Wenjie Tian

Dr Wenjie Tian

ARC Externally-Funded Research Fellow (B)

School of Chemical Engineering

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.


My research interest focuses on developing facile, green methods for synthesis of porous-carbon-based nanostructures and apply them as efficient adsorbents for CO2 capture, effective adsorbents as well as catalysts for persistent organic pollutant removal in wastewater and energy applications.

My research focuses on developing green, facile methods for synthesizing waste-derived nanostructured catalysts. These catalysts are applied as efficient adsorbents for CO₂ capture, as well as effective adsorbents and catalysts for the removal of persistent organic pollutants. Additionally, I am interested in utilizing these materials for plastic conversion and energy applications.

  1. Australia Research Council - Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (ARC-DECRA): Conversion of biowastes to porous carbon materials for green catalysis, 2022 - 2024, AUD 424,500.00

  2. Australia Research Council - Discovery Project (DP23): Integrated nonmetal-metal single-atom catalysis for selective synthesis, 2023 - 2025, AUD 530,953 (Second investigator)

  3. Future Making Fellow, UoA, 2025-2028

  4. CeNS Investment Fund, Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany, 2024, EUR 9,000 

  5. Adelaide Nottingham Alliance Seed Fund, 2024, AUD 8,000 (Lead investigator)

  6. University of Adelaide Research Small Equipment Support Scheme, 2022, AUD 8,588 (Lead investigator)

  7. The Australian Federation of University Women SA Inc. Trust Postdoctoral Grants 2021, AUD 5,000

  8. Medium Energy XAS (M22366), 2024/3, Grant value: AUD 65568 (Lead investigator)

  9. Soft X-ray Spectroscopy Beamline Award (M22471), 2024/3, Grant value: AUD 98,352

  10. X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy Beamline Award (M20496), 2023/3, Grant value: AUD 65568 (Lead investigator)

  11. Medium Energy XAS - 1 Beamline Award (M21881), 2024/2, Grant value: AUD 65,568.00 (Lead investigator) 

  12. X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy Beamline Award (21445), 2024/1, Grant Value: AUD 65,568.00 (Lead investigator)

  13. Soft X-ray Spectroscopy Beamline Award (21871), 2024/2, Grant Value: AUD 98,352.00 

  14. Soft X-ray Spectroscopy Beamline Award (18877), 2022/3, Grant value: AUD 163,920.00 (Lead investigator)

  15. Soft X-ray Spectroscopy Beamline Award (AS232/SXR/20106), 2023, Grant Value: AUD 98,352.00 (Lead investigator)  

Course coordinator for Fundamentals of Materials (MAT ENG 7110, 2024, Semester 1) at UoA

Teaching assistant for Fundamentals of Materials (CHEM ENG 7110, 2021, 2022, 2023) at UoA

Lecturer for Materials Engineering for Catalysis (CHEM ENG 7105, Semester 2, 2021, 2022, 2023) at UoA

Teaching assistant for Research Project GEN Class (4120 CHEM ENG 4054, 2021, 2022) at UoA

Teaching advisor for Research Methods and Project Management (ENG 3005, 2022) at UoA

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2025 Co-Supervisor Mechanistic Study and Application of Single-Atom Catalysts for Activating Persulfate to Remove Emerging Contaminants in Wastewater Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Qiming Zhang
    2024 Co-Supervisor Engineered nanomaterials for catalytic oxidation and transformation of (micro)plastic pollutants Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Xiao Lu
    2024 Co-Supervisor Application of layered materials in catalysis for water treatment Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Yang Jin
    2023 Principal Supervisor Development of Sustainable Catalytic Processes for Treatment of Emerging Micropollutants Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Shuhui Liu
    2023 Co-Supervisor Oxidation and Adsorption Processes on Water Treatment Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Yunpeng Wang
    2023 Principal Supervisor Catalyst Preparation from Biomass Feedstock for Degradation of Micropollutants in Water Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Selusiwe Ncube
    2023 Co-Supervisor Preparation of Functional Materials through Metal Salt-Assisted Biomass Conversion for Environmental Catalysis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Zhihao Tian
  • Consulting/Advisories

    Date Institution Department Organisation Type Country
    2023 - 2026 Australian Synchrotron X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) beamline Scientific research Australia
  • Position: ARC Externally-Funded Research Fellow (B)
  • Email: wenjie.tian@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Engineering North
  • Org Unit: Chemical Engineering

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