Tang Chuyang

Qualifications

• PhD (2007), Environmental Engineering & Science, Stanford University, U.S.A.
• M.Eng. (2002) & B.Eng. First Class Honors (2000), Civil Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Positions Held

• CDE Chair Professor (current), Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore
• Chair Professor (2023-2025), Professor (2018-2023) & Associate Professor (2013-2018), Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong
• Professor of Chemical Engineering (2018-2019), School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney [part-time]
• Professor of Environmental Engineering (2018-2019), School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wale,s Sydney [part-time]
• Associate Professor (2012-2013) & Assistant Professor (2006-2012), School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University

Selected Honours & Awards

• Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher since 2021 (Cross-field for 2021, 2022, 2023, & 2024; Environment & Ecology for 2025)
• Outstanding Researcher Award, The University of Hong Kong, 2023
• Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) Senior Research Fellowship Award, 2021-2025
• Environmental Science & Technology Letters Best Paper Award, 2022
• ACS ES&T Engineering Best Paper Award, 2022
• Global Chair (distinguished international visiting professor), University of Bath, 2022
• Water Reuse & Conservation Award for Outstanding Professional, the International Desalination Association, 2021
• Inaugural SPT® International Lectureship on Separation & Purification Technology, 2021
• CAPEES/Nanova Frontier Research Award, 2021
• Inaugural HKU Innovator Award, The University of Hong Kong, 2020
• HKIE Outstanding Paper Award, Hong Kong Institute of Engineers, 2020
• Desalters to Watch, Water Desalination Report, 2015
• EuroMembrane Society Best Paper Award, 2015
• Singapore Ministry for National Development R&D Award, 2013
• Finland Distinguished Professor Program Fellowship Award, 2010
• International Desalination Association Fellowship, 2010

Professional Memberships

• Fellow (2022 – present), Institution of Civil Engineers
• Fellow (2021 – present), Royal Society of Chemistry
• Lifetime Member (since 2021), Chinese-American Professors in Environmental Engineering and Science

Research Interests

• Membrane technology; environmental nanotechnology; water and wastewater treatment; water-energy nexus; pollution control; desalination; water reuse
• Separation and purification technology for various applications for food, biomedical, energy, and resource recovery

