Zhirong Zhu has been engaged in functional materials, catalysis, and the application and development of chemical engineering techniques in famous universities, research institutes and top 500 companies for many years. He has been a doctor supervisor of School of Chemical Science and Engineering of Tongji University since 2007.

The main researches include the applied fundamental of industrial catalysis, novel catalysts, new reaction process, and polymer functional materials, specific directions are as follows:

1. High shape-selective zeolite catalysts and reaction processes for coal chemical industry, petroleum chemical industry and synthesis of tine chemicals

2. New green solid acidity/basicity catalysts applied in esterification, alkylation, condensation and hydrolysis reaction

3. New structured bifunctional porous materials and organic-inorganic hetero-catalysts

4. Catalytic materials and application in new energy, environment protection and recycle

5. Synthesis of polymer functional materials and its application in Biotechnology and tissue engineering and chemical engineering

Zhirong Zhu is the director of the China Energy Society, the Editor of the Journal of Chemical Equipment Technology and the Functional Materials. He is also the expert of the National and Shanghai Prize. He has won numerous national or provincial awards as PI (Principal Investigator), such as the 2008 National Award for Technological Invention 2nd Prize and the 2002 National Award for Technological Invention 2nd Prize.

Zhirong Zhu was in charge of many important projects, such as the National Key Technologies R&D Program of China, the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China, the Major State Basic Research Development Program of China, many key program and major program supported by National Science Foundation of China, and so on.

More than 50 papers were published at SCI/EI journals since 2001 and about 30 technological invention Chinese and foreign patents were authorized.

1. Junhui Li, Kai Tong, Zhiwen Xi, Ying Yuan, Zhonghua Hu, Zhirong Zhu*, High-efficient conversion of methanol to p-xylene over shape-selective Mg-Zn-Si-HZSM-5 catalyst with fine modification of pore-opening and acidic properties, Catalysis Science & Technology, 2016, DOI: 10.1039/C5CY01979F

2. Guoqing Zhao, Huanhui Chen, Ying Yuan, Xiaoci Li, Zhirong Zhu. New Process of 2-Nitrotoluene into 2-Methylaniline by Transfer Hydrogenation with Methanol over X Zeolite Catalyst.Catalysis Letters, 2016.146.174-179

3. Min Liu， Wenzhi Jia， Junhui Li， Yanan Wang， Shuwen Ma， Huanhui Chen， Zhirong Zhu. Catalytic Properties of Hierarchical Mordenite Nanosheets Synthesized by Self-Assembly Between Subnanocrystals and Organic Templates,Catalysis Letters, 146(2016), 249-254.

4. Wenzhi Jia, Xuewei Lang, Min Liu, Guoqing Zhao, Junhui Li, Yanan Wang, Zhirong Zhu*，Influence of Lewis Acidity on Catalytic Activity of the Porous Alumina for Dehydrofluorination of 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane to Trifluoroethylene，Catal. Letter, 145 (2015), 654–661.

5. Chao Hu, Junhui Li, Wenzhi Jia, Min Liu, Zhixian Hao, Zhirong Zhu*, Influence of Metallic Modification on Ethylbenzene Dealkylation over ZSM-5 Zeolites, Chin. J. Chem. 33(2015), 247-253.

6. Min Liu, Junhui Li, Wenzhi Jia, Mengjiao Qin, Yanan Wang, Kai Tong, Chen Huanhui and Zhirong Zhu*，Seed-induced synthesis of hierarchical ZSM-5 nanosheets in the presence of hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide, RSC Advances, 5(2015), 9237-9241.

7. Wenzhi Jia, Min Liu, Xuewei Lang, Chao Hu, Junhui Li and Zhirong Zhu. Catalytic dehydrofluorination of 1, 1, 1, 2-tetrafluoroethane to synthesize trifluoroethylene over the modified NiO/Al₂O₃catalyst ，Catalysis Science & Technology, 5(2015) , 3103-3107.

8. Yanan Wang, Xuewei Lang, Guoqing Zhao, Huanhui Chen, Yiwei Fan, Linqing Yu, Xiuxiu Ma, and Zhirong Zhu*. Preparation of Cs-La-Sb/SiO₂Catalyst and its Performance for Synthesis of Methyl Acrylate by Aldol Condensation，RSC Advances, 5(2015), 32826-32834.

9. Yanan Wang, Huanhui Chen, Guoqing Zhao, Min Liu, Xuewei Lang and Zhirong Zhu*. Influence of Support Properties on the Activity of Basic Catalysts for Aldol Condensation of Formaldehyde and Methyl Acetate in a Continuous-Flow Reactor，J. Flow Chem.，5(2015), 87-94.

10. 王 凯, 童 锴, 胡 超, 朱志荣∗，液相硅沉积改性HZSM-5分子筛的择形吸附分离性能研究，《功能材料》，14(2015),14144-14148.

11. 童锴， 李军辉， 奚志文， 朱志荣∗，金属氧化物和硅沉积改性ZnO/SiO₂/ZSM-5的甲醇择形芳构化反应催化研究,《燃料化学学报》，43 (2015), 221–227 .

12. Junhui Li, Hui Xia, Qian Wu, Zhonghua Hu, Zhixian Hao, Zhirong Zhu∗，Hydrocracking of the crude oil from thermal pyrolysis of municipal wastes over bi-functional Mo–Ni catalyst, Catalysis Today, 2015. CATTOD-9764.

13. Huanhui Chen, Xiaoci Li, Guoqing Zhao, Hongbo Gu, Zhirong Zhu *，Free radical mechanism investigation of the side-chain alkylation of toluene with methanol on basic zeolites X ，Chinese Journal of Catalysis 36 (2015), 1726–1732.

14.Guoqing Zhao, Huanhui Chen, Junhui Li, Qunlong Wang, Yanan Wang, Shuwen Ma and Zhirong Zhu. Acid-based co-catalysis for oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene with CO₂over X zeolite modified by alkali metal cation exchange.RSC Adv, 5(2015), 75787-75793.

15.Xuewei Lang, Wenzhi Jia, Yanan Wang , Zhirong Zhu. Novel fluorination of polystyrene sulfonic acid resin by CF₃SO₃H for high stability and strong acidity，Catalysis Communications 70 (2015), 58–61.

Our group sincerely welcomes undergraduates, postgraduates, doctor, post doctorate fellows and active young scholars with backgrounds in chemistry, chemical engineering and high polymer.