Prof. Yanyan Zhu is a distinguished scholar and Doctoral Supervisor at the College of Chemical Engineering, Northwest University, China. She currently serves as Deputy Director of the Shaanxi Provincial Demonstration International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Energy and Chemical Engineering, and as the Secretary of the Energy and Chemical Engineering Party Branch. Recognized as a “Zhongying Young Scholar” and awarded the title of Shaanxi Province Outstanding Young Scientist, Professor Zhu has demonstrated exceptional leadership in both teaching and research. Her academic background includes a Doctor of Engineering in Industrial Catalysis from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, under the supervision of Academician Tao Zhang and Researcher Xiaodong Wang. Since joining Northwest University, she has taught key chemical engineering courses such as Principles of Chemical Engineering, Fundamentals of Energy Catalysis, Catalyst Design and Preparation, and Chemical Engineering Principles Design, earning recognition as an Excellent Teacher and Outstanding Communist Party Member. Her research focuses on chemical looping catalysis, energy small molecule conversion, natural gas reforming to syngas and hydrogen, and oxygen carrier design for clean energy systems. She has led multiple national research projects including those supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the National 973 Program, achieving significant scientific and technological outcomes. Professor Zhu has published over 30 high-impact SCI papers in prestigious international journals such as Nature Communications, AIChE Journal, Applied Catalysis B, Chemical Engineering Journal, ACS Catalysis, and Applied Energy. She is the author of the monograph Construction and Chemical Looping Performance Regulation of Composite Metal Oxides, and holds 12 authorized national invention patents as first inventor. Her outstanding academic contributions have been recognized with multiple awards, including the First Prize for Excellent Academic Paper in Natural Sciences of Xi’an, underscoring her significant influence in the fields of chemical catalysis and energy conversion research.
Featured Publications:
Zhu, Y., [Other authors not listed]. (2025). Boosted solar-driven thermochemical syngas production using bio-inspired indirectly irradiated reactor with BaFe₃Al₉O₁₉ hexaaluminate oxygen carrier. Chemical Engineering Journal.
Zhu, Y., [Other authors not listed]. (2025). Doping Ti as structural and electronic promoter in LaFeO₃ for enhanced chemical looping dry reforming of methane. Chemical Engineering Journal.
Zhu, Y., [Other authors not listed]. (2025). Effect of the combination of squid-fin-inspired wall and internal vortex generator on methane reduction in a micro-fluidized bed reactor. Fuel.