People_

Dr Tianqi Zhang

Email

tianqi.zhang@sydney.edu.au

Address

J01 - Chemical Engineering Building

The University of Sydney

Details

Member of Sydney Institute of Agriculture

Biographical details

Dr. Tianqi Zhang is an ARC DECRA Fellow at the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Sydney. He earned his BSc in Chemistry from Wuhan University (2018) and a PhD in Plasma Chemistry & Engineering from the University of Sydney (2023). He began his academic career as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in August 2023 and was awarded the ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) 2025, commencing his fellowship in January 2025.

Research interests

Plasma chemistry and plasma engineering for gas conversion, including nitrogen fixation, carbon dioxide conversion, and methane oxydation
Plasma-liquid interaction for wastewater treatment, biomass conversion, and gas conversion
Plasma-electrocatalytic process for energy conversion
Plasma-driven materials synthesis and modification

Teaching and supervision

Currently open to supervising PhD candidates.

Ask or apply by sending your CV, transcripts, and an email intro to tianqi.zhang@sydney.edu.au.

Scholarship opportunities are available. Enquiries are welcome.

Current projects

Plasma-driven electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction.

This project aims to reform ammonia production, a crucial chemical for global food and hydrogen storage, while reducing carbon emissions. The goal is to develop a novel method called "hybrid plasma electrolysis (HPE)" to tackle the challenges of sustainable ammonia production. The project addresses the difficulty of breaking nitrogen triple bonds under ambient conditions by using nonthermal plasma to lower the energy barrier for the electrochemical process. This innovative approach could complement the current high-carbon Haber-Bosch process, reducing emissions and promoting sustainability. Overall, this project offers a sustainable solution for agriculture and energy storage, benefiting both farms and communities.

Awards and honours

Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (ARC DECRA 2025, DE250100266), Sole CI, $488k
NSW Government Environment Trust Clean Technology R&D Grant, Plasma Leap Technologies Pty Ltd, Co-CI. $1.6M
Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher in the field of Cross-Field-2024

Themes

Clean energy, Water and the environment, Materials and structures

Publications

By Type

Expand all

Book Chapters

Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Zhou, R. (2023). Pulsed Discharges for Water Activation and Plasma-Activated Water Production. Springer Series in Plasma Science and Technology, (pp. 325-347). United States: Springer Nature. [More Information]

