Hua Zhao

A headshot of Department Head Hua Zhao from the waist up, smiling, and wearing a business casual top.
Head and Professor
he/him/his
[email protected]
612-624-3028
202 Kaufert Lab & 213 BioAgEng Building

2004 Folwell Ave
1390 Eckles Ave
St. Paul, MN 55106
United States

Dr. Zhao's Research Group
Education

Ph.D. - Chemical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology.
M.S. - Chemical Engineering, Tianjin University.
BS - Chemistry, Tianjin University.

Areas of Interest

Biocatalysis, biomass utilization, biofuel, biopolymer, coal liquefaction, ionic liquids

Research

Dr. Zhao's research projects primarily focus on biocatalysis (enzymes and DNA-based hybrid catalysts) for biomass utilization, carbon dioxide capture and conversion, coal liquefaction, and biopolymer and small molecule synthesis; examples include lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment for fuel ethanol, biodiesel preparation, brown coal treatment and liquefaction, polylactide/polylactone synthesis, and biosurfactant synthesis, etc. His group is interested in developing functionalized ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DES) for some of these applications.

Dr. Zhao's research group has been funded by NSF, NIH, ACS-PRF, and other funding agencies.

Select Publications

  • Hua Zhao*, Caden J. Martin, Nathaniel E. Larm, Gary A. Baker, and Tyler C. Trujillo, Molecular Catalysis, 515, 111882 (2021). “Enzyme Activation by Water-Mimicking Dual-Functionalized Ionic Liquids”.
  • Michael S. Franklin, Nathaniel E. Larm, Gary A. Baker, and Hua Zhao*, Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, 96, 3273-3281 (2021). “Functionalized Ionic Liquids for Lignite Dissolution and Treatment”.
  • Hua Zhao,* Glenn A. Harter, and Caden J. Martin, ACS Omega, 4, 15234-15239 (2019). “Water-like” Dual-Functionalized Ionic Liquids for Enzyme Activation.
  • Hua Zhao*, Lennox O. Afriyie, Nathaniel E. Larm, and Gary A. Baker, RSC Advances, 8, 36025-36033 (2018). “Glycol-Functionalized Ionic Liquids for High-Temperature Enzymatic Ring-Opening Polymerization”.
  • Hua Zhao*, Gary A. Baker, and Qi Zhang, Fuel, 189, 334–339 (2017). “Design Rules of Ionic Liquids Tasked for Highly Efficient Fuel Desulfurization by Mild Oxidative Extraction”.
  • Hua Zhao*, Gary A. Baker, Durgesh V. Wagle, Sudhir Ravula, and Qi Zhang, ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, 4, 4771–4780 (2016). “Tuning Task-Specific Ionic Liquids for the Extractive Desulfurization of Liquid Fuel”.
  • Hua Zhao* and Kai Shen, Biotechnology Progress, 32, 891–898 (2016). “G-Quadruplex DNA-Based Asymmetric Catalysis of Michael Addition: Effects of Sonication, Ligands, and Co-Solvents”.
  • S. Xia, G. A. Baker, H. Li, S. Ravula and Hua Zhao*, RSC Advances, 4, 10586-10596 (2014). “Aqueous Ionic Liquids and Deep Eutectic Solvents for Cellulosic Biomass Pretreatment and Saccharification”.
  • S. Tang, Hua Zhao*, Zhiyan Song and Olarongbe Olubajo, Bioresource Technology, 139, 107-112 (2013). “Glymes as benign co-solvents for CaO-catalyzed transesterification of soybean oil to biodiesel”.
  • Hua Zhao*, Cheng Zhang and Tanisha D. Crittle, Journal of Molecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic, 85–86, 243–247 (2013). “Choline-based deep eutectic solvents for enzymatic preparation of biodiesel from soybean oil”.
  • S. Tang, Gary A. Baker, S. Ravula, John E. Jones and Hua Zhao*, Green Chemistry, 14, 2922-2932 (2012). “Novel PEG-functionalized ionic liquids for cellulose dissolution and saccharification”.
  • Hua Zhao*, Gary A. Baker and Shaletha Holmes, Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, 9, 1908-1916 (2011). “New eutectic ionic liquids for lipase activation and enzymatic production of biodiesel”.
  • Hua Zhao*, Gary A. Baker, and Janet V. Cowins, Biotechnology Progress, 26, 127-133 (2010). “Fast enzymatic saccharification of switchgrass after pretreatment with ionic liquid”.
  • Hua Zhao*, Cecil L. Jones, and Janet V. Cowins, Green Chemistry, 11, 1128-1138 (2009). “Lipase dissolution and stabilization in ether-functionalized ionic liquids”.
  • Hua Zhao*, Gary A. Baker, Zhiyan Song, Olarongbe Olubajo, and Vernecia N. Person, Journal of Biotechnology, 139, 47-54 (2009). “Regenerating cellulose from ionic liquids for an accelerated enzymatic hydrolysis”.
  • Hua Zhao*, Gary A. Baker, Zhiyan Song, Olarongbe Olubajo, Tanisha Crittle, and Darkeysha Peters, Green Chemistry, 10, 696-705 (2008). Designing enzyme-compatible ionic liquids that can dissolve carbohydrates.

Honors and Awards

  • 2021, College Scholar Award, University of Northern Colorado (UNC)
  • 2021, Outstanding Achievement in Sponsored Programs Award, University of Northern Colorado
  • 2020, Excellence in Scholarship Award for 2019-2020 from UNC’s College of Natural and Health Sciences
  • 2014, Top Cited Articles Award for Journal of Molecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic (2013, 85–86, 243–247) from Elsevier
  • 2012, Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award from Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation
  • 2012, Most Cited Paper 2009-2011 Award for Journal of Biotechnology (2009, 139, 47) from Elsevier
  • 2009, Most Cited Paper 2006-2009 Award for Tetrahedron: Asymmetry (2006, 17, 377) from Elsevier