IMX Talks - Sugar-Platform Biorefinery – Catalytic Conversion of Carbohydrates into Platform Chemicals

This seminar highlights roles of biomass/bioresources, in particular carbohydrates (cellulose/hemicellulose, starch) in carbon neutrality and bioeconomy in the global/national context, and my past research in Western University (Canada) and my current research in City University of Hong Kong,  focusing on carbohydrates (sugar) catalytic conversion and valorisation, including (1) Efficient Conversion of Glucose/Cellulose into 5-HMF; (2) Inexpensive Heterogeneous Catalysts for Selective Oxidation of 5-HMF into FDCA; (3) Selective 5-HMF Hydrogenation to Furan Diols; (4) Selective hydrogenation of furfural to pentanediol.

Bio: Prof. Xu is currently Chair Professor of Advanced Biorefinery and Director of Advanced Biorefinery Laboratory (ABL) at School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong. He is Fellow of Canadian Academy of Engineering (FCAE), Fellow of Engineering Institute of Canada (FEIC) and Fellow of Chemical Institute of Canada (FCIC). He was a professor, the NSERC/FPInnovations Industrial Research Chair in Forest Biorefinery, and Associate Director of the Institute for Chemicals and Fuels from Alternative Resources (ICFAR) at Western University. He has over 20 years of research experience in conversion of biomass and organic solid wastes (forestry/agricultural residues, food wastes, wastewater sludge, microalgae, lignin, glycerol and sugars, etc.) into biofuels (sustainable aviation fuels, green hydrogen) and green chemicals and biopolymer materials. He has authored/edited 3 books on biorefinery, and published 20+ book chapters and 380+ peer-reviewed papers in journals including some top ones such as Angew Chem Int Ed., Nature Communications, Advanced Functional Materials, Applied Catalysis B, etc.  According to Google Scholar, his work has received over 25,000 total citations with an H-index of 83 to date. As a recipient for 12 PCT/US/Canadian/Chinese Patents issued and founder for two start-up companies, Dr. Xu has made outstanding contributions to applied science and engineering practice. He is recipient of the Excellent Research Award from the Japan Energy Society, the Syncrude Canadian Innovation Award and the Industrial Design and Practice Award from the Canadian Society of Chemical Engineers, the Changjiang Scholars Chair Professorship from the Ministry of Education of China, and the 2023 Humboldt Research Award from the German Humboldt Foundation.