Journals

Li, T., Gao, Y., Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Ostrikov, K. (2024). Outlook for improving energy efficiency, conversion rates, and selectivity of plasma-assisted CO2 conversion. Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry, 47, 100915. [More Information]
Sun, J., Chen, G., Brüser, V., Weltmann, K., Mei, D., Fang, Z., Borras, A., Barranco, A., Xu, S., Ma, C., Cullen, P., Hong, J., Zhang, T., Zhou, R., et al (2024). Plasma power-to-X (PP2X): status and opportunities for non-thermal plasma technologies. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 57(50), 503002. [More Information]
Sun, J., Ostrikov, K., Cullen, P., Lovell, E., Amal, R., Jalili, A., Zhou, R., Hong, J., Gao, Y., Qu, Z., Zhang, T., Zhou, R., et al (2024). Sustainable ammonia production via nanosecond-pulsed plasma oxidation and electrocatalytic reduction. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 342, 123426. [More Information]
Pei, Z., Tan, H., Gu, J., Lu, L., Zeng, X., Zhang, T., Wang, C., Ding, L., Cullen, P., Chen, Z., Zhao, S. (2023). A polymeric hydrogel electrocatalyst for direct water oxidation. Nature Communications, 14(1). [More Information]
Rao, N., Chu, X., Hadinoto, K., 60025709, A., Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Soltani, B., Bailey, C., Trujillo, F., Leslie, G., Cullen, P., et al (2023). Algal cell inactivation and damage via cold plasma-activated bubbles: Mechanistic insights and process benefits. Chemical Engineering Journal, 454. [More Information]
Zhou, R., Zhou, D., Liu, B., Nie, L., Xian, Y., Zhang, T., Zhou, R., Lu, X., Ostrikov, K., Cullen, P. (2023). Controlling Energy Transfer in Plasma-Driven Ammonia Synthesis by Adding Helium Gas. ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, 11(5), 1828-1836. [More Information]
Hadinoto, K., Rao, N., Astorga, J., Zhou, R., Biazik, J., Zhang, T., Masood, H., Cullen, P., Prescott, S., Henderson, R., et al (2023). Hybrid plasma discharges for energy-efficient production of plasma-activated water. Chemical Engineering Journal, 451. [More Information]
Sun, J., Zhang, T., Hong, J., Zhou, R., Masood, H., Zhou, R., Murphy, A., Ostrikov, K., Cullen, P., Lovell, E., et al (2023). Insights into plasma-catalytic nitrogen fixation from catalyst microanalysis and chemical kinetics modelling. Chemical Engineering Journal, 469. [More Information]
Li, W., Luna-Flores, C., Anangi, R., Zhou, R., Tan, X., Jessen, M., Liu, L., Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Gissibl, A., Cullen, P., et al (2023). Oxidative stress induced by plasma-activated water stimulates astaxanthin production in Phaffia rhodozyma. Bioresource Technology, 369. [More Information]
Zhang, T., Li, X., Liu, J., Wen, X., Zhu, A. (2023). Plasma Nitrogen Fixation: NOx Synthesis in MnOx/Al2O3 Packed-Bed Dielectric Barrier Discharge. Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing, 43(6), 1907-1919. [More Information]
Zhou, R., Zhao, Y., Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Cullen, P., Zheng, Y., Dai, L., Ostrikov, K. (2023). Plasma-electrified up-carbonization for low-carbon clean energy. Carbon Energy, 5(1). [More Information]
Xiao, L., Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Wang, X., Zhou, R., Cullen, P., Ostrikov, K. (2023). Porous Indium Nanocrystals on Conductive Carbon Nanotube Networks for High-Performance CO2-to-Formate Electrocatalytic Conversion. Energy and Environmental Materials. [More Information]
Zhang, T., Zhou, R., Zhang, S., Zhou, R., Ding, J., Ziems, L., Hong, J., Dou, L., Shao, T., Murphy, A., Cullen, P., et al (2023). Sustainable Ammonia Synthesis from Nitrogen and Water by One-Step Plasma Catalysis. Energy and Environmental Materials, 6(2). [More Information]
Hadinoto, K., Yang, H., Zhang, T., Cullen, P., Prescott, S., Trujillo, F. (2023). The antimicrobial effects of mist spraying and immersion on beef samples with plasma-activated water. Meat Science, 200. [More Information]
Xia, B., Vyas, H., Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Hong, J., Rothwell, J., Rice, S., Carter, D., Ostrikov, K., Cullen, P., Mai-Prochnow, A. (2023). The importance of superoxide anion for Escherichia coli biofilm removal using plasma-activated water. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 11(3). [More Information]
