Dr. Chunfei Wu is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast. He obtained his MSc degree in School of Environmental Science and Engineering at Nankai University in China in 2007, and PhD degree in Chemical and Energy Engineering at the University of Leeds in 2010 under the supervision of Professor Paul T. Williams. He had around four-year Research Fellow experience at the University of Leeds before starting his Lectureship position at the University of Hull in 2014. He has been involved as PIs and Co-Is of several projects funded by EU, EPSRC and Royal Society etc. He has published over 100 peer reviewed journal papers with an ‘h factor’ of 31 (Google Scholar) and over 2500 citations in the areas of catalytic thermo-chemical conversion of wastes. He is a Charted Scientist and a Member of Royal Society of Chemistry.

Biomass gasification and tar reduction

We are interested in thermal chemical conversion of biomass wastes into syngas which can be used for heat and power generation, hydrogen and liquid fuel production. However, the presence of tar compounds (heavy hydrocarbons) in syngas significantly delays the technology development. We work on both the development of non-catalytic high temperature tar conversion and novel catalytic conversion of tar compounds.

Carbon nanotubes production from waste plastics

Waste plastics can be thermal chemical converted into syngas through gasification using catalyst to enhance syngas production. However, coke deposition on the surface of reacted catalyst can not be prohibited. We work on the control of carbon formation during plastic gasification to produce high value multi-wall carbon nanotubes by optimizing process conditions and developing cost-effective catalysts. The produced CNTs have been added as fillers for polymer production to enhance mechanical strength.

Sorbent and catalyst development for carbon capture and conversion

We are interested in developing novel CaO- and MgO- based sorbents for carbon capture. Key challenges in this area include the understanding of mechanisms and the enhancement of the capacity and lifetime of carbon capture. We also work on the development of multifunctional catalysts to convert CO₂ into valuable products such as methane, CO and low olefins.

Full list of publications can be found here.

