
Overview
Background
Dr. Zhe Yang currently is an ARC DECRA fellow (Mentor: Prof. Xiwang Zhang) in the School of Chemical Engineering/Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation at the University of Queensland since Dec 2023. He obtained his PhD degree in Environmental Engineering in 2018 at the University of Hong Kong (PhD supervisor: Prof. Chuyang Tang). He was appointed as Research Assistant/Post-doc Fellow/Research Assistant Professor at HKU from Nov 2018 to Dec 2023. Dr. Yang has more than 10 years of R&D experience in membrane technology in the context of resource recovery, desalination, water reuse, and water/wastewater treatment. To date, he has published over 80 refereed publications, with total citations of over 7,700 and an h-index of 46 based on Web of Science. Most of these papers (90%) are published in Nature indexed/top-tier journals in the field of environmental engineering and membrane technology, including Nature Sustainability, Nature Water, Nature Communications, Nano-Micro Letters, Nano Letters, Chemical Society Reviews, Environmental Science & Technology, Water Research, Journal of Membrane Science, Desalination, etc. He currently serves as the Early Career Editorial Board member of the leading journals in his field (Environmental Science & Technology - IF 11.3, Link & Desalination - IF 9.8, Link).
Featured Honors and Awards:
- 2024 Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher (1/1000, Link)
- 2025 UQ Foundation Research Excellence Awards (Link)
- 2024 Rising Star in Environmental Research (Link)
Featured Grants (Sole or lead investigator):
- Lead Entrepreneur, Innovative, ultra-efficient device for sustainable electricity harvesting from CO2, (IG240100353), Department of Education, Australia's Economic Accelerator (AEA) – Ignite, AUD454,240). (Link)
- Sole Investigator, Novel interlayered membrane for highly efficient separation processes, Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA), (DE230100114), Australian Research Council (ARC), AUD429,554 (11/12/2023-10/12/2026). (Link)
Availability
- Dr Zhe Yang is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology (华东理工大学)
- Masters (Research) of Chemical Engineering, University of Missouri-Columbia
- Doctor of Philosophy of Environmental Engineering, University of Hong Kong
Research impacts
SELECTED PRIZES, HONOURS AND AWARDS
- 2024 ES&T Excellence in Review Award (Link)
- The First Prize of the Water 2023 Young Investigator Award (Link and Interview)
- The 2022 ACS ES&T Engineering Best Paper Award (Link), 2023
- 2022 Environmental Science & Technology Letters Best Paper Award (Link), 2023
- ARC DECRA Fellowship (Link), 2023-2026
- Gold Medal, Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions, 2019
Works
Search Professor Zhe Yang’s works on UQ eSpace
2025
Journal Article
Customizing membrane microstructures for targeted removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances for healthy drinking water
Lu, Xiaozhen, Wang, Lin, Zhu, Xuewu, Wei, Jiashuai, Wu, Daoji, Qiu, Liping, Xu, Daliang, Liang, Heng, Yang, Zhe and Liu, Bin (2025). Customizing membrane microstructures for targeted removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances for healthy drinking water. Journal of Membrane Science, 717 123627, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.memsci.2024.123627
2025
Journal Article
Tailoring high-performance polyesteramide NF membranes for purifying natural surface water: Enhanced minerals preservation, chlorine resistance, and mechanisms
Zhu, Xuewu, Ge, Feiyue, Kang, Xinwei, Qiu, Liping, Liu, Bin, Xu, Jingtao, Wang, Feihong, Wu, Daoji, Yang, Zhe, Xu, Daliang and Liang, Heng (2025). Tailoring high-performance polyesteramide NF membranes for purifying natural surface water: Enhanced minerals preservation, chlorine resistance, and mechanisms. Desalination, 593 118267, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.desal.2024.118267
2025
Journal Article
Next-generation desalination membranes empowered by novel materials: where are we now?
