Dr Qun Cao

Qun completed his PhD research at Queen's University Belfast (QUB) from 2011 to 2016, under the supervision of Dr. Mark Muldoon. Following that, Qun was supported with the Dean of Engineering Prize and joined Dr. Victor Sans' group at the University of Nottingham from 2016 to 2017. Later, Qun moved to Cardiff University, where he worked with Dr. Duncan Browne from 2017 to 2018, and then with Prof. Stuart James (QUB) from 2018 to 2019. Subsequently, he held a Research Fellow position at both Queen's University Belfast and the University of Bath from 2019 to 2022, under the guidance of Dr. Ulrich Hintermair and Dr. Mark Muldoon. In late 2022, Qun started his independent research career as a Lecturer in Chemistry at the University of Leicester (UK). Within School of Chemistry, he is currently Academic Conduct Officer.

Qun’s research lies at the interface of sustainable materials chemistry and heterogeneous catalysis, focusing on the development of innovative, efficient, and recyclable catalytic systems that enable a circular, low-carbon economy across diverse sectors, including energy, fine chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. To date, he has published 27 peer-reviewed articles in leading international journals, covering nanomaterial-based heterogeneous and molecular catalysis, sustainable functional material manufacturing, electrocatalysis and photocatalysis, and reaction engineering, with his work accumulating over 2,400 citations (Google Scholar).

Qun’s research focuses on the design and application of functional nanomaterials for sustainable chemical synthesis, bridging materials chemistry and catalytic reaction engineering to enable environmentally benign and energy-efficient processes. His work integrates green oxidation chemistry, electrocatalytic synthesis powered by renewable energy, and photocatalytic transformations to develop sustainable pathways for producing value-added chemicals and fuels. There are several projects currently running in our group which include:

• Nanomaterials for Sustainable Synthesis

• Sustainable Functional Material Manufacturing

• Green Catalytic Organic Synthesis

Overall, Qun’s research aims to establish nanomaterial-based catalytic platforms that enable circular, low-carbon, and sustainable manufacturing in the energy and fine chemical sectors.

Qun’s publications in the last 5 years:

     Nanomaterials for Sustainable Synthesis

• Synergistic Photocatalytic Synthesis of H₂O₂: Mechanistic Insights and Sustainable Applications, Z. Xu, W. Fang, F. Zhou, C. Jiang, J. Zheng, Y. Li, S Zhang, Z. Bao, Q Cao,* J. Wang,* AIChE Journal, 2025, 71, e18692  link

• High-Efficiency Synthesis of 2,5-Diformylfuran from 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural using Iron-Bismuth-Molybdenum Oxides, X. Xu, J. Shi, Q. Sun, Q. Cao,* Y. She, M. Li,* Z. Shen,* Molecular Catalysis, 2025, 570, 114681 link

• Efficient Electrocatalytic Alkyne Semi-Hydrogenation and Deuteration using Pd/PANI Catalysts Supported on Nickel Foam, G. Wang, Y. Li, W. Zhu, F. Shao, Q. Cao,* J. Wang,* Chemical Engineering Journal., 2024, 489, 151271  link

• Carbon and Oxygen-Doped Phosphorus Nitride (COPN) for Continuous Selective and Stable H₂O₂ Production, Z. Bao, Q. Cao,* Y. Shao, S. Zhang, X. Peng, Y. Li, C. Jiang, X. Zhong and J. Wang,* ACS Catalysis, 2023, 13, 14492  link

    Sustainable Functional Material Manufacturing

• Making 2‐D Materials Mechanochemically by Twin‐Screw Extrusion: Continuous Exfoliation of Graphite to Multi‐Layered Graphene, H. Chen, Q. Cao,* Z. Ye, B. Lai, Y. Zhang, H. Dong, D. E. Crawford, O. M. Istrate*, S. L. James,* Advanced Materials Technology, 2024, 9, 230178 link

• Decoupling Manufacturing from Application in Additive Manufactured Antimicrobial Materials, D. J. Wales, S. Miralles-Comins, I. Franco-Castillo, J. M. Cameron, Q. Cao, E. Karjalainen, J. A. Fernandes, G. N. Newton,* S. G. Mitchell,* V. Sans,* Biomaterial Science, 2021, 9, 5397  link

• Greener Dye Synthesis: Continuous, Solvent‐Free Synthesis of Commodity Perylene Diimides by Twin‐Screw Extrusion, Q. Cao, D. E. Crawford, C. Shi and S. L. James,* Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2020,59, 4478  link

     Green Catalytic Organic Synthesis

• Photoredox Iron-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Radical Cyclization for the Synthesis of Oxindoles and Chroman-4-ones, S. Han, L. Liu, J. Meng, M. Li,* Q. Cao,* Z. Shen,* The Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2025, 90, 7062  link

• Visible-Light-Driven Decarboxylative Coupling of 2H-Indazoles with α-Keto Acids without Photocatalysts and Oxidants, M. Niu, C. Yang, M. Leng, Q. Cao,* M. Li,* Z. Shen,* The Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2024, 89, 6159  link

• Water Co-Catalysis in Aerobic Olefin Epoxidation Mediated by Ruthenium Oxo Complexes, Q. Cao, M. Diefenbach, C. Maguire, V. Krewald,* M. J. Muldoon,* U. Hintermair,* Chemical Science, 2024, 15, 3104  link

• Visible-Light-Mediated Aerobic Ritter-Type C–H Amination of Diarylmethanes using DDQ/tert-Butyl Nitrite, T. Li, J. Yang, X. Yin, J. Shi, Q. Cao,* M. Hu, X. Xu, M. Li* and Z. Shen,* Organic Biomolecular Chemistry, 2022, 20, 8756  link

Chemistry BSc and Chem degree Modules: General Chemistry (CH1200 DLI), Advanced Inorganic Chemistry (CH3202 DLI), Spectroscopic Structure Determination (CH3201 DLI), Metals in Synthesis (CH3205 DLI)

• 2025: The 7th Conference on Ionic Liquids and Green Processes
• 2024: The 10th UK Catalysis Conference
• 2023: The 2nd Newcastle Mechanochemistry Symposium (NMS-2)
• 2023: The 9th UK Catalysis Conference
• 2022: International Symposium on Activation of Dioxygen & Homogeneous Oxidation Catalysis
• 2022: The 8th UK Catalysis Conference
• 2022: The 7th UK Catalysis Conference
• 2020: UK Catalysis Hub 3rd Annual Reaction Monitoring Symposium
• 2020: RSC Inorganic Reaction Mechanisms Group (Virtual online symposium)
• 2015: Queen’s University Ionic Liquid Laboratories (QUILL) Meeting

PhD in Chemistry (Queen’s University Belfast)

FHEA in Education (University of Leicester)

B.Eng in Chemical Engineering and Technology (China University of Mining and Technology)