1. Xiaotong Liu, Boxiong Shen^*, Zhentao Wu^*, Christopher M. A. Parlett^*, Zhenan Han, Adwek George, Peng Yuan, Dipesh Patel, Chunfei Wu^*. Producing carbon nanotubes from thermochemical conversion of waste plastics using Ni/ceramic based catalyst. Chemical Engineering Science 2018 (in press).
2. Hongman Sun, Christopher M. A. Parlett*, Mark A Isaacs, Xiaotong Liu, George Adwek, Jianqiao Wang, Boxiong Shen*, Jun Huang*, Chunfei Wu*. Development of Ca/KIT-6 adsorbents for high temperature CO2 capture. Fuel 2018 (in press).
3. Hongman Sun, Chunfei Wu*, Boxiong Shen*, Xiao Zhang, Yu Zhang, Jun Huang*. Progress in the development and application of CaO-based adsorbents for CO2 capture – a review. Materials Today Sustainability 2018 (in press).
4. Zhikun Zhang, Lina Liu*, Boxiong Shen*, Chunfei Wu*. Preparation, modification and development of Ni-based catalysts for catalytic reforming of tar produced from biomass gasification. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2018, 94: 1086-1109.
5. Fei Gao, Jiali Huang, Hongman Sun, Jun Hu,* Meihong Wang*, Jiawei Mi and Chunfei Wu*. CO₂ capture using mesocellular siliceous foam (MCF)-supported CaO. Journal of the Energy Institute 2018 (in press).
6. Chidiebere Diyoke, Ningbo Gao*, Mathew Aneke, Meihong Wang, Chunfei Wu*. Modelling of down-draft gasification of biomass – an integrated pyrolysis, combustion and reduction process. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2018 (in press).
7. Zhanghong Wang, Dekui Shen*, Chunfei Wu*, Sai Gu. Thermal behaviour and kinetics of co-pyrolysis of cellulose and polyethylene with the addition of transition metals. Energy Conversion and Management 2018, 172: 32-38.
8. Chidiebere Diyoke, Mathew Aneke, Meihong Wang, Chunfei Wu*. Techno-Economic analysis of Wind Power Integrated with both Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) and Biomass Gasification Energy Storage (BGES) System for Power generation. RSC Advances 2018 (In press).
9. Jun Zou, Japhet Oladipo, Shilong Fu, Amal Al-Rahbi, Haiping Yang*, Chunfei Wu*, Ning Cai, Paul Williams, Hanping Chen. Hydrogen production from cellulose catalytic gasification on CeO₂/Fe₂O₃ catalyst. Energy Conversion and Management 2018, 171: 241-248
10. Boxiong Shen*, Shaowen Zhu, Xiao Zhang, Guilong Chi, Dipesh Patel, Meng Si, Chunfei Wu*. Simultaneous removal of NO and Hg⁰ using Fe and Co co-doped Mn-Ce/TiO₂ catalysts. Fuel 2018; 224: 241-249
11. Ningbo Gao, Xiao Wang, Cui Quan, Chunfei Wu. Study of oily sludge pyrolysis combined with fine particle removal using a ceramic membrane in a fixed-bed reactor. Chemical Engineering and Processing-Process Intensification 2018
12. Ningbo Gao, Cui Quan*, Zhengzhao Ma, Chunfei Wu*. Thermal Characteristics of Biomass Pyrolysis Oil and Potential Hydrogen Production by Catalytic Steam Reforming. Energy Fuel 2018; 32: 5234-5243
13. Fangzhu Jin, Hongman Sun, Chunfei Wu*, Huajuan Ling, Yijiao Jiang, Paul T. Williams*, Jun Huang*. Effect of calcium addition on Mg-AlOx supported Ni catalysts for hydrogen production from pyrolysis-gasification of biomass. Catalysis Today 2018; 309: 2-10
14. Mengjing Ye, Yongwen Tao, Fangzhu Jin, Huajuan Ling, Chunfei Wu*, Paul T. Williams*, Jun Huang*. Enhancing hydrogen production from the pyrolysis-gasification of biomass by size-confined Ni catalysts on acidic MCM-41 supports. Catalysis Today 2018; 307: 154-161
15. Cui Quan, Ningbo Gao, Chunfei Wu. Utilization of NiO/porous ceramic monolithic catalyst for upgrading biomass fuel gas. Journal of the Energy Institute 2018, 91: 331-338.
16. Xiang Gou*, Yating Wang, Chunfei Wu*, Shian Liu, Dong Zhao, Yamei Li, Saima Iram. Low Temperature Selective Catalytic Reduction Using Molding Catalysts Mn-Ce/FA and Mn-Ce/FA-30% TiO₂. Energies 2017; 10:2084
17. Xiaotong Liu, Hongman Sun, Chunfei Wu^*, Dipesh Patel, Jun Huang. Thermal chemical conversion of high density polyethylene for the production of valuable carbon nanotubes using Ni/AAO membrane catalyst. Energy Fuel 2018; 32: 4511-4520
18. Xiaotong Liu, Boxiong Shen*, Peng Yuan, Dipesh Patel, Chunfei Wu*. Production of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) from thermochemical conversion of waste plastics using Ni/anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) template catalyst. Energy Procedia 2017; 142: 525-530
19. Y.X. Zeng, L. Wang, C.F. Wu, J.Q. Wang, B.X. Shen, X.Tu. Low temperature reforming of biogas over K-, Mg- and Ce-promoted Ni/Al2O3 catalysts for the production of hydrogen rich syngas: Understanding plasma-catalytic synergy. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental 2018, 224: 469-478.
20. L. Wang, YH Yi, CF Wu, HC Guo, X. Tu*. One-step reforming of CO₂ and CH₄ to high-value liquid chemicals and fuels at room temperature via plasma-driven catalysis. Angewandte Chemie2017,56:13697-13683
21. Dingding Yao, Chunfei Wu*, Haiping Yang*, Yeshui Zhang, Mohamad Nahil, Yingquan Chen, Paul T. Williams*, Hanping Chen. Co-production of hydrogen and carbon nanotubes from catalytic pyrolysis of waste plastics on Ni-Fe bimetallic catalyst. Energy Conversion and Management 2017, 148: 692-700
22. Yeshui Zhang, Mohamad Anas Nahil, Chunfei Wu, Paul T. Williams*. Pyrolysis–catalysis of waste plastic using a nickel–stainless-steel mesh catalyst for high-value carbon products. Environmental Technology 2017, 38: 2889-2897.