Wang, S., Zhao, X., Liu, Z., Yang, X., Pang, B., Gao, Y., Zhou, R., Xu, D., Zhang, J., Zhang, T., et al (2023). Violet phosphorus-Fe3O4 as a novel photocatalysis-self-Fenton system coupled with underwater bubble plasma to efficiently remove norfloxacin in water. Chemical Engineering Journal, 452. [More Information]
Hong, J., Zhang, T., Zhou, R., Dou, L., Zhang, S., Zhou, R., Ashford, B., Shao, T., Murphy, A., Ostrikov, K., Cullen, P. (2022). Green chemical pathway of plasma synthesis of ammonia from nitrogen and water: a comparative kinetic study with a N2/H2 system. Green Chemistry. [More Information]
Zhou, R., Rezaeimotlagh, A., Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Wang, P., Hong, J., Soltani, B., Mai-Prochnow, A., Liao, X., Ding, T., Cullen, P., et al (2022). In-package plasma: From reactive chemistry to innovative food preservation technologies. Trends in Food Science and Technology, 120, 59-74. [More Information]
Li, W., Zhou, R., Zhou, R., Weerasinghe, J., Zhang, T., Gissibl, A., Cullen, P., Speight, R., Ostrikov, K. (2022). Insights into amoxicillin degradation in water by non-thermal plasmas. Chemosphere, 291, 132757. [More Information]
Zhou, R., Wang, X., Zhou, R., Weerasinghe, J., Zhang, T., Xin, Y., Wang, H., Cullen, P., Wang, H., Ostrikov, K. (2022). Non-thermal plasma enhances performances of biochar in wastewater treatment and energy storage applications. Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering, 16(4), 475-483. [More Information]
Zhou, R., Liu, B., Li, Y., Zhou, R., Li, W., Hong, J., Zhang, T., Zhou, D., Xian, Y., Cullen, P., et al (2022). Reduced breakdown voltage for in-liquid plasma discharges using moveable electrodes. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 55(10). [More Information]
Sun, J., Alam, D., Daiyan, R., Masood, H., Zhang, T., Zhou, R., Cullen, P., Lovell, E., Jalili, A., Amal, R. (2021). A hybrid plasma electrocatalytic process for sustainable ammonia production. Energy and Environmental Science, 14(2), 865-872. [More Information]
Zhang, T., Zhou, R., Wang, P., Mai-Prochnow, A., McConchie, R., Li, W., Zhou, R., Thompson, E., Ostrikov, K., Cullen, P. (2021). Degradation of cefixime antibiotic in water by atmospheric plasma bubbles: Performance, degradation pathways and toxicity evaluation. Chemical Engineering Journal, 421(Part 2), article number 127730. [More Information]
Xiao, L., Liu, X., Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Zhou, R., Ouyang, B., Kan, E., Cullen, P., Ostrikov, K., Tu, X. (2021). Facile synthesis of high-performance indium nanocrystals for selective CO2-to-formate electroreduction. Energy Conversion and Management, 231, 113847. [More Information]
Mai-Prochnow, A., Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Ostrikov, K., Mugunthan, S., Rice, S., Cullen, P. (2021). Interactions of plasma-activated water with biofilms: inactivation, dispersal effects and mechanisms of action. n p j Biofilms and Microbomes, 7(1), 11. [More Information]
Mai-Prochnow, A., Alam, D., Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Ostrikov, K., Cullen, P. (2021). Microbial decontamination of chicken using atmospheric plasma bubbles. Plasma Processes and Polymers, 18(1), 2000052. [More Information]
Hong, J., Zhang, T., Zhou, R., Zhou, R., Ostikov, K., Rezaeimotlagh, A., Cullen, P. (2021). Plasma bubbles: a route to sustainable chemistry. AAPPS Bulletin (Print), 31(1), 26. [More Information]
Zhou, R., Zhou, R., Alam, D., Zhang, T., Li, W., Xia, Y., Mai-Prochnow, A., An, H., Lovell, E., Masood, H., Cullen, P., et al (2021). Plasmacatalytic bubbles using CeO2 for organic pollutant degradation. Chemical Engineering Journal, 403, 126413. [More Information]
Zhou, D., Zhou, R., Zhou, R., Liu, B., Zhang, T., Xian, Y., Cullen, P., Lu, X., Ostrikov, K. (2021). Sustainable ammonia production by non-thermal plasmas: Status, mechanisms, and opportunities. Chemical Engineering Journal, 421, 129544. [More Information]
Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Zhou, R., Wang, S., Mei, D., Mai-Prochnow, A., Weerasinghe, J., Fang, Z., Ostrikov, K., Cullen, P. (2021). Sustainable plasma-catalytic bubbles for hydrogen peroxide synthesis. Green Chemistry, 23(8), 2977-2985. [More Information]
Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Zhou, R., Mai-Prochnow, A., Ponraj, S., Fang, Z., Masood, H., Kavanagh, J., McClure, D., Ostrikov, K., Cullen, P. (2021). Underwater microplasma bubbles for efficient and simultaneous degradation of mixed dye pollutants. Science of the Total Environment, 750, 142295. [More Information]