Wu, Siqi, Peng, Lu Elfa, Yang, Zhe, Sarkar, Pulak, Barboiu, Mihail, Tang, Chuyang Y. and Fane, Anthony G. (2025). Next-generation desalination membranes empowered by novel materials: where are we now?. Nano-Micro Letters, 17 (1) 91, 1-24. doi: 10.1007/s40820-024-01606-y
2024
Journal Article
Nanofiltration membranes for efficient lithium extraction from salt-lake brine: a critical review
Yong, Ming, Yang, Yang, Sun, Liangliang, Tang, Meng, Wang, Zhuyuan, Xing, Chao, Hou, Jingwei, Zheng, Min, Chui, Ting Fong May, Li, Zhikao and Yang, Zhe (2024). Nanofiltration membranes for efficient lithium extraction from salt-lake brine: a critical review. ACS Environmental Au, 5 (1), 12-34. doi: 10.1021/acsenvironau.4c00061
2024
Journal Article
Nanofoamed polyamide membranes: mechanisms, developments, and environmental implications
Gan, Qimao, Hu, Yaowen, Wu, Chenyue, Yang, Zhe, Peng, Lu Elfa and Tang, Chuyang Y. (2024). Nanofoamed polyamide membranes: mechanisms, developments, and environmental implications. Environmental Science and Technology, 58 (47), 20812-20829. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.4c06434
2024
Journal Article
Multiple modulating energy-efficient nanofiltration membranes during high-quality drinking water towards high mineral/organic matter selectivity
Lu, Xiaozhen, Liu, Bin, Zhu, Xuewu, Wang, Lin, Chang, Haiqing, Yang, Zhe, Xu, Daliang, Wu, Ruoxi, Shao, Fulin, Xu, Jingtao and Liang, Heng (2024). Multiple modulating energy-efficient nanofiltration membranes during high-quality drinking water towards high mineral/organic matter selectivity. Desalination, 588 117970. doi: 10.1016/j.desal.2024.117970
2024
Journal Article
Ultra-permeable silk-based polymeric membranes for vacuum-driven nanofiltration
Gan, Bowen, Peng, Lu Elfa, Liu, Wenyu, Zhang, Lingyue, Wang, Li Ares, Long, Li, Guo, Hao, Song, Xiaoxiao, Yang, Zhe and Tang, Chuyang Y. (2024). Ultra-permeable silk-based polymeric membranes for vacuum-driven nanofiltration. Nature Communications, 15 (1) 8656, 1-10. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-53042-6
2024
Journal Article
Iron nanoparticles-confined graphene oxide membranes coupled with sulfite-based advanced reduction processes for highly efficient and stable removal of bromate
Xiao, Qian, Yang, Zhe, Li, Wanbin, Wei, Bo, Guo, Hao, Yu, Shuili, Gan, Qimao, Liu, Wenyu and Tang, Chuyang Y. (2024). Iron nanoparticles-confined graphene oxide membranes coupled with sulfite-based advanced reduction processes for highly efficient and stable removal of bromate. Environmental Science and Technology, 58 (40), 18009-18019. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.4c04392
2024
Journal Article
Covalently modified MoS2 for the fabrication of interlayered thin film composite membranes with excellent structural stability against swelling and drying in organic solvent nanofiltration
Wang, Li, Zhang, Meng, Shu, Yufei, Han, Qi, Long, Li, Chen, Beizhao, Wang, Mengxia, Li, Li, Cao, Siyu, Yang, Zhe, Liu, Bei, Wang, Zhongying and Tang, Chuyang Y. (2024). Covalently modified MoS2 for the fabrication of interlayered thin film composite membranes with excellent structural stability against swelling and drying in organic solvent nanofiltration. Journal of Membrane Science, 707 122985, 122985. doi: 10.1016/j.memsci.2024.122985
2024
Journal Article
Polar solvent-induced spontaneous nanofoaming for synthesizing ultra-high-performance polyamide nanofiltration membranes
Wang, Li Ares, He, Huimin, Gan, Qimao, Guo, Hao, Yang, Zhe, Xu, Lizhi and Tang, Chuyang Y. (2024). Polar solvent-induced spontaneous nanofoaming for synthesizing ultra-high-performance polyamide nanofiltration membranes. Nano Letters, 24 (24), 7373-7380. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c01512
2024
Journal Article
Data-driven reactive power optimization of distribution networks via graph attention networks
Liao, Wenlong, Yang, Dechang, Liu, Qi, Jia, Yixiong, Wang, Chenxi and Yang, Zhe (2024). Data-driven reactive power optimization of distribution networks via graph attention networks. Journal of Modern Power Systems and Clean Energy, 12 (3), 874-885. doi: 10.35833/MPCE.2023.000546
2024
Journal Article
Empowering ultrathin polyamide membranes at the water-energy nexus: strategies, limitations, and future perspectives
Sarkar, Pulak, Wu, Chenyue, Yang, Zhe and Tang, Chuyang Y. (2024). Empowering ultrathin polyamide membranes at the water-energy nexus: strategies, limitations, and future perspectives. Chemical Society Reviews, 53 (9), 4374-4399. doi: 10.1039/d3cs00803g
2023
Journal Article