Selected Publications

1. Gan, B.; Hu, Y.; Liu, W.; Wang, Z.; Gan, Q.; Yang, Z.; Xiao, Q.; Sun, P.-F.; Peng, L. E.; Tang, C. Y., Fractal-inspired ultrapermeable membranes for electricity-free portable nanofiltration. Nature Water 2026, 4, 68–77.
2. Zhao, Y.; Qiu, Y.; Xia, L.; Zhang, X.; Zheng, S.; Lu, G.; Shang, J.; Dewil, R.; Darling, S. B.; Van der Bruggen, B.; Tang, C., Lithium-ion battery recycling through an integrated electro-membrane crystallization technology. Nature Communications 2026, 17, (1), 955.
3. Hu, A.; Wei, X.; Liu, Y.; Zhang, K.; Wang, X.; Zhai, C.; Duan, L.; Lu, D.; Van der Bruggen, B.; Xia, S.; Tang, C. Y., Optimizing ternary preparation parameters of thin-film nanocomposite membranes for tailored selectivity via interpretable machine learning. Environmental Science & Technology 2026 (in press).
4. Gan, Q.; Liu, W.; Xiao, Q.; Yang, Z.; Guo, H.; Elimelech, M.; Tang, C. Y., Plasmonic nanoheating for versatile water purification membranes. Nature Sustainability 2025, 8, (10), 1190-1198.
5. Zhou, S.; Peng, L. E.; Liu, W.; Guo, H.; Tang, C. Y., Thermal-intensified interfacial polymerization enables ultra-selective reverse osmosis membrane for toxic micropollutant removal. Nature Communications 2025, 16, (1), 9004.
6. Guo, Y.; Zhou, Q.; Wang, L.; Deng, Z.; Phillips, D. L.; Tang, C. Y.; Zhu, Y., Enhanced hydrogen peroxide photosynthesis via charge-complementary π-electron sites. Nature Communications 2025, 16, 6297.
7. Long, L.; Wu, C.; Shao, S.; Yang, Z.; Sarkar, P.; Tang, C. Y., Assessment of permeance and selectivity of thin-film composite polyamide membranes for diverse applications. Nature Water 2025, 3, (6), 668-682.
8. Hu, Y.; Sarkar, P.; Peng, L. E.; Wang, F.; Yang, Z.; Tang, C. Y., Design Ultrathin Polyamide Membranes against Funnel Effect: A Novel Zone-of-Influence-Based Approach. Environmental Science & Technology 2025, 59, (21), 10600-10607.
9. Gan, Q.; Hu, Y.; Wu, C.; Yang, Z.; Peng, L. E.; Tang, C. Y., Nanofoamed polyamide membranes: mechanisms, developments, and environmental implications. Environmental Science & Technology 2024, 58, (47), 20812-20829.
10. Zhang, L.; Li, R.; Zheng, S.; Zhu, H.; Cao, M.; Li, M.; Hu, Y.; Long, L.; Feng, H.; Tang, C. Y., Hydrogel-embedded vertically aligned metal-organic framework nanosheet membrane for efficient water harvesting. Nature Communications 2024, 15, 9738.
11. Xiao, Q.; Li, W.; Xie, S.; Wang, L.; Tang, C. Y., Ultrafast complete dechlorination enabled by ferrous oxide/graphene oxide catalytic membranes via nanoconfinement advanced reduction. Nature Communications 2024, 15, 9607.
12. Xiao, Q.; Yang, Z.; Li, W.; Wei, B.; Guo, H.; Yu, S.; Gan, Q.; Liu, W.; Tang, C. Y., Iron nanoparticles-confined graphene oxide membranes coupled with sulfite-based advanced reduction processes for highly efficient and stable removal of bromate. Environmental Science & Technology 2024, 58, (40), 18009-18019.
13. Gan, B.; Peng, L. E.; Liu, W.; Zhang, L.; Wang, L. A.; Long, L.; Guo, H.; Song, X.; Yang, Z.; Tang, C. Y., Ultra-permeable silk-based polymeric membranes for vacuum-driven nanofiltration. Nature Communications 2024, 15, 8656.
14. Yang, Z.; Wu, C.; Tang, C. Y., Making waves: Why do we need ultra-permeable nanofiltration membranes for water treatment? Water Research X 2023, 19, 100172.
15. Gan, Q.; Wu, C.; Long, L.; Peng, L.E.,, Yang, Z.; Guo, H.; Tang, C. Y., Does surface roughness necessarily increase fouling propensity of polyamide reverse osmosis membranes by humic acid? Environmental Science & Technology 2023, 57, (6), 2548-2556.
16. Long, L.; Wu, C.; Yang, Z.; Tang, C.Y., Carbon nanotube interlayer enhances water permeance and antifouling performance of nanofiltration membranes: mechanisms and experimental Evidence. Environmental Science & Technology 2022, 56, (4), 2656-2664.
17. Liu, J.; Huang, T.; Ji, R.; Wang, Z.; Tang, C.Y.; Leckie, J. O., Stochastic collision–attachment-based Monte Carlo simulation of colloidal fouling: transition from foulant–clean-membrane interaction to foulant–fouled-membrane interaction. Environmental Science & Technology 2020, 54, (19), 12703-12712.
18. Yang, Z.; Wang, F.; Guo, H.; Peng, L. E.; Ma, X.-h.; Song, X.-x.; Wang, Z.; Tang, C.Y., Mechanistic insights into the role of polydopamine interlayer toward improved separation performance of polyamide nanofiltration membranes. Environmental Science & Technology 2020, 54, (18), 11611-11621. 

There are more than 450 SCI papers, citation >55,000, h-index 130 (Google Scholar)
Full list of papers available at: https://scholar.google.com.hk/citations?user=k9IKysUAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

 

Invited/Keynote/Plenary Speeches

• More than 100 Invited/Keynote/Plenary Speeches.

Patents/Commercialisation

• 26 patents; Professor Tang’s patent on aquaporin-based biomimetic membranes, widely recognized in the desalination field, resulted in the spin-off company Aquaporins Asia (Singapore) and the successful commercialisation of Aquaporin Inside Membranes (AIMs®).

Editorial Board Membership

• Co-editor (2022-2025) of Desalination, Elsevier;
• Editorial Advisory Board Member (2018-present), Environmental Science and Technology Letters, American Chemical Society;
• Editorial Board Member (2018-present), Journal of Membrane Science, Elsevier.