About me

I am a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at the University of Georgia, working with Prof. Qingguo Huang. My current research focuses on the electrochemical degradation and detection of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — emerging “forever chemicals” of growing environmental and public-health concern.

Before joining UGA, I earned my Ph.D. in Optical Engineering from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (2019–2023), where I worked on transition-metal compounds for supercapacitors and ultraviolet photodetectors. I also spent two years as a Project R&D Engineer at Shenzhen BAK Power Battery Co., Ltd., contributing to lithium-ion battery development.

Research Interests

• Pollutant degradation — electrochemical reduction and oxidation of PFAS
• Electrochemical sensors — MOF-based ultrasensitive detection of PFAS, machine-learning-assisted differentiation of PFAS species
• Electrocatalysis — cathode-material design for in-situ water treatment
• Photocatalysis — transition-metal compounds for hydrogen evolution and UV photodetection
• Energy storage materials — supercapacitors and Li-S / Li-ion batteries

Contact

Feel free to reach out via email at Xi.Zhu1@uga.edu for collaborations, discussions, or research opportunities.