Teacher

Professor

Division director

xuchao@tsinghua.edu.cn

+86-10-80194039

Education

PhD, Peking University, Applied Chemistry, 2009

BSc, Peking University, Applied Chemistry, 2004

Work Experience

06/2023 – present, Professor, Division of Nuclear Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, INET, Tsinghua University

12/2014 – 06/2023, Associate Professor, Division of Nuclear Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, INET, Tsinghua University

10/2011 – 09/2013, Visiting Scientist/Postdoc Researcher, Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

08/2009 – 11/2014, Research Assistant Professor, Division of Nuclear Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, INET, Tsinghua University

Social Service

Teaching

Solvent Extraction Chemistry and Technology

Journal Reviewer

More than 20 international journals including Nat. Commun., JACS, Inorg. Chem., etc.

Service to Professional Associations

Vice President, Division of Nuclear Chemistry and Radiochemistry, Chinese Chemical Society, 2024-present

Vice President, Nuclear Chemistry and Radiochemistry Committee, Chinese Nuclear Society, 2024-present

Areas of Research Interests/ Research Projects

Prof. Xu’s research interests mainly focus on nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry, including actinide chemistry, radiochemical separation, and environmental radiochemistry.

Actinide Chemistry

Coordination chemistry and redox chemistry of actinides, especially those transuranic elements such as Np, Pu, Am, with emphasis on oxidation state control, speciation identification and thermodynamic exploration.

Radiochemical Separation

Developing techniques for radioactive nuclides separation based on solvent extraction and ion exchange. Developing processes for High Level Liquid Waste partitioning.

Environmental Radiochemistry

Understanding the speciation and migration behavior of radionuclides in aquatic environment.

Research Status

Recent research projects include:

202401 – 202812 Actinide radiochemistry, National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars

202010 – 202312 Chemical behavior and separation mechanism of transuranic elements in nuclear waste management, Natural Science Foundation of Beijing Municipal for Distinguished Young Scholars

201901 – 202112 Environmental chemistry of actinides, National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars

Honors and Awards

Excellent Worker, INET, Tsinghua University, 2021

Young Chemist for “Am”, International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements, Chinese Chemical Society, 2019

Excellent Graduate, Peking University, 2004 and 2009

Selected Academic Achievement

1.Xue Dong, Huaixin Hao, Jing Chen, Zhipeng Wang*, Chao Xu*. Redox stabilization of Am(V) in a biphasic extraction system boosts americium/lanthanides separation efficiency. Chemical Science, 2024, 15, 2118-2122.

2.Hailong Zhang, Ao Li, Kai Li, Zhipeng Wang, Xiaocheng Xu, Yaxing Wang*, Matthew V. Sheridan, Hanshi Hu, Chao Xu*, Evgeny V. Alekseev, Zhenyi Zhang, Pu Yan, Kecheng Cao, Zhifang Chai, Thomas E. Albrecht-Schönzarts*, Shuao Wang*. Ultrafiltration Separation of Am(VI)-Polyoxometalate from Lanthanides. Nature, 2023, 616: 482-487.

3.Zhipeng Wang, Liqin Huang, Xue Dong, Tong Wu, Qi Qing, Jing Chen, Yuexiang Lu*, Chao Xu*. Ion Sieving in Graphene Oxide Membrane Enables Efficient Actinides/Lanthanides Separation. Nature Communications, 2023, 14: 261.

4.Zhipeng Wang, Xue Dong, Qiang Yan, Jing Chen, Chao Xu*. Separation of Americium from Curium through Oxidation State Control with Record Efficiency. Analytical Chemistry, 2022, 94(22): 7743-7746.

5.Zhipeng Wang, Jun-Bo Lu, Xue Dong, Qiang Yan, Xiaogui Feng, Han-Shi Hu, Shuao Wang, Jing Chen, Jun Li*, Chao Xu*. Ultra-Efficient Americium/Lanthanide Separation through Oxidation State Control. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2022, 144(14): 6383-6389.