show 28 more

By Year

Expand all

2024

Li, T., Gao, Y., Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Ostrikov, K. (2024). Outlook for improving energy efficiency, conversion rates, and selectivity of plasma-assisted CO2 conversion. Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry, 47, 100915. [More Information]
Sun, J., Chen, G., Brüser, V., Weltmann, K., Mei, D., Fang, Z., Borras, A., Barranco, A., Xu, S., Ma, C., Cullen, P., Hong, J., Zhang, T., Zhou, R., et al (2024). Plasma power-to-X (PP2X): status and opportunities for non-thermal plasma technologies. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 57(50), 503002. [More Information]
Sun, J., Ostrikov, K., Cullen, P., Lovell, E., Amal, R., Jalili, A., Zhou, R., Hong, J., Gao, Y., Qu, Z., Zhang, T., Zhou, R., et al (2024). Sustainable ammonia production via nanosecond-pulsed plasma oxidation and electrocatalytic reduction. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 342, 123426. [More Information]

2023

Pei, Z., Tan, H., Gu, J., Lu, L., Zeng, X., Zhang, T., Wang, C., Ding, L., Cullen, P., Chen, Z., Zhao, S. (2023). A polymeric hydrogel electrocatalyst for direct water oxidation. Nature Communications, 14(1). [More Information]
Rao, N., Chu, X., Hadinoto, K., 60025709, A., Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Soltani, B., Bailey, C., Trujillo, F., Leslie, G., Cullen, P., et al (2023). Algal cell inactivation and damage via cold plasma-activated bubbles: Mechanistic insights and process benefits. Chemical Engineering Journal, 454. [More Information]
Zhou, R., Zhou, D., Liu, B., Nie, L., Xian, Y., Zhang, T., Zhou, R., Lu, X., Ostrikov, K., Cullen, P. (2023). Controlling Energy Transfer in Plasma-Driven Ammonia Synthesis by Adding Helium Gas. ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, 11(5), 1828-1836. [More Information]
Hadinoto, K., Rao, N., Astorga, J., Zhou, R., Biazik, J., Zhang, T., Masood, H., Cullen, P., Prescott, S., Henderson, R., et al (2023). Hybrid plasma discharges for energy-efficient production of plasma-activated water. Chemical Engineering Journal, 451. [More Information]
Sun, J., Zhang, T., Hong, J., Zhou, R., Masood, H., Zhou, R., Murphy, A., Ostrikov, K., Cullen, P., Lovell, E., et al (2023). Insights into plasma-catalytic nitrogen fixation from catalyst microanalysis and chemical kinetics modelling. Chemical Engineering Journal, 469. [More Information]
Li, W., Luna-Flores, C., Anangi, R., Zhou, R., Tan, X., Jessen, M., Liu, L., Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Gissibl, A., Cullen, P., et al (2023). Oxidative stress induced by plasma-activated water stimulates astaxanthin production in Phaffia rhodozyma. Bioresource Technology, 369. [More Information]
Zhang, T., Li, X., Liu, J., Wen, X., Zhu, A. (2023). Plasma Nitrogen Fixation: NOx Synthesis in MnOx/Al2O3 Packed-Bed Dielectric Barrier Discharge. Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing, 43(6), 1907-1919. [More Information]
Zhou, R., Zhao, Y., Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Cullen, P., Zheng, Y., Dai, L., Ostrikov, K. (2023). Plasma-electrified up-carbonization for low-carbon clean energy. Carbon Energy, 5(1). [More Information]
Xiao, L., Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Wang, X., Zhou, R., Cullen, P., Ostrikov, K. (2023). Porous Indium Nanocrystals on Conductive Carbon Nanotube Networks for High-Performance CO2-to-Formate Electrocatalytic Conversion. Energy and Environmental Materials. [More Information]
Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Zhou, R. (2023). Pulsed Discharges for Water Activation and Plasma-Activated Water Production. Springer Series in Plasma Science and Technology, (pp. 325-347). United States: Springer Nature. [More Information]
Zhang, T., Zhou, R., Zhang, S., Zhou, R., Ding, J., Ziems, L., Hong, J., Dou, L., Shao, T., Murphy, A., Cullen, P., et al (2023). Sustainable Ammonia Synthesis from Nitrogen and Water by One-Step Plasma Catalysis. Energy and Environmental Materials, 6(2). [More Information]
Hadinoto, K., Yang, H., Zhang, T., Cullen, P., Prescott, S., Trujillo, F. (2023). The antimicrobial effects of mist spraying and immersion on beef samples with plasma-activated water. Meat Science, 200. [More Information]
Xia, B., Vyas, H., Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Hong, J., Rothwell, J., Rice, S., Carter, D., Ostrikov, K., Cullen, P., Mai-Prochnow, A. (2023). The importance of superoxide anion for Escherichia coli biofilm removal using plasma-activated water. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 11(3). [More Information]
Wang, S., Zhao, X., Liu, Z., Yang, X., Pang, B., Gao, Y., Zhou, R., Xu, D., Zhang, J., Zhang, T., et al (2023). Violet phosphorus-Fe3O4 as a novel photocatalysis-self-Fenton system coupled with underwater bubble plasma to efficiently remove norfloxacin in water. Chemical Engineering Journal, 452. [More Information]

