Muhammad Fahad Ehsan
Research Scientist,
PROTECT
Office
- 555 ISEC
- 617-373-6036
Research Focus
Environmental Health | Circular Economy | Sustainability | Biomass Utilization | Electrochemical Advanced Oxidation Processes (EAOPs) | Nanotechnology | Advanced Functional Materials | Water Treatment | Energy Storage | Solar Fuels | Artificial Photosynthesis | Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR)
About
Dr. Muhammad Fahad Ehsan is a Research Scientist and Part-Time Lecturer at Northeastern University with a Ph.D. in Physical/Materials Chemistry. His work focuses on sustainable materials development for environmental health, including water treatment, energy storage, and carbon management. With over a decade of experience in research, teaching, and mentoring, he has led interdisciplinary projects that integrate biomass valorization, electrochemical systems, and renewable energy technologies to address global sustainability challenges.
Education
| 2015 | Doctor of Science in Physical Chemistry, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing China Dissertation: Visible-Light Photocatalytic Reduction of CO2 into CH4 using ZnTe-Based Nanocatalysts Advisor: Prof. Tao He |
| 2011 | Master of Philosophy, Institute of Chemical Sciences
Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Punjab Pakistan Dissertation: Synthesis, Structural and Electrical Properties of Antimony doped Nickel Ferrites Nanomaterials Advisor: Prof. Muhammad Naeem Ashiq |
| 2008 | Bachelor of Science, Institute of Chemical Sciences
Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Punjab Pakistan |
Honors & Awards
| 2023 | Top 2% Scientists Worldwide, Stanford University Annual Assessment of Author Citations |
| 2017 | NRPU Research Project Award, Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan |
| 2014 | Excellent International Graduate Award, National Center for Nanoscience & Technology, China |
| 2014 | Excellent Student Award, National Center for Nanoscience & Technology, China |
| 2013 | Excellent Student Award, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China |
| 2013 | Partial Support Scholarship Award, Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan |
| 2008 | Bronze Medalist in BS Chemistry, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Pakistan |
Research Overview
Environmental Health | Circular Economy | Sustainability | Biomass Utilization | Electrochemical Advanced Oxidation Processes (EAOPs) | Nanotechnology | Advanced Functional Materials | Water Treatment | Energy Storage | Solar Fuels | Artificial Photosynthesis | Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR)
Dr. Ehsan’s research focuses on developing nature-inspired, biomass-derived materials for applications in water treatment, energy storage, and greenhouse gas mitigation. His research emphasizes circular economy principles, decentralized treatment technologies, and real-world environmental health solutions. As an Investigator in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Superfund Research Program (PROTECT), Dr. Ehsan designs self-sustained photoelectrochemical systems for in-situ generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) employing flow-through reactors, achieving simultaneous contaminant removal and water disinfection. His expertise spans materials synthesis, surface and physicochemical characterization, and contaminant analysis, with a strong record of mentoring graduate researchers and advancing community-focused environmental technologies.
Department Research Areas
Selected Publications
- Ehsan, M.F. and T. He, In situ synthesis of ZnO/ZnTe common cation heterostructure and its visible-light photocatalytic reduction of CO2 into CH4. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2015. 166-167: p. 345-352.
- Ehsan, M.F., et al., One-pot facile synthesis of the ZnO/ZnSe heterostructures for efficient photocatalytic degradation of azo dye. Applied Surface Science, 2018. 459: p. 194-200.
- Kim, J.-G., et al., In-situ hydrogen peroxide formation and persulfate activation over banana peel-derived biochar cathode for electrochemical water treatment in a flow reactor. Chemosphere, 2023. 331: p. 138849.
- Sarfraz, N., et al., Materials advancements in solid-state inorganic electrolytes for highly anticipated all solid Li-ion batteries.
Energy Storage Materials, 2024. 71: p. 103619. - Ansari, M.N., et al., Polarity reversal for enhanced in-situ electrochemical synthesis of H2O2 over banana-peel derived biochar cathode for water remediation. Electrochimica Acta, 2023. 453: p. 142351.
Feb 07, 2025
Spring 2025 PEAK Experiences Awardees for Undergrad Research
Several COE, COS, and Khoury students mentored by COE faculty are recipients of the Spring 2025 PEAK Experiences Awards from Northeastern’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.
Dec 07, 2023
2023 Stanford University Annual Assessment of Author Citations
The following COE professors are among the top scientists worldwide selected by Stanford University representing the top 2% of the most-cited scientists with single-year impact in various disciplines. The selection is based on the top 100,000 by c-score (with and without self-citations) or a percentile rank of 2% or above.