 2013-June 2017
    3. Location of project: ձavƵ
Awards and Honors
  • Gamma Sigma Delta Award of Research 2020
  • College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences Outstanding Researcher 2016
Grants

Principal investigator projects:

  1. U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates; $499,827; April 1, 2020-March 31, 2025; Sustainability of Agricultural Systems – Role of Interface and New Technology
  2. South Dakota Oilseeds Council; $53,235; July 2019-June 2021; Glucosinolate for Microbial Controlling in Vegetable and Fruit After Harvesting
  3. South Dakota Beef Council; $72,658; Jan. 1, 2020-Dec. 31, 2021; Graphene-Based Electrochemical Sensor for Detection of Salmonella in Beed Products
  4. South Dakota Oilseeds Initiative Program; $227,000; July 2013-June 2021; Separate Glucosinolates from Nonfood Oil-Seeds as Value-Added Co-products and Improve Nutrition Value of Oil-Seeds as Animal Feed

Co-principal investigator project:

  1. NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research Track-1; $10,981,133; July 1, 2019-June 30, 2024; South Dakota Biofilm Science and Engineering Center
Patents

Method for plasma activation of biochar material
Patent No. 9754733
Abstract: A method for using plasma to activate biochar is disclosed where reactive gas(es) are excited by external power; biochar set on a sample holder is electrically biased or set at a floating potential so that charged particles of a certain type are attracted to the biochar, leading to intensive chemical reactions.
Type: Grant
Filed: April 30, 2015
Date of patent: Sept. 5, 2017
Assignee: ձavƵ
Inventors: Qi Hua Fan, Mukul Kumar Dubey and Zhengrong Gu


Exhaust system air filtration housing
Patent No. 9267407
Abstract: An engine exhaust system attachment is provided that includes a housing a fan, a filter and a conduit. The housing is configured to enclose an exhaust turbine, an exhaust manifold and at least a portion of an exhaust pipe. The exhaust turbine, the exhaust manifold, and the exhaust pipe are connected to receive exhaust gas from an engine and are mounted to an engine frame of a device. The fan is configured for mounting to the device to move air. The filter is configured for mounting to the fan to receive the moved air and to provide filtered air. The conduit is configured for connecting the filter to the housing to provide the filtered air to the housing.
Type: Grant
Filed: July 8, 2013
Date of patent: Feb. 23, 2016
Assignee: South Dakota Board of Regents
Inventors: Daniel S. Humburg, Kevin J. Dalsted, ZhengRong Gu and Joseph P. Polin

