Tong’s group tackles challenges in the interdisciplinary areas of sustainable materials, catalytic conversion, and intelligent systems. We target innovative technologies including self-assembly, catalysis, material design, and machine learning for producing chemicals, materials, and fuels from renewable resources for a beneficial circular economy.

Tong group’s core research spans three main research areas, including multi-function material design, nano-scale self assembly, AI-based smart sensor & control, and sustainable catalytic processes. We focus on the design of advanced materials with tailored functionalities. This includes the development of innovative materials for advanced water treatment and purification, and chemical sensors for food safety monitoring. We engineer the self-assembly of biomolecules and nanoscale building blocks to create new architectures. This area is critical for designing smart and controlled-release materials and developing novel methods like waste-treat-waste for environmental mitigation. We integrate artificial intelligence and machine learning with smart sensing technologies. This enables the control and optimization of complex systems, from biorefinery process control to accelerated catalyst design and the development of intelligent monitoring systems for quality and safety. We develop sustainable catalytic processes that transform renewable feedstocks into valuable chemicals and fuels with minimal environmental impact. This includes the design of efficient catalysts for biomass valorization to produce of bio-derived aromatic chemicals and aviation fuels.

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