Biomass Group, Nanjing Agricultural University, PO Box 68, 40 Dianjiangtai Road, Nanjing 210031

Joule heating for carbon material Synthesis: Mechanisms, material evolution, and sustainable prospects

Recently, under the supervision of Associate Professor Wei Chen, master’s student Miss Zijun Pan published a review article titled “Joule heating for carbon material Synthesis: Mechanisms, material evolution, and sustainable prospects” in an international academic journal Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews.

This comprehensive review systematically explores the research progress and application potential of Joule heating as an emerging electrothermal technique for carbon material synthesis. By integrating multiple perspectives—including material synthesis, mechanistic simulation, and sustainability assessment-the article highlights the highly efficient tunability of Joule heating in the preparation of various carbon materials such as graphitic carbon, flash graphene, and carbon nanotubes, and elaborates on heteroatom-doping and metal-loading functionalization strategies. Furthermore, by combining machine learning and multiscale simulations, the study elucidates the structural evolution mechanisms of materials under extreme thermal conditions. Through life-cycle assessment (LCA), it also verifies the remarkable economic and environmental advantages of this technique, providing a theoretical foundation and technological pathway for the green manufacturing of carbon materials.

The results were published in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews:

Pan Z, et al. Joule heating for carbon material synthesis: Mechanisms, material evolution, and sustainable prospects. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2026, 116290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2025.116290

Joule heating for carbon material Synthesis

焦耳加热合成碳材料：机理、演化与可持续前景

最近，生物能源组硕士生潘子君在陈伟副教授的指导下，在国际学术期刊‌Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (Q1, IF=16.3) 发表了一篇题为焦耳加热合成碳材料：机理、演化与可持续前景的综述论文。

本综述系统探讨了焦耳加热作为一种新兴电热技术在碳材料合成中的研究进展与应用潜力。通过整合材料合成、机理模拟与可持续性评估等多维度内容，文章重点分析了焦耳加热在石墨碳、闪蒸石墨烯、碳纳米管等多种碳材料制备中的高效调控能力，并阐述了其在杂原子掺杂与金属负载方面的功能化策略。研究进一步结合机器学习与多尺度模拟揭示了极端热条件下材料结构的演化机制，并通过生命周期评估验证了该技术在经济性与环境友好性方面的显著优势，为推动碳材料绿色制造提供了理论依据与技术路径。

结果发表在‌Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews：

Pan Z, et al. Joule heating for carbon material synthesis: Mechanisms, material evolution, and sustainable prospects. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2026, 116290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2025.116290

Stainless steel catalyzed pyrolysis of waste oil: Biofuel production, catalyst regeneration and environmental assessment

Recently, Master graduate student Mr. Guo-qiang Zhu (currently a PhD student at City University of Hong Kong) supervised by Associate Prof. Lu-jiang Xu and Prof. Zhen Fang published a research article in Chemical Engineering Journal about stainless steel catalyzed pyrolysis of waste cooking oil.

Valorizing waste cooking oil into biofuels not only achieves renewable green fuels but mitigates waste disposal. Here, we demonstrate a catalytic pyrolysis process using novel regenerable austenitic stainless steel catalysts containing Fe (II) and Fe (III) active phases. Firstly, an activated SS catalyst with austenite Fe and metal oxides showed outstanding deoxygenation performance, directionally promoting the enrichment of alkene. And then, optimal pyrolysis conditions were investigated via response surface methodology and determined as temperature 550 °C, single catalyst layer and feeding rate 3 mL/h. Besides, catalyst exhibited exceptional cyclic stability over 10 consecutive cycles, attributed to its unique coke-mediated regeneration mechanism. Distinguished with active surface sites, the regenerated catalyst recovered the catalytic activity and made coke deposits form carbon nanotube structure where the regeneration mechanism was proposed in terms of experimental results and characteristics of coke and catalyst. Eventually, life cycle assessment was conducted stressing on the reduction of global warming potential and environment impact for whole process and sensitivity of key parameters. Overall, this work provides fundamental insights into coke-catalyst interactions while establishing an industrially viable pathway for sustainable biofuel production.

