Explore the Nano World 

 Wen's Research Group​

Wen Zhang, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE

Principal Investigator
Professor

Phone: (973) 596-5520 
Fax: (973) 596-5790
Email: wen.zhang@njit.edu

Office Location: Colton Hall 211

Find us on the map: 

Our research encompasses the following scenarios:


​1. Patent Title:  Reactive electrochemical membrane filtration. Status: Granted
    Data of submission or granted: 05/05/2020

2. Patent Title:  Microfluidic cell for atomic force microscopy. Status: Granted
    Data of submission or granted: 07/14/2020

3. Patent Title:  Microwave-assisted Antifouling Membrane Filtration System. Status: Granted
    Data of submission or granted: 03/10/2020

4. Patent Title:  Generation of nanobubbles using a surface functionalized ceramic nanofiltration membrane. 

     Status: Granted. Data of submission or granted: 12/2021

5. Patent Title:  Electromagnetic Induction Membrane pervaporation. Status: Applied/under examination
    Data of submission or granted: 9/5/2021

​6. Patent Title:  An Electrified Membrane Flow-cell for Nitrogen Fertilizer Production from Wastewater. 

     Status: Granted. Data of submission or granted: 02/27/2022

SELECTED Research projects


1. PI. EPA: Ozone Nanobubble Water for Pathogen Control and Disinfection in Food Processing and Equipment Cleaning. 

    Award/Agreement No.: NP-96259122-0. Total: $ $332,132. Start Date: September 30, 2022 and End Date: September 29, 2025.

2. PI. 2022-2023 NJIT’s 2022 Technology Innovation Translation and Acceleration (TITA) Program Funding ($75,000)-High-             efficient inactivation of airborne viruses using a microwave-enabled air filtration system.

​​​​3. PI. NSF-BSF: Electrified Membrane System for Chemical-Free Nitrogen Recovery from Nitrate Contaminated Water.

    Award number: 2215387. Start Date: September 1, 2022 and End Date: August 31, 2025.
4. PI. US Bureau of Reclamation: Omniphobic interfacial heating membranes with robust antifouling, antiwetting                            performance and superior thermal efficiency in membrane distillation. 

    Award number: R22AC00433. Start Date: May 1, 2022 and End Date: June 30, 2024.

5. PI. EPA. P3 phase II: Microwave-Catalytic Membrane for PFAS Degradation and Antiviral Applications.

    Grant number: SV84041901. Duration: 7/1/2022-06/30/2024

​​6. Project Title:  Interfacially Engineered Membranes for Simultaneous Microwave Catalysis and Liquid Filtration.
    Funded by Interfacial Engineering Program from the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental,
    and Transport Systems Division (CBET).
    Award number: 2025374. Duration: 09/01/2020-08/31/2023
7. Project Title: PFI-TT:
Electrochemically Reactive Membrane Filtration for Enhanced Recalcitrant Pollutant Removal.

    Partnerships for Innovation (PFI), Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships, National Science Foundation.

    Award number: 2016472. Duration: 09/01/2020-08/31/2022
8. Project Title:
Electromagnetic Induction Interfacial Heating for High-Efficiency Membrane Distillation.

    Funded by The U.S. Department of the Interior via Bureau of Reclamation.

    Agreement number: R19AC00107. Duration: 02/14/2020-02/13/2021
9. Project Title: 
Microwave-assisted Reactive and Antifouling Membrane Filtration for Water Purification.

    Funded by The U.S. Department of the Interior via Bureau of Reclamation.

    Agreement number: R19AC00106. Duration: 02/14/2020-02/13/2021
10. Project Title:
Characterization of facet-dependent properties of crystalline nanomaterial.

     Funded by the US National Science Foundation (NSF),

     Award number: 1756444. Duration: 09/01/2018-08/31/2021
11. Project Title:
Use of Novel Nanobubble Watering Processes for Enhanced Plant Growth and Pathogen Control.

     Funded by State Department of Agriculture (USDA): Agriculture Systems and Technology: Nanotechnology         

     for Agricultural and Food Systems.

    Award number: 2019-67021-29450. Duration: 05/15/2019-05/04/2022
12. Project Title: D
evelopment of Reactive Nanobubble Systems for Efficient and Scalable Harmful Algae and Cyanotoxin 

     Removal.

     Funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) via the P3 phase II grant.

     Agreement number: 84001901. Duration: 7/1/2020-06/30/2021
13. Project Title:
Lithium recovery from waste/spent lithium ion battery (LIB) using green chemical processes.

     Funded by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) via the Pollution Prevention (P2) program.

     Agreement number: NP96259118. Duration: 10/1/2018-10/30/2021
14. Project Title: NSF: I-Corp:
Reactive Nanobubbles Technology for Green and Sustainable Environmental and

    Agricultural Applications.

    Award Number: 1912367. Duration:  01/25/2019-07/25/2021
15. Project Title: New Jersey Water Resources Research Institute (NJWRRI), USGS:
Carbon-Metal Nanohybrids (CMNHs)- 

      Impregnated Reactive Electrochemical Membrane (REM) Filtration for PFAS Removal.

      Duration: 06/01/2020-05/30/2021
16. Project Title: New Jersey Water Resources Research Institute (NJWRRI), USGS:
Effects of Microbubble Formation on 

      Sediment Pollutant Resuspension.

      Duration: 06/01/2020-05/30/2021
17. Project Title: New Jersey Water Resources Research Institute (NJWRRI), USGS:
Assessment of Spent Lithium-ion     

      Batteries on Surface Water Quality: Delineating Baseline Level Changes of Lithium, Cobalt and Lithium

      Hexafluorophosphate.           

      Duration: 06/01/2020-05/30/2021
18. Project Title: New Jersey Water Resources Research Institute (NJWRRI), USGS:
Electrochemical Device Development for

      Detection and Removal of Perfluorinated Substances in Water.

      Duration: 06/01/2020-05/30/2021

  

Patents submitted by or granted to Zhang's group