Muhammad Fahad Ehsan

Research Scientist,  PROTECT

Contact

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Office

  • 555 ISEC
  • 617-373-6036

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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.

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.
Research Publications

Students

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.

Faculty

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.

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