Related results were accepted in Chemical Engineering Journal：

Stainless steel catalyzed pyrolysis of waste oil to Biofuels

不锈钢催化废弃油脂热解：生物燃料生产、催化剂再生和环境评估

最近，硕士毕业生祝国强，现为香港城市大学在读博士研究生，在徐禄江副教授和方真教授的指导下，在国际学术期刊Chemical Engineering Journal (Q1, IF=13.2) 发表了一篇关于不锈钢催化废弃油脂热解的研究性论文。

将废弃食用油转化为生物燃料，不仅可以获得可再生的绿色燃料，还可以减少废物处理。本文展示了一种采用新型可再生奥氏体不锈钢催化剂的催化热解工艺，该催化剂含有 Fe(II) 和 Fe(III) 活性相。首先，含有奥氏体和金属氧化物的不锈钢催化剂表现出优异的脱氧性能，定向促进了烯烃的富集。然后，通过响应面法优化了最佳热解条件，确定了最优条件为温度 550 ℃、单层催化剂和进料速率 3 mL/h。此外，由于其独特的积炭介导再生机制，催化剂在连续 10 次循环中表现出优异的循环稳定性。由于活性表面位点的存在，再生催化剂恢复了催化活性，并使积炭沉积形成碳纳米管结构，并根据实验结果以及积炭和催化剂的表征结果提出了再生机理。最后，对整个工艺进行了生命周期评估，重点关注降低全流程的全球变暖潜能值和环境影响，以及关键参数的敏感性。这项研究为焦炭-催化剂相互作用提供了基础性见解，同时也为可持续生物燃料生产提供了重要途径。

结果发表在Chemical Engineering Journal：

G Zhu, H. Xu, J. Zhang, G. Xie, Z. Fang, L. Xu*. Stainless steel catalyzed pyrolysis of waste oil: Biofuel production, catalyst regeneration and environmental assessment. Chemical Engineering Journal（IF=13.2）(2025) 167020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.167020

BDE-Driven Sustainable Synthesis of Lignin-derived Hydroxybenzonitriles via Tandem Green Cyanation and Gas-phase Hydrodeoxygenation

Recently, PhD student Ge-liang Xie supervised by Dr. Lujiang Xu and Profs. Zhen Fang published a research paper on the sustainable synthesis of hydroxybenzonitrile from lignin-derived vanillin in the international academic journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.

Achieving high-value utilization of lignin through catalytic upgrading to produce nitrogen-containing aromatic compounds represents a key route for sustainable chemical production. Among these compounds, hydroxybenzonitriles (HBNs) are important fine chemicals widely used in pesticides, pharmaceuticals, dyes, and materials. Currently, they are primarily synthesized industrially via fossil fuel refining processes, which involve multiple steps, complex operations, and are unsustainable. Therefore, developing a method to synthesize HBNs from inexpensive and renewable raw materials is crucial.

Vanillin is the most industrially produced aromatic compound derived from the oxidative depolymerization of lignin. Studies using bond dissociation energy (BDE) analysis have determined that the cyano functional group can be selectively retained during the synthesis of hydroxybenzonitrile from vanillin (C≡N: 136.21 kcal/mol vs. C-O: 62.44–116.17 kcal/mol). Thus, HBNs can be sustainably prepared through a two-step process involving vanillin nitrilation and vapor-phase hydrodeoxygenation (HDO).

In the first step, vanillin was converted to vanillonitrile under a green H₂O/HCOOH system and mild conditions (85 °C, 12 hours), achieving a high yield of 99.2 mol%—superior to that obtained using the traditional DMF system. In the second step, during the continuous vapor-phase HDO of vanillonitrile, a modified Mo/TiO₂ catalyst with triple functionalities (oxygen vacancies, appropriate Mo⁵⁺ content, and strong metal–support interactions) achieved a 57.6% HBN yield, outperforming Mo/ZrO₂. Owing to the enhanced metal–support interactions, this catalyst retained 90% of its initial activity after eight cycles. This study establishes a sustainable route for converting lignin into chemicals and advances the development of catalyst design principles for biomass upgrading.Publication:

GL Xie, Y Cao, SR Li, QQ Lu, W Chen, S Gao, W Qiu, C He, Z Fang, LJ Xu, BDE-Driven Sustainable Synthesis of Lignin-Derived Hydroxybenzonitriles via Tandem Green Cyanation and Gas-Phase Hydrodeoxygenation. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 2025, 13 (32), 13030-13041. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c04554

