Basic Introduction:

Dr. Bei Liu, Associate Research Professor, obtained her Ph.D. from Beijing Normal University in 2017. Her research focuses on the environmental interfacial chemistry and studies interfacial processes affecting the behavior of nanomaterials and organic molecules in terrestrial and aquatic environments. During her doctoral studies, she was awarded the National Scholarship for Doctoral Students. She has conducted academic exchanges and visits at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States and the University of Zurich in Switzerland. To date, she has published over 20 papers as the first or corresponding author in renowned environmental journals such as Environmental Science & Technology, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, and Chemical Engineering Journal. She has independently led projects funded by the Postdoctoral Science Foundation and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) for young scholars, and has also participated in several general projects of the NSFC and key projects in Shenzhen.   

Professional Experience:

Research Associate Professor, Southern University of Science and Technology  2024.06-Now

Research Assistant Professor, Southern University of Science and Technology  2021.10-2024.06

Postdoctoral Researcher, Southern University of Science and Technology 2020.01-2021.10

Lecturer, Shannxi University of Science and Technology  2018.12-2019.10

Visiting Scholar, University of Zurich 2018.03 – 2018.11

Education:

Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering 2011.09 – 2017.06

School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, China

Co-educated Ph.D. student in Prof. Joel A. Pedersen group 2015.09 – 2016.09

Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin- Madison, USA

BSc. in Environmental Engineering 2007.09 – 2011.07

School of Environmental Science and Technology, Chang’an University, China

Synergistic Activities:

1. Reviewer of Journal of Hazardous Materials, Journal of colloid and Interface Science Environmental Science and Pollution Research, etc.

Awards and Honors:

National Scholarship for Ph.D. Students, China 2015.12

National Scholarship for Ph.D. Students, China 2014.12

“Yu Tu” Scholarship of School of Environment, Beijing Normal University 2014.03

Selected funded projects:

1. “Transport mechanisms of two typical ionizable/non-ionizable organic pollutants in soil-plant system”（2020.01–2022.12，Youth Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China，Project leader）

2. “Role of Natural Organic Matter on the Remobilization of 2D MoS2 Nanomaterials and the Interaction Mechanisms”（2020.09–2021.09，The 68th General Project of China Postdoctoral Foundation，project leader）

3. Shenzhen Natural Science Foundation Key Project, 202208183000308, (2023.01–2026.12, Major Participant)

4. “phase- and structure-mediated heavy metal removal by two-dimensional MoS2 nanosheets and mechanism study”（2021.01–2024.12，General project of national Natural Science Foundation of China，Major Participant）

Research Interests:

1. Environmental Behavior and Transformation of Nanomaterials: Interface processes of nanomaterials' environmental behavior, including chemical processes such as redox reactions in the environment and colloidal stability, as well as the transport processes and mechanisms of nanomaterials in the soil-plant system.

2. Geochemical Cycle of Rare Earth Element Ce: The valence state and morphological transformation of Ce in geochemical processes, including the interaction mechanisms between cerium oxide and organic ligands, as well as earth minerals, and the redox processes and phase transitions of cerium oxide.

Published Works:

First author

1. Bei Liu, Zixin Han, Yu Pan, Xun Liu, Meng Zhang, Aling Wan, Zhongying Wang*, Synergistic Effects of Organic Ligands and Visible Light on the Reductive Dissolution of CeO₂ Nanoparticles: Mechanisms and Implications for the Transformation in Plant Surroundings. Environmental Science and Technology, 57 (2023) 11999–12009.

2. Bei Liu, Zixin Han, Qi Han, Yufei Shu, Li Li, Beizhao Chen, Zhongying Wang*, Joel A. Pedersen*, Redispersion Behavior of 2D MoS₂ Nanosheets: Unique Dependence on the Intervention Timing of Natural Organic Matter, Environmental Science and Technology 57 (2023) 939-950.

3. Bei Liu, Qi Han, Li Li, Sunxiang Zheng, Yufei Shu, Joel Pedersen, Zhongying Wang*, Synergistic effect of metal cations and visible light on 2D MoS₂ nanosheet aggregation. Environmental Science and Technology, 55 (2021), 16379–16389.

4. Bei Liu, Jingyan Zhang, Qi Han, Yufei Shu, Li Wang, Hui Li, Lei Li*, Zhongying Wang*, Redispersion Mechanisms of 2D Nanosheets: Combined Role of Intersheet Contact and Surface Chemistry. Nanoscale 15 (2023) 2965-3568.

5. Bei Liu, Zixin Han, Qi Han, Yufei Shu, Mengxia Wang, Li Wang, Zhongying Wang*, Joel A. Pedersen, Correlating of Phase Composition and Geometric Structure to the Colloidal Stability of 2D MoS₂ Nanomaterials, Environmental Science: Nano, 9 (2022) 1605-1616.

6. Bei Liu, Yanxia Li*, Shiying Gao, Xingcai Chen, Copper exposure to soil under single and repeated application: Selection for the microbial community tolerance and effects on the dissipation of antibiotics, Journal of Hazardous Materials, 325 (2017) 129–135.

7. Bei Liu, Yanxia Li*, Xuelian Zhang, Chenghong Feng, Min Gao, Effects of composting process on the dissipation of extractable sulfonamides in swine manure. Bioresource Technology, 175 (2015) 284-290.

8. Bei Liu, Yanxia Li*, Xuelian Zhang, Jing Wang, Min Gao, Effects of chlortetracycline on soil microbial communities: Indicators of enzyme activities compared to functional diversity via Biolog EcoPlates^TM, European Journal of Soil Biology 68 (2015) 69-76.

9. Bei Liu, Yanxia Li*, Xuelian Zhang, Jing Wang, Min Gao, Combined effects of chlortetracycline and dissolved organic matter extracted from pig manure on the functional diversity of soil microbial community, Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 74 (2014) 148-155.

10. Bei Liu, Yanxia Li*, Xuelian Zhang, Jing Wang, Chaozi Liao, Effects of veterinary antibiotics on soil microbial community: a review. Asian journal of ecotoxicology, 8 (2013) 839-846 (in Chinese).

Corresponding author

11. Yufei Shu, Xun Liu, Meng Zhang, Bei Liu*, Zhongying Wang*, Deactivation of porphyrin metal-organic framework in advanced oxidation process: Photobleaching and underlying mechanism. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 346 (2024