Publications
  1. Lu, S., Hummel, M., Gu, Z.*, Wang, Y., Wang, K., Pathak, R., Zhou, Y., Jia, H., Qi, X., Zhao, X., Xu, B. and Liu, X. 2021. ; ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering
  2. Lu, S., Jia, H., Hummel, M., Gu, Z.*, Wu, Y. and Wang, K. 2021. Two-dimensional conductive phthalocyanine-based metal-organic frameworks for electrochemical nitrite sensing; RSC Advances (accepted)
  3. Adhamash, E., Pathak, R., Chen, K., Rahman, M.T., El-Magrous, A., Gu, Z. and Lu, S. 2020. High-energy plasma activation of renewable carbon for enhanced capacitive performance of supercapacitor electrode; Electrochimica Acta 362, 137148
  4. Hummel, M., Lu, S., Nelson, Z., Jia, H., Pathak, R., Zhou, Y. and Gu, Z.* 2020. Kappa-carrageenan/graphene oxide carbon composite film for electrochemical sensing of dopamine; Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 167 (11), 116506
  5. Lu, S., Gu, Z., Hummel, M., Zhou, Y., Wang, K., Xu, B.B., Wang, Y., Li, Y., Qi, X. and Gu, Z.* 2020. Nickel oxide immobilized on the carbonized eggshell membrane for electrochemical detection of urea; Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 167 106509
  6. Lu, S., Hummel, M., Wang, X., He, W., Pathak, R., Dong, X., Jia, H. and Gu, Z.* 2020. In situ electrodeposition of nickel phosphide on Ni foam for non-enzymatic detection of nitrite; Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 167 (14), 146517
  7. Lu, S., Hummel, M., Chen, K., Zhou, Y., Kang, S. and Gu, Z.* 2020. Synthesis of Au@ ZIF-8 nanocomposites for enhanced electrochemical detection of dopamine; Electrochemistry Communications, 106715, 16
  8. Lu, S., Hummel, M., Kang, S. and Gu, Z. * 2020. Selective voltammetric determination of nitrite using cobalt phthalocyanine modified on multiwalled carbon nanotubes; Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 167 (4), 046515, doi: 10.1149/1945-7111/ab7982
  9. Lu, S., et al. Trash to treasure: A novel chemical route to synthesis of NiO/C for hydrogen production. 2019. Intern. J. Hydrogen Energy 44 (31), 16144-16153
  10. Ming Nie, Shengjuan Du, Qing Li, Matthew Hummel, Zhengrong Gu and Shun Lu. Tungsten Carbide as Supports for Trimetallic AuPdPt Electrocatalysts for Methanol Oxidation. Journal of The Electrochemical Society 167, No. 4. 2019: 044510. doi: 10.1149/1945-7111/ab754d
  11. Gu, Y., Hummel, M., Muthukumarappan, K., Zhao, Z. and Gu, Z. 2019. Synthesis and characterization of Allyl terpene Maleate Monomer; Scientific reports 9 (1), 1-11
  12. Pathak, R., Gurung, A., Elbohy, H., Chen, K., Reza, K., Bahrami, B., Mabrouk, S., Ghimire, R., Hummel, M., Gu, Z., Wang, X., Wu, Y., Zhou, Y. and Qiao, Q. 2018. Self-recovery in lithium-ion battery through reduced WO3, Nanoscale, 2018, 10, 15956-15966
  13. Cao, Y., Wang, X., Gu, Z., Fan, Q., Gibbons, W., Gadhamshetty, V., Ai, N. and Zeng, G. 2018. Potassium chloride-templated carbon preparation for supercapacitor. Journal of Power Sources. 384, 360-366
  14. Zeng, G., Yu, Z., Du, M., Ai, N., Chen, W., Gu, Z. and Chen, B. 2018. Enhanced CO2 adsorption on activated carbon‐modified HKUST‐1 composites. Chemistry Select. 3 (41), 11601-11605
  15. Shrestha. M., Amatya, I., Wang, K., Zheng, B., Gu, Z. and Fan, Q.H. 2018. Electrophoretic deposition of activated carbon YP-50 with ethyl cellulose binders for supercapacitor electrodes. Journal of Energy Storage. 13, 206-210
  16. Wang, Y., Zuo, S., Miao, M., Liu, Y., Gu, Z. and Jin, Y. 2018. Cost-effective preparation of metal-free electrocatalysts by phosphoric acid activation of lignocellulosic materials for oxygen reduction reaction, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 44 (5), 2811-2822
  17. Tan, S., Johnson, S. and Gu, Z. 2018. Laser depolarization ratio measurement of corn leaves from the biochar and non-biochar applied plots. Optics express. 26 (11), 14295-14306
  18. Wang, K., Xu, M., Wang, X.M., Gu, Z., Gibbons, W., Croat, J. and Fan, Q. 2017. Porous carbon derived from aniline-modified fungus for symmetrical supercapacitor electrodes, RSC Advances 7(14):8236-8240
  19. Wang, K., Xu, M., Gu, Y., Gu, Z., Liu, J. and Fan, Q.H. 2016. Low-temperature plasma exfoliated N-doped graphene for symmetrical electrode supercapacitors. Nano Energy Vol. 31, 486-494
  20. Wang, K., Xu, M., Shrestha, M., Gu, Z. and Fan, Q.H. 2017. Plasma-assisted fabrication of graphene in ambient temperature for symmetric supercapacitors application, Materials Today Energy 4, 7-13
  21. Shrestha, M., Amatya, I., Wang, K., Zheng, B., Gu, Z. and Fan, Q.H. 2017. Electrophoretic deposition of activated carbon YP-50 with ethyl cellulose binders for supercapacitor electrodes, Journal of Energy Storage 13, 206-210
  22. Wang, K., Xu, M., Gu, Y., Gu, Z. and Fan, Q.H. 2016. Symmetric supercapacitors using urea-modified lignin derived N-doped porous carbon as electrode materials in liquid and solid electrolytes, Journal of Power Sources 332, 180-186
  23. Cao, Y., Wang, X., Gu, Z., Fan, Q. and Kharel, P. 2016. Hierarchical porous activated carbon for supercapacitor derived from corn stalk core by potassium hydroxide activation, Electrochimica Acta, 2016, 212, 839-847
  24. Cao, Y., Gu, Y., Wang, X., Wang, K., Gu, Z., Gibbons, W., Rice, J., Castro, M.A. and Lee, J. 2016. Adsorption of creatinine on active carbons with nitric acid hydrothermal modification, Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers, 2016, 66, 347.356
  25. Cao, Y., Wang, X., Wang, K., Gu, Z., Ambrico, T., Gibbons, W., Fan, Q. and Talukder, A. 2016. Preparation of active carbons from corn stalk for butanol vapor adsorption, Journal of Energy Chemistry. 2016, 26(1), 35-41
  26. Wang, K., Xu, M., Gu, Z., Ahrenkiel, P., Lee, J., Gibbons, W., Croat, J. and Fan, Q. 2016. Pyrrole modified biomass derived hierarchical porous carbon as high performance symmetrical supercapacitor electrodes, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2016, 41, 13109.13115
  27. Jin, H., Wang, X., Gu, Z., Fan, Q., Luo, B. and Liu, J. A facile method for preparing nitrogen-doped graphene and its application in supercapacitors, Journal of Power Sources, 2015, 273, 1156-1162
  28. Wang, K., Cao, Y., Wang, X., Castro, M.A., Luo, B., Gu, Z., Liu, J., Hoefelmeyer, J. and Fan, Q. Rod-shape porous carbon derived from aniline modified lignin for symmetric supercapacitors, Journal of Power Sources, 2016, 307, 462-467
  29. Gupta, R., Dubey, M., Kharel, P., Gu, Z. and Fan, Q. Biochar-activated by oxygen plasma for supercapacitors, Journal of Power Sources, 2015, 274, 1300-1305
  30. Wang, K., Cao, Y., Wang, X., Kharel, P., Gibbons, W., Luo, B., Gu, Z., Fan, Q. and Metzger, L. (undergraduate). 2015. Nickel catalytic graphitized porous carbon as electrode material for high performance supercapacitors. Energy 101, 9-15
  31. Wang, K., Wang, X.M., Cao, Y.H., Gu, Z., Fan, Q., Gibbons, W., Johnson, T. and Luo, B. 2015. Pyrolytic cyanobacteria-derived activated carbon as high performance electrode in symmetric supercapacitor, Energy 94, 666-671
  32. Cao, Y., Han, V. (undergraduate), Wang, X., Gu, Z. and Gibbons, W. 2015. Adsorption of butanol vapor on active carbons with nitric acid hydrothermal modification, accepted by Bioresource Technology, 196, 525-532
  33. Johnson, T.J., Jahandideh, A., Johnson, M.D., Fields, K.A.H., Richardson, J.W. and Gu, Z. 2016. Producing next-generation biofuels from filamentous cyanobacteria: An economic feasibility analysis, Algal Research 20, 218-228
  34. Cheng, S., Wei, L., Julson, J., Kharel, P.R., Cao, Y. and Gu, Z. 2017. Catalytic liquefaction of pine sawdust for biofuel development on bifunctional Zn/HZSM-5 catalyst in supercritical ethanol; Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, 126, 257-266
  35. Cheng, S., Wei, L., Julson, J., Muthukumarappan, K., Kharel, P.R., Cao, Y. and Gu, Z. 2017. Hydrodeoxygenation upgrading of pine sawdust bio-oil using zinc metal with zero valency, Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers 74, 146-153
  36. Cheng, S., Wei, L., Alsowij, M., Corbin, F., Boakye, E., Gu, Z. and Raynie, D. 2017. Catalytic hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of biomass for bio-crude production using Ni/HZSM-5 catalysts, 2017, AIMS Environ Sci 4, 417-430
  37. Zhao, X., Wei, L., Cheng, S., Kadis E., Cao, Y., Boakye, E., Gu, Z. and Julson, J. 2016. Hydroprocessing of carinata oil for hydrocarbon biofuel over Mo-Zn/Al2O3, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental 196, 41-49
  38. Cheng, S., Wei, L., Zhao, X., Kadis E., Cao, Y., Julson, J. and Gu, Z. 2016. Hydrodeoxygenation of prairie cordgrass bio-oil over Ni based activated carbon synergistic catalysts combined with different metals, New biotechnology 33 (4), 440-448
  39. Cao, Y., Han, V. (undergraduate), Wang, X., Gu, Z. and Gibbons, W. 2015. Butanol vapor adsorption behavior on active carbons and ZSM-5 zeolite crystal, J. Applied Surface Science 349, 1-7
  40. Cao, Y., Gu, Z., Muthukumarappan, K. and Gibbons, W. 2015. Separation of glucosinolates from Camelina seed meal via membrane and acidic aluminum oxide column, Journal of Liquid Chromatography and Related Technologies, 38, 1273-1278
  41. Wang, K., Cao, Y., Gu, Z., Ahrenkiel, P., Leed, J. and Fan, Q. 2016. Nitrogen-modified biomass-derived cheese-like porous carbon for electric double layer capacitors, RSC Advances, 2016, 6, 26738 - 26744
  42. Zhao, X., Wei, L., Cheng, S., Cao, Y., Julson, J. and Gu, Z. 2015. Catalytic cracking of carinata oil for hydrocarbon biofuel over fresh and regenerated Zn/Na-ZSM-5, Applied Catalyst A: a general, 507 44-49
  43. Huang, Y., Wei, L., Zhao, X., Cheng, S., Julson, J., Cao, Y. and Gu, Z. 2016. Upgrading pine sawdust pyrolysis oil to green biofuels by HDO over zinc-assisted Pd/C catalyst, Energy Conversion and Management 115, 8-16
  44. Huang, Y., Wei, L., Crandall, Z., Julson, J. and Gu, Z. 2015. Combining Mo-Cu/HZSM-5 with a two-stage catalytic pyrolysis system for pine sawdust thermal conversion; Fuel  (2015), 150, 656-663
  45. Bouza, R. and Gu, Z. 2015. Screening conditions for acid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of empty fruit bunches, Industrial Crops and Products, 84, 67-71
Mailing Address:
Raven Precision Ag Building 211
Ag & Biosystems Engineering-Box 2100
University Station
Brookings, SD 57007
Office Location:
Raven Precision Agriculture Center
Room 211
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