基于BDE的木质素衍生羟基苯甲腈的可持续合成：通过串联绿色氰化和气相加氢脱氧

最近，博士生谢葛亮在徐禄江副教授和方真教授的指导下，在国际学术期刊ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering (Q1; Impact factor: 7.3)上发表了一篇关于木质素衍生物香草醛可持续合成羟基苯甲腈的研究性论文。

Synthesis of Lignin-derived Hydroxybenzonitriles via Tandem Green Cyanation and Gas-phase Hydrodeoxygenation木质素基香草醛串联腈化与气相加氢脱氧合成羟基苯甲腈

通过催化升级木质素生成含氮芳香化合物的途径，实现木质素的高值化利用，是可持续化学品生产的关键途径。其中，羟基苯甲腈（HBNs）是广泛应用于农药、医药、染料和材料等的重要精细化学品，目前工业上主要通过化石冶炼合成，该过程步骤多、操作复杂且不可持续。因此，开发一种使用廉价且可再生原料合成HBNs的方法至关重要。

香草醛是目前通过木质素的氧化解聚在工业规模上生产最多的芳香族化合物，研究通过键解离能（BDE）分析确定了香草醛到羟基苯甲腈的合成过程中氰基官能团可以被选择性保留（C≡N: 136.21 kcal/mol vs C-O: 62.44-116.17 kcal/mol），因此通过香草醛的腈化和气相加氢脱氧（HDO）两步实现羟基苯甲腈的可持续制备。

在第一步香草醛合成香草腈的实验中，研究在绿色的H₂O/HCOOH体系和温和条件下（85°C，12小时）获得了高产率香草腈（99.2 mol%），优于传统的DMF体系方法。在第二步香草腈的连续气相HDO中，经过改造的Mo/TiO₂催化剂具有三重功能（氧空位、适量的Mo⁵⁺、强金属-载体相互作用），实现了57.6%的HBN产率，性能优于Mo/ZrO₂。由于增强的金属-载体相互作用，该催化剂在8个循环后仍保持90%的初始活性。本研究建立了可持续的木质素转化为化学品的路线，推动了生物质催化剂设计原则的发展。

详情可见：

GL Xie, Y Cao, SR Li, QQ Lu, W Chen, S Gao, W Qiu, C He, Z Fang, LJ Xu, BDE-Driven Sustainable Synthesis of Lignin-Derived Hydroxybenzonitriles via Tandem Green Cyanation and Gas-Phase Hydrodeoxygenation. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 2025, 13 (32), 13030-13041. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c04554

One-step valorization of cellulose acetate plastic waste into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

Recently, Dr. Chunxiao Gong (Associate Professor), together with Prof. Shuai Li (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University) and Dr Qixuan Lin (South China University of Technology) proposed a one-step method to convert cellulose acetate (CA) plastic waste into the high-value chemical 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). The research, titled “One-step valorization of cellulose acetate plastic waste into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural”, was published in Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy (IF:21.1). Dr. Chunxiao Gong is the first author, while Profs. Zhen Fang, Shuai Li and Dr Qixuan Lin are the corresponding authors.

Cellulose acetate (CA) is a widely used cellulose derivative, commonly applied in cigarette filters, textiles, and plastics. The extensive use of CA-based products generates large amounts of plastic waste. Due to its low biodegradability, CA has become a “hidden source of pollution,” persisting in the environment for more than 10 years, with degradation rates decreasing sharply as the degree of acetylation increases. This poses severe environmental challenges.

In this study, using AlCl₃ as the sole catalyst in an acetone–water solvent system at 160 °C for 50 minutes, CA was converted into HMF with a yield of 53.7%, which is three times that of untreated cellulose. When real waste materials (cigarette filters and CA fabrics) were used as feedstocks, the HMF yield also exceeded 50%. This technique provides a feasible route for the upcycling of CA plastic waste.

The in-situ generated acetic acid synergistically interacted with AlCl₃, where acetic acid coordinated with Al(III) to regulate Lewis acidity, suppressing side reactions and promoting the fructose dehydration pathway. Meanwhile, the acetyl groups in the CA structure enhanced interactions with acetone solvent, further improving reaction selectivity. The process was equally effective for real CA waste (e.g., cigarette filters, fabrics), demonstrating strong application potential. Compared to previous studies on cellulose conversion to HMF, this system achieved high efficiency under milder conditions and with lower catalyst loading, offering a new pathway for the valorization of CA plastic waste.

Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that CA’s acetyl groups form noncovalent interactions with acetone molecules. Acetone preferentially surrounds the C1 and C4 positions of CA, preventing unnecessary protonation at these sites and thereby reducing byproduct formation (e.g., humins). The interaction energy (ΔE) between a CA monomer and acetone reached 15.04 kcal/mol, while that between a cellulose disaccharide monomer and acetone was only 7.76 kcal/mol, showing a significant difference. During the reaction, acetic acid released from deacetylation further participated in catalysis, working synergistically with AlCl₃ to promote HMF formation.

Results published in Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy:

C Gong, Z Ju, Q Lin, X Lv, RL Smith Jr, L Xu, Y Cao, L Shuai, Zhen Fang, Z, One-step valorization of cellulose acetate plastic waste into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy, 2026, 381, 125880. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2025.125880

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醋酸纤维素塑料废弃物一步法转化为5-羟甲基糠醛

近期，团队成员龚春晓副教授联合福建农林大学帅李教授、华南理工大学博士林琦璇提出一步法将CA塑料废物转化为高价值化学品5-羟甲基糠醛（HMF）。研究以“One-step valorization of cellulose acetate plastic waste into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural”为题发表于Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy (IF:21.1)。龚春晓副教授为第一作者，方真教授、福建农林大学帅李教授、华南理工大学博士林琦璇为通讯作者。

Production of HMF from CA plastic waste醋酸纤维素塑料废弃物一步法转化为5-羟甲基糠醛

醋酸纤维素(CA)是一种用途广泛的纤维素衍生物，广泛应用于香烟滤嘴、纺织品和塑料等消费品。醋酸纤维素类产品的广泛使用产生了大量塑料废弃物，CA的低生物降解性使其成为一种“隐性污染源”，可在环境中可能存留超过10年，且降解速度随着乙酰化程度的升高而大幅下降，带来严峻的环境挑战。

本研究使用AlCl₃作为单一催化剂，在丙酮-水溶剂系统中160°C、50分钟条件下，CA转化为HMF产率达53.7%，是未处理纤维素的3倍；当以真实废弃物（香烟滤嘴、CA织物）作为原料时，HMF产率均超过50%。这项技术为CA塑料废物的升级回收提供了可行途径。

原位生成的乙酸与AlCl₃协同催化作用，乙酸通过与Al(III)形成配位络合物调节路易斯酸性，抑制副反应并促进果糖脱水路径；CA结构的乙酰基则通过增强与丙酮溶剂的相互作用进一步提高反应选择性。该工艺对真实CA废弃物（香烟滤嘴、织物等）同样有效，展现出良好的应用潜力。与前期纤维素制备HMF研究相比，该体系在更低催化剂用量、更温和条件下实现了高效制备HMF，为CA塑料废弃物的高值化利用提供了新途径。

通过分子动力学模拟发现：CA的乙酰基与丙酮分子发生更强的非共价相互作用，丙酮优先围绕在CA的C1和C4位置，阻止了这些部位发生不必要的质子化，从而减少了副产物（如腐殖质）的生成；CA单体与丙酮之间的相互作用能量（ΔE）达15.04 kcal/mol，而纤维素单体纤维二糖与丙酮仅为7.76 kcal/mol，显示出显著差异；反应过程中，乙酰基脱落生成的醋酸进一步参与催化，和AlCl₃形成协同作用，促进HMF生成。

结果发表在Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy:

C Gong, Z Ju, Q Lin, X Lv, RL Smith Jr, L Xu, Y Cao, L Shuai, Zhen Fang, Z, One-step valorization of cellulose acetate plastic waste into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy, 2026, 381, 125880. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2025.125880

Profs. Richard Smith and Janusz Kozinski （Smith教授和 Kozinski院士）

NJAU – International Virtual Conference on Sustainable Processing of Biomass and Biogenic Matter

Sustainable processing of biomass is one of the driving forces in the 21st century for generating carbon-neutral biofuels and multi-functional bioproducts. The International Virtual Conference dedicated to this field provides crucial platforms for exchanging ideas and disseminating knowledge regarding innovative technologies. These technologies focus on converting various biomass resources into biofuels, biochemicals, and biomaterials, while simultaneously fostering positive socio-economic impacts. The Conference served as a forum to present, discuss, and debate global and local challenges, opportunities, and future novel processes in this rapidly evolving sector.