Gypsum scaling behavior of the tannic acid-coated polyamide reverse osmosis membrane
Chiao, Yu-Hsuan, Hu, Mengyang, Gonzales, Ralph Rolly, Yang, Zhe and Matsuyama, Hideto (2023). Gypsum scaling behavior of the tannic acid-coated polyamide reverse osmosis membrane. ACS ES and T Water, 4 (1), 237-244. doi: 10.1021/acsestwater.3c00568
2023
Journal Article
Precise regulation of monomer reactive sites enhances the water permeance and membrane selectivity of polyamide nanofiltration membranes
Jiang, Ke, Long, Li, Peng, Lu Elfa, Yang, Zhe, Liu, Wenyu, Shin, Dong-Myeong and Tang, Chuyang Y. (2023). Precise regulation of monomer reactive sites enhances the water permeance and membrane selectivity of polyamide nanofiltration membranes. Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 62 (46), 19813-19821. doi: 10.1021/acs.iecr.3c02779
2023
Journal Article
Enhancing the removal of organic micropollutants by nanofiltration membrane with Fe (III)–tannic acid interlayer: Mechanisms and environmental implications
Liu, Wenyu, Long, Li, Yang, Zhe, Wang, Li, Gan, Qimao, Zhou, Shenghua, Sarkar, Pulak, Guo, Hao and Tang, Chuyang Y. (2023). Enhancing the removal of organic micropollutants by nanofiltration membrane with Fe (III)–tannic acid interlayer: Mechanisms and environmental implications. Water Research, 245 120623, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120623
2023
Journal Article
Oil-water receiving membrane with sub-10 nm surfactant layer for long-lasting oil-water separation
Ding, Yajie, Qiu, Nianxiang, Wang, Jianqiang, Yang, Zhe, Liu, Fu and Tang, Chuyang Y. (2023). Oil-water receiving membrane with sub-10 nm surfactant layer for long-lasting oil-water separation. Journal of Membrane Science, 684 121820, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.memsci.2023.121820
2023
Journal Article
Modeling nanovoid-enhanced water permeance of thin film composite membranes
Hu, Yaowen, Wang, Fei, Yang, Zhe and Tang, Chuyang Y. (2023). Modeling nanovoid-enhanced water permeance of thin film composite membranes. Journal of Membrane Science, 675 121555, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.memsci.2023.121555
2023
Journal Article
Polyelectrolyte-assisted interfacial polymerization for polyamide nanofiltration membrane with enhanced separation and anti-biofouling properties in groundwater treatment
Mei, Ying, Yang, Zhe, Sun, Peng-Fei, Zhou, Shenghua, Guo, Hao, Peng, Lu Elfa, Yao, Zhikan, Yang, Wulin and Tang, Chuyang Y. (2023). Polyelectrolyte-assisted interfacial polymerization for polyamide nanofiltration membrane with enhanced separation and anti-biofouling properties in groundwater treatment. Desalination, 555 116546, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.desal.2023.116546
2023
Journal Article
Making waves: Why do we need ultra-permeable nanofiltration membranes for water treatment?
Yang, Zhe, Wu, Chenyue and Tang, Chuyang Y. (2023). Making waves: Why do we need ultra-permeable nanofiltration membranes for water treatment?. Water Research X, 19 100172, 1-5. doi: 10.1016/j.wroa.2023.100172
2023
Journal Article
Does surface roughness necessarily increase the fouling propensity of polyamide reverse osmosis membranes by humic acid?
Gan, Qimao, Wu, Chenyue, Long, Li, Peng, Lu Elfa, Yang, Zhe, Guo, Hao and Tang, Chuyang Y. (2023). Does surface roughness necessarily increase the fouling propensity of polyamide reverse osmosis membranes by humic acid?. Environmental Science and Technology, 57 (6), 2548-2556. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.2c07872
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Zhe Yang is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Fabrication of robust ceramic membranes with application in harsh environment
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Xiwang Zhang
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Doctor Philosophy
3D-architectured membranes for emerging toxic contaminants removal
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Hong Peng, Professor Xiwang Zhang
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Doctor Philosophy
Synthesis and applications of advanced membranes
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Xiwang Zhang, Associate Professor Jingwei Hou
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Doctor Philosophy
Application of advanced membranes in precise separation
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Xiwang Zhang
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Zhe Yang directly for media enquiries about their areas of expertise.
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