College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Forestry

Research Interests

My research focuses on advancing sustainable manufacturing and circular bioeconomy solutions by transforming lignocellulosic biomass (e.g., wood, forest residues, agricultural wastes) into multifunctional materials, platform chemicals, and renewable fuels. Integrating biomass chemistry, green chemical engineering, and materials science, my work encompasses lignocellulose fractionation and valorization, sustainable production of lignocellulosic nanomaterials, and roll-to-roll manufacturing of lignocellulosic films and fibers. I also develop flexible nanocomposites with tunable mechanical, electrical, and optical properties for applications in packaging, energy harvesting and storage, wearable sensing, and biomedical interfaces. By linking fundamental mechanistic understanding with industrially relevant processing, my research aims to accelerate the transition from petroleum-derived products toward renewable and high-performance bio-based alternatives.

Main Research Areas

• Lignocellulose fractionation and valorization
• Sustainable preparation of lignocellulosic nanomaterials
• Roll-to-roll manufacturing of bio-based films and fibers
• Advanced nanocomposites for energy harvesting, energy storage, sensing, and biomedical applications

Awards and Honors

• Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher (2024)
• World's Top 2% Scientist (2023–present)
• AIChE Young Investigator Award (2024)
• Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation Award (2022)

Selected Publications (# co-first author, * corresponding author)

1. H. Du, K. Liu, T. Xu, C. Xu, M. Lin, Z. Fang, S.W. Kim, J.Y. Seo, J. Chen, H. Ma, B.S. Hsiao, L.W. DeVetter, Z. Piao, C. Si, C. Chen, Q. Yang, S.Y. Lee, Y. Yao, X. Pan*. Lignocellulosic films: Preparation, properties, and applications. Chemical Reviews, 2025, 125. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrev.5c00267
2. A. Xie#, H. Du#, S. Mohapatra, K. Liu, J. Yang, J.H. Oh, M. Li, Y. Zhang, M. Gao, S. Gunasekaran, X. Pan*. Engineering robust, hierarchical, and biodegradable cellulose foams for smart packaging. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025, 523, 168461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.168461
3. Y. Zhou, Y. Zhang, Y. Nie, D. Sun, D. Wu, L. Ban, H. Zhang*, S. Yang, J. Chen, H. Du*, X. Pan*. Recent advances and perspectives in functional chitosan-based composites for environmental remediation, energy, and biomedical applications. Progress in Materials Science, 2025, 152, 101460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmatsci.2025.101460 (ESI Highly Cited Papers)
4. A.K. Saleh, M.H. El-Sayed, M.A. El-Sakhawy, S.A. Alshareef, N. Omer, M.A. Abdelaziz, R. Jame, H. Zheng, M. Gao, H. Du*. Cellulose-based conductive materials for bioelectronics. ChemSusChem, 2025, 18, e202401762. https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202401762 (Invited Review)
5. T. Xu, Q. Song, K. Liu, H. Liu, J. Pan, W. Liu, L. Dai, M. Zhang, Y. Wang, C. Si*, H. Du*, K. Zhang*. Nanocellulose-assisted construction of multifunctional MXene-based aerogels with engineering biomimetic texture for pressure sensor and compressible electrode. Nano-Micro Letters, 2023, 15, 98. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-023-01073-x (Cover, ESI Highly Cited Papers, ESI Hot Papers)
6. H. Liu, T. Xu, C. Cai, K. Liu, W. Liu, M. Zhang, H. Du*, C. Si*, K. Zhang*. Multifunctional superelastic, superhydrophilic, and ultralight nanocellulose-based composite carbon aerogels for compressive supercapacitor and strain sensor. Advanced Functional Materials, 2022, 32, 2113082. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202113082 (Cover, ESI Highly Cited Papers)
7. H. Du, M. Zhang, M. Parit, Z. Jiang, X. Zhang*, B. Li*, C. Si*. Conductive PEDOT: PSS/cellulose nanofibril paper electrodes for flexible supercapacitors with superior areal capacitance and cycling stability. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2022, 428, 131994. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2021.131994 (ESI Highly Cited Papers)
8. K. Liu#, H. Du#,* T. Zheng, W. Liu, M. Zhang, H. Liu, X. Zhang*, C. Si*. Lignin-containing cellulose nanomaterials: preparation and applications. Green Chemistry, 2021, 23, 9723-9746. https://doi.org/10.1039/D1GC02841C (Cover, ESI Highly Cited Papers, ESI Hot Papers)
9. T. Xu#, H. Du#, H. Liu, W. Liu, X. Zhang, C. Si*, P. Liu*, K. Zhang*. Advanced nanocellulose-based composites for flexible functional energy storage devices. Advanced Materials, 2021, 33, 2101368. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202101368 (Cover, ESI Highly Cited Papers, ESI Hot Papers)
10. H. Du, W. Liu, M. Zhang, C. Si*, X. Zhang*, B. Li*. Cellulose nanocrystals and cellulose nanofibrils based hydrogels for biomedical applications. Carbohydrate Polymers, 2019, 209, 130-144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.01.020 (ESI Highly Cited Papers, >1,000 citations)

Google Scholar