Organization Committee

Chair: Professor & Dean Janusz A. Kozinski (Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, FCAE), Lakehead University, Canada

Co-chair: Professor Zhen Fang (FCAE), Nanjing Agricultural University, China

Secretaries:  Nanjing Agricultural University Associate Prof. Yang Cao and Dr. Lin Chen

Online Meeting Screenshot

Prof. Zhen Fang and other experts (方老师和专家们)

Experts and Guests （专家和嘉宾）

Questioning （提问）

Details can be seen:

Video link:

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV17Cb8zqEJN/?vd_source=4434644631de05400f9175161d843d8b

Lectures:

1. Hydrothermal technology for sustainable food-energy-water nexus

Prof. Zhi-dan Liu (China Agricultural University, Beijing)

2. Fundamentals of Solvothermal and Hydrothermal Fluids for Biomass Valorization

Prof. Richard Smith (Tohoku University, Japan)

3. Sugar-platform biorefinery: catalytic conversion of carbohydrates into platform chemicals

Prof. Charles Xu (City University of Hong Kong)

4. Hydrothermal carbonization of highly wet organic waste streams: a sustainable circular economy approach from sewage sludge to SAF

Prof. Iskender Gokalp (Middle East University, Turkey)

5. Lignin-Based Micro/Nano Systems for Pesticide Encapsulation and Controlled Release

Prof. Hongliang Wang (China Agricultural University)

6. Comprehensive investigation of hydrogen generation from agricultural residues by supercritical water gasification process

Prof. Ajay Dalai (USAK, Canada) together with Dr. Kapil Khandelwal

7. Focused Perspectives on Waste Valorization, Net Zero Targets and Decarbonization

Dr. Sonil Nanda (Canada research Chair, tier 2, Dalhousie, Canada)

8. SCW gasification of organic wastes: batch versus continuous processing (a multi-university journey from lab world to real world)

Dr. Richard Newbold (Supercritical-H₂O, USA)

9. In-situ hydrothermal gasification of waste towards circular economy

Prof. Mohan Reddy (IIT-Roorkee, India)

10. Supercritical carbon dioxide assisted dissolution/extraction and heat transfer characteristics of the mixture fluid flow

Prof. Lin Chen (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

11. Open Forum – Discussion

Chaired by Prof. Janusz A Kozinski and Prof. Zhen Fang

南京农业大学成功举办“生物质可持续利用国际在线会议”

生物质资源的可持续加工是21世纪推动碳中和生物燃料及多功能生物制品发展的核心驱动力之一。为促进该领域前沿成果交流，2025年8月12日，由南京农业大学主办的“生物质可持续资源利用国际在线会议”成功召开。本次会议聚焦“生物质和生物质特性物质的可持续处理”主题，旨在搭建国际交流平台，分享创新技术，探讨未来发展。

会议由加拿大湖首大学Janusz A. Kozinski院士和南京农业大学方真院士共同担任主席。会议汇聚了来自加拿大、美国、印度、日本、法国、中国香港及内地的顶尖学者，围绕如何高效转化各类生物质资源为生物燃料、生物化学品和生物材料，以及相关的全球性、区域性挑战、机遇和未来创新流程等议题，进行了深度研讨。南京农业大学曹阳副教授和陈林博士共同担任大会秘书。会上，十位国际知名专家带来了精彩纷呈的学术报告：中国农业大学刘志丹教授、日本东北大学Richard Smith教授、香港城市大学Charles Chunbao Xu院士、土耳其中东大学Iskender Gokalp教授（法国国家科学研究中心CNRS燃烧研究所前所长）、中国农业大学王洪亮教授、加拿大萨斯喀彻温大学Ajay Dalai院士、加拿大戴尔豪斯大学Sonil Nanda助理教授（加拿大国家青年讲席教授）、美国超临界水公司Richard Newbold博士、印度理工学院鲁基分校Mohan Reddy教授、中国科学院工程热物理研究所陈林教授等，各位报告人分享了他们在生物质处理领域的最新研究进展与突破。会议尾声，Janusz A. Kozinski院士和方真院士共同主持了开放研讨会，与会专家学者就热点问题展开了热烈讨论。

演讲录像：

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV17Cb8zqEJN/?vd_source=4434644631de05400f9175161d843d8b

NJAU – Virtual Conference – 12 August 2025 – Program Signatures