show 11 more

2022

Hong, J., Zhang, T., Zhou, R., Dou, L., Zhang, S., Zhou, R., Ashford, B., Shao, T., Murphy, A., Ostrikov, K., Cullen, P. (2022). Green chemical pathway of plasma synthesis of ammonia from nitrogen and water: a comparative kinetic study with a N2/H2 system. Green Chemistry. [More Information]
Zhou, R., Rezaeimotlagh, A., Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Wang, P., Hong, J., Soltani, B., Mai-Prochnow, A., Liao, X., Ding, T., Cullen, P., et al (2022). In-package plasma: From reactive chemistry to innovative food preservation technologies. Trends in Food Science and Technology, 120, 59-74. [More Information]
Li, W., Zhou, R., Zhou, R., Weerasinghe, J., Zhang, T., Gissibl, A., Cullen, P., Speight, R., Ostrikov, K. (2022). Insights into amoxicillin degradation in water by non-thermal plasmas. Chemosphere, 291, 132757. [More Information]
Zhou, R., Wang, X., Zhou, R., Weerasinghe, J., Zhang, T., Xin, Y., Wang, H., Cullen, P., Wang, H., Ostrikov, K. (2022). Non-thermal plasma enhances performances of biochar in wastewater treatment and energy storage applications. Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering, 16(4), 475-483. [More Information]
Zhou, R., Liu, B., Li, Y., Zhou, R., Li, W., Hong, J., Zhang, T., Zhou, D., Xian, Y., Cullen, P., et al (2022). Reduced breakdown voltage for in-liquid plasma discharges using moveable electrodes. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 55(10). [More Information]

show 2 more

2021

Sun, J., Alam, D., Daiyan, R., Masood, H., Zhang, T., Zhou, R., Cullen, P., Lovell, E., Jalili, A., Amal, R. (2021). A hybrid plasma electrocatalytic process for sustainable ammonia production. Energy and Environmental Science, 14(2), 865-872. [More Information]
Zhang, T., Zhou, R., Wang, P., Mai-Prochnow, A., McConchie, R., Li, W., Zhou, R., Thompson, E., Ostrikov, K., Cullen, P. (2021). Degradation of cefixime antibiotic in water by atmospheric plasma bubbles: Performance, degradation pathways and toxicity evaluation. Chemical Engineering Journal, 421(Part 2), article number 127730. [More Information]
Xiao, L., Liu, X., Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Zhou, R., Ouyang, B., Kan, E., Cullen, P., Ostrikov, K., Tu, X. (2021). Facile synthesis of high-performance indium nanocrystals for selective CO2-to-formate electroreduction. Energy Conversion and Management, 231, 113847. [More Information]
Mai-Prochnow, A., Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Ostrikov, K., Mugunthan, S., Rice, S., Cullen, P. (2021). Interactions of plasma-activated water with biofilms: inactivation, dispersal effects and mechanisms of action. n p j Biofilms and Microbomes, 7(1), 11. [More Information]
Mai-Prochnow, A., Alam, D., Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Ostrikov, K., Cullen, P. (2021). Microbial decontamination of chicken using atmospheric plasma bubbles. Plasma Processes and Polymers, 18(1), 2000052. [More Information]
Hong, J., Zhang, T., Zhou, R., Zhou, R., Ostikov, K., Rezaeimotlagh, A., Cullen, P. (2021). Plasma bubbles: a route to sustainable chemistry. AAPPS Bulletin (Print), 31(1), 26. [More Information]
Zhou, R., Zhou, R., Alam, D., Zhang, T., Li, W., Xia, Y., Mai-Prochnow, A., An, H., Lovell, E., Masood, H., Cullen, P., et al (2021). Plasmacatalytic bubbles using CeO2 for organic pollutant degradation. Chemical Engineering Journal, 403, 126413. [More Information]
Zhou, D., Zhou, R., Zhou, R., Liu, B., Zhang, T., Xian, Y., Cullen, P., Lu, X., Ostrikov, K. (2021). Sustainable ammonia production by non-thermal plasmas: Status, mechanisms, and opportunities. Chemical Engineering Journal, 421, 129544. [More Information]
Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Zhou, R., Wang, S., Mei, D., Mai-Prochnow, A., Weerasinghe, J., Fang, Z., Ostrikov, K., Cullen, P. (2021). Sustainable plasma-catalytic bubbles for hydrogen peroxide synthesis. Green Chemistry, 23(8), 2977-2985. [More Information]
Zhou, R., Zhang, T., Zhou, R., Mai-Prochnow, A., Ponraj, S., Fang, Z., Masood, H., Kavanagh, J., McClure, D., Ostrikov, K., Cullen, P. (2021). Underwater microplasma bubbles for efficient and simultaneous degradation of mixed dye pollutants. Science of the Total Environment, 750, 142295. [More Information]

show 7 more

Selected Grants

2024

Plasma-driven electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction, Zhang T, Australian Research Council (ARC)/Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA)

In the media

Methane emissions from landfill could be turned into sustainable jet fuel in plasma chemistry leap - The University of Sydney

Early career researchers awarded 9m funding - The University of Sydney

Sydney researchers recognised in highly cited list - The University of Sydney

Cold plasma converts biogas into long-chain hydrocarbon feedstocks | Research | Chemistry World

Faculty of Engineering