At the invitation of the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy, Professor Zhang Zhanying from the Queensland University of Technology in Australia will visit on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, and deliver an academic lecture. The schedule for the lecture is as follows:

Time: September 16, 2026, 9:30–11:30

Location: Conference Room 911, Biomass Energy Building

Lecture Title: Biorefining of Agricultural Biomass into Sustainable Functional Materials

Abstract: Agricultural biomass, such as sugarcane bagasse and rice husk, is an abundant, renewable, and low-cost bioresource for producing sustainable fuels and chemicals. However, the commercial viability of biomass valorization is currently limited by high production costs and the relatively low market value of many derived products. Biorefining of agricultural biomass into multiple value-added products, including high-value functional materials, offers a promising strategy to enhance the overall economic feasibility of such processes.

Professor Zhanying Zhang and his research group at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) have previously developed biomass pretreatment and biorefinery technologies for converting agricultural biomass into fermentable cellulosic sugars to produce biofuels and biochemicals. In recent years, the group has focused on the production of sustainable functional materials for high-value applications. In this presentation, Professor Zhang will highlight the research progress of his group in the development of (1) biomass-derived nanomaterials, including nanocellulose, lignin nanoparticles and silica nanoparticles for advanced composites, and the formation and application of Pickering emulsions, and (2) lignin-derived carbon materials for applications in supercapacitors and sodium-ion batteries.

Speaker Profile:

Professor Zhang Zhanying is currently a faculty member at the School of Mechanical, Medical, and Chemical Process Engineering at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Australia. He also serves as Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at QUT, where he is responsible for the faculty’s international collaboration initiatives.

Professor Zhang Zhanying and his biorefinery team have long been dedicated to the value-added utilization of agricultural biomass and food industry waste. His research areas encompass biomass pretreatment, the development of multi-product biorefinery processes, bio-based functional materials, and functional food ingredients, and he has achieved extensive and in-depth results. Professor Zhang Zhanying received funding from the Queensland “Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowship” in 2018 and the Australian Research Council “Mid-Career Industry Fellowship” in 2025. As of August 2026, Professor Zhang Zhanying has published a total of 146 journal articles, 12 conference papers, and 4 book chapters. Approximately 90% of his journal articles have been published in JCR Q1 journals (Top 25%), with a total of about 7,000 citations and a Google Scholar h-index of 46. Over the past five years, Professor Zhang Zhanying has led or co-led research and development projects totaling approximately 7 million Australian dollars. These projects primarily focus on the development and application of biomass-based nanomaterials and biodegradable materials (such as nanocellulose, nanosilica, and agricultural mulch), battery anode materials (such as hard carbon and silicon-carbon composites), and functional food ingredients (such as prebiotics and oil gels). Professor Zhang Zhanying maintains close collaboration with industry and has successfully transferred two scientific and technological achievements to companies.