Xianhua Zhang
Postdoctoral researcher
Utrecht University
Department
Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis Group, Institute for Sustainable and Circular Chemistry and Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science
Contact information
Room
David de Wiedgebouw, Room 4.76
Email address
x.zhang11@uu.nl
Key expertises
heterogeneous catalysis, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, Small-molecule activation
About me
I received my B.S. (2014) and M.S. (2017) degrees from Nanchang University and Ph.D. (2021) degree from Tianjin University. My research interests are studying alkane/carbon dioxide activation, X-ray absorption spectroscopy used for energy storage and fundamental structure-activity relationships in heterogeneous catalysis. In my free time, I like jogging and playing badminton.
About my research
In this project, I will focus on studying catalysts under reaction conditions by using operando laboratory-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) combined with Raman/UV-Vis aiming to gain a deeper understanding of the structure-performance relationships and reaction mechanisms for CO/CO2 hydrogenation. I will design a laboratory-based XAS setup with a high-pressure cell that integrates XAS and Raman spectroscopy for simultaneous long-duration operando characterization and online product analysis, enabling advanced catalyst material insights under realistic high-pressure working conditions.
Academic career
Postdoctoral experience
2024- present: Postdoctoral research fellow in the group of Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis at Utrecht University, the Netherlands, under the supervision of Prof. B.M. Weckhuysen
2021-2023: Postdoctoral research fellow in the Energy and Catalysis Adventure Team at Tianjin University, China, under the supervision of Prof. Jinlong Gong
Early Stage Researcher
2017-2021: Ph.D. degree in the Energy and Catalysis Adventure Team at Tianjin University, China, under the supervision of Prof. Jinlong Gong
2014-2017: Master degree in the group of Industrial catalysis at Nanchang University, China, under the supervision of Prof. Xiang Wang
2010-2014: Bachelor degree at Nanchang University, China
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