Education Background

2012.9 – 2016.7       Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

2009.9 – 2012.7      M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering, Jilin University, China

2005.9 – 2009.7      B.Sc. in Environmental Engineering, Jilin University, China

Experience

2021.7 – Present    Associate Professor, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, China

2016.11 – 2021.2  Postdoctoral Associate Researcher, Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, Yale University, USA

Concurrent Academic

Topic Editor of Water

Invited reviewer of the Croatian Science Foundation (CSF) and the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF)

Members of American Chemical Society (ACS), Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), and Chinese-American Professors of Environmental Engineering and Science (CAPEES), Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP), and IWA Young Water Professionals China Chapter

Area of Research Interest

General research interest

Prof. Meng’s research is to advance water decontamination and reuse through the combination and optimization of electrochemistry and membrane separation processes, focusing on the development of next-generation autonomous, precise, resilient, intelligent, modular, and electrified membranes and resource recovery technologies, while also aiming at practical engineering applications of these technologies.

Specific research focuses

1. Synthesis and functionalization of electrified membranes for water treatment

2. Innovative theories and methods of electrified membranes for water purification

3. Intelligent membrane processes and related technologies for membrane fouling recognition, warming, control, and self-cleaning

4. Sustainable electrochemical-osmosis system for resource recovery from wastewaters

(Please contact us through meng_sun@mail.tsinghua.edu.cnas long as you are interested in these research fields.)

Awards and Honors

2019  Presentation Award, 2019 Chinese Environmental Scholar Forum, Rice University, Houston, TX

2018  Best Poster, Chinese Environmental Scholar Forum, Duke University, Durham, NC

2016  Outstanding Graduate Student Award, Beijing, China

2016  Outstanding Graduate Student Award of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS)

2016  Dean Award of CAS

2016  Special ORGANO Award in Water Quality and Environments

2015  National Distinguished Ph.D. Fellowship

2015  Outstanding Graduate Student Award of UCAS

2015  Zhu Li Yue Hua Distinguished Graduate Student Fellowship of UCAS

2015  Special Award Fellowship of RCEES, CAS

2014  Fellowship for Distinguish Ph.D. Student of RCEES, CAS

2012  Outstanding Graduate Student Awards of Jilin University

2012  Outstanding Master Dissertation Award of Jilin University

2011  National Outstanding Graduate Student Fellowship

Academic Achievement

Selected Publications (_* corresponding author, _# Co-first author)

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles (>30 articles; >2,200 citations; h-index, 21; last update by Google Scholar)

1.Meng Sun_#, Xiaoxiong Wang_#, Lea R. Winter, Yumeng Zhao, Wen Ma, Tayler Hedtke, Jae-Hong Kim, Menachem Elimelech_*. Electrified Membranes for Water Treatment Applications, ACS EST Engg., 2021, 1, 725-752. (The second Most Read Articles in previous 12 months)

2.Lei Zhang, Xingxing Shi, Meng Sun_*, Cassandra J. Porter, Xuechen Zhou, Menachem Elimelech_*. Precisely Engineered Photoreactive Titanium Nanoarray Coating to Mitigate Biofouling in Ultrafiltration, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces., 2021, 13, 9975-9984.

3.Chi Wang, Meng Sun_*, Yumeng Zhao, Mingxin Huo, Xianze Wang, Menachem Elimelech. Photo-electrochemical Osmotic System Enables Simultaneous Metal Recovery and Electricity Generation from Wastewater, Environ. Sci. Technol. 2021, 55, 604-613.

4.Yumeng Zhao, Meng Sun^*, Xiaoxiong Wang, Chi Wang, Dongwei Lu, Wen Ma, Sebastian A. Kube, Jun Ma, Menachem Elimelech_*. Janus electrocatalytic flow-through membrane enables ultrafast singlet oxygen production. Nature Communication, 2020, 11, 6228.

5.Xiaoxiong Wang_#, Meng Sun_#,*, Yumeng Zhao, Chi Wang, Wen Ma, Michael S. Wong, Menachem Elimelech_*. In Situ Electrochemical Generation of Reactive Chlorine Species for Efficient Ultrafiltration Membrane Self-Cleaning, Environ. Sci. Technol. 2020, 54, 6997-7007.

6.Meng Sun_*, Mohan Qin, Chi Wang, Guoming Weng, Mingxin Huo, André D. Taylor, Jiuhui Qu, Menachem Elimelech_*. Electrochemical-Osmotic Process for Simultaneous Recovery of Electric Energy, Water, and Metals from Wastewater, Environ. Sci. Technol. 2020, 54, 8430-8442.

7.Meng Sun, Chanhee Boo, Wenbo Shi, Julianne Rolf, Evyatar Shaulsky, Wei Cheng, Desiree Plata, Jiuhui Qu, Menachem Elimelech_*. Engineering carbon nanotube forest superstructure for robust thermal desalination membranes, Advanced Functional Materials, 2019, 29, 1903125. (Front Cover)

8.Yudong Xue, Meng Sun_*. Engineering hierarchical NiFe-layered double hydroxides derived phosphosulfide for high-efficiency hydrogen evolving electrocatalysis, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2019, 44, 16378-16386.

9.Jinming Luo_#, Meng Sun_#,*, Cody Ritt, Xia Liu, Yong Pei, John Crittenden, Menachem Elimelech_*. Tuning Pb(II) Adsorption from Aqueous Solutions on Ultrathin Iron Oxychloride (FeOCl) Nanosheets, Environ. Sci. Technol., 2019, 53, 2075-2085. (Highly cited)

10.Meng Sun, Douglas Davenport, Huijuan Liu, Jiuhui Qu_*, Menachem Elimelech, Jinghong Li_*. Highly efficient and sustainable non-precious-metal Fe–N–C electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2018, 6, 2527-2539. (Highly cited, Back Cover)

11.Meng Sun_#, Chiheng Chu_#, Fanglan Geng, Xinglin Lu, Jiuhui Qu, John Crittenden_*, Menachem Elimelech, Jae-Hong Kim_*. Reinventing Fenton chemistry: iron oxychloride nanosheet for pH-insensitive H²O² activation, Environmental Science & Technology Letters, 2018, 5, 186-191. (Highly cited)

12.Meng Sun, Jinghong Li_*. Graphene oxide membranes: Functional structures, preparation, and environmental applications, Nano Today, 2018, 20, 121-137. (Hot Paper)

13.Meng Sun, Ines Zucker, Douglas M Davenport, Xuechen Zhou, Jiuhui Qu, Menachem Elimelech_*. Reactive, Self-Cleaning Ultrafiltration Membrane Functionalized with Iron Oxychloride Nanocatalysts, Environ. Sci. Technol. 2018, 52, 8674-8683.

14.Meng Sun, Jinghong Li_*. Recent Progress on Palladium-Based Oxygen Reduction Reaction Electrodes for Water Treatment, Acta Phys. -Chim. Sin. 2017, 33, 198-210.

15.Meng Sun, Huijuan Liu, Jiuhui Qu_*, Jinghong Li_*. Earth-rich transition metal phosphide for energy conversion and storage, Advanced Energy Materials, 2016, 6, 1600087. (Highly cited)

16.Meng Sun, Gong Zhang, Yinghua Qin, Meijuan Cao, Yang Liu, Jinghong Li_*, Jiuhui Qu, Huijuan Liu_*. Redox conversion of chromium (VI) and arsenic (III) with the intermediates of chromium (V) and arsenic (IV) via AuPd/CNTs electrocatalysis in acid aqueous solution, Environ. Sci. Technol., 2015, 49, 9289-9297.

17.Meng Sun, Gong Zhang, Yang Liu, Huijuan Liu, Jiuhui Qu_*, Jinghong Li_*. Highly efficient AuPd/carbon nanotube nanocatalysts for the electro-Fenton process, Chemistry–A European Journal, 2015, 21, 7611-7620.

18.Meng Sun, Gong Zhang, Huijuan Liu, Yang Liu, Jinghong Li_*. α- and γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticle/nitrogen doped carbon nanotube catalysts for high-performance oxygen reduction reaction, Science China Materials, 2015, 58, 683-692.

19.Meng Sun, Huijuan Liu, Yang Liu, Jiuhui Qu_*, Jinghong Li_*. Graphene-based transition metal oxide nanocomposites for the oxygen reduction reaction, Nanoscale, 2015, 7, 1250-1269. (Highly cited)

20.Meng Sun, Fayuan Chen, Jiuhui Qu, Huijuan Liu, Ruiping Liu_*. Optimization and control of electro-Fenton process by pH inflection points: a case of treating acrylic fiber manufacturing wastewater, Chemical Engineering Journal, 2015, 269, 399-407.

21.Meng Sun, Youzhen Dong, Gong Zhang, Jiuhui Qu_*, Jinghong Li_*. a-Fe²O³ spherical nanocrystals supported on CNTs as efficient non-noble electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2014, 2, 13635-13640.

Book Chapters

1.Xinyu Cheng#, Meng Sun_#, Haiming Xie_*, Jinghong Li_*. (2018). “Chapter 9. Transition Metal Dichalcogenides in Energy Applications.” 2D Materials: Characterization, Production, and Applications, Edited by Craig E. Banks and Dale A. C. Brownson. CRC Press.

2.Meng Sun. (2022). “Chapter 9. Nanocatalyst-Enabled Persulfate Activation for Water Decontamination and Purification.” Emerging Nanotechnologies for Water Treatment, Edited by Liu Y. B., Wang C. W., and Liu W. RSC Press.