Chemistry Work

I am passionate about utilizing the creative potentials of chemistry to tackle social and environmental challenges in our world. I am currently a PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania, working under the guidance of Prof. Eric Schelter. My research at Penn focuses on leveraging the chemical differences of cobalt and nickel complexes to achieve sustainable separation of the two metals, with the goal of recovering valuable materials from spent Li-ion batteries. 

Past Research

My undergraduate research experiences have revolved around organic catalysis and organometallic chemistry. I was a member of the Megan Fieser group at USC, where I conducted a literature survey of the hydrogenolysis of polymers using metal complexes as part of a startup project. I also co-authored a review article of catalytic approach to decompose CFRP composites in Travis Williams group at the Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute of USC.

Catalyst Design for the Hydrogenolysis of Carbonyl-Containing Polymers

In response to the growing concern for the increasing accumulation of plastics in landfills and oceans, there is an alarming demand to close the recycling loop by degrading plastics into benign products. The primary goal of the current literature research is to establish a literature foundation and comprehensive understanding of the state-of-the-art methods for metal-catalyzed hydrogenolysis or reduction of carbonyl-containing molecules. Particularly, we were interested in looking for cost-efficient, relatively accessible and sustainable metal catalysts, such as iron (Fe) and cobalt (Co) complexes. The literature project targets will lay down the necessary groundwork in preparation for designing a next-phase research to adapt the catalysts for the degradation of carbonyl-containing polymers.

Metal-Organic Framework with Rare Earth Metal

Over the past decade, metal-organic framework (MOF) became a booming area of interest in chemistry research. With advantages such as high selectivity and flexible geometry, MOF demonstrates immense potential in topics such as synthesis, catalysis, magnetism, sensing, etc. This startup literature project reflects our interests in this exciting field with emphasis on using rare earth metals such as lanthanide-based MOFs (Ln-MOF) to achieve useful, interesting chemistry.

Chemically Recycling CFRP Composites via Oxidative Catalysis

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites (CFRPs) are widely used in aircraft, wind turbines, and marine products and have gained growing popularity due to their properties that excel metal alloys. However, recycling difficulties have been holding CFRPs back from putting into larger-scale use, such as in the consumer automobile industry. And currently, products made from these composites are mostly sent to landfills, hence the presence of “airplane graveyards.”

“A sustainable cobalt separation with validation by techno-economic analysis and life-cycle assessment.”
Zhang, B.; Weberg, A. B.; Ahn, A. J.; Guron, M.; Jones, L. O.; Gau, M. R.; Schatz, G. C.; Schelter, E. J. Chem 2024, 11 (5), 102361. 
I also designed the cover for the May 2025 issue of Chem.

“A Structural Chemistry Look at Composites Recycling.” 
Navarro, C.; Giffin, C.; Zhang, B.; Yu, Z.; Nutt, S.; Williams, T. Mater. Horiz., 2020, 7,2479-2486.

“Characterization of the Roman Curse Tablet.”
Liu, W.; Zhang, B.; Fu, L. AIP Conference Proceedings 2017, 1879.

Writings

Addressing the PFAS Action Act Debate
May 13, 2020 | Position Paper

The Group 3 Dilemma: A New Perspective
March 3, 2020 | Position Paper

Bringing Airplanes Back from the Dead
Feb 24, 2020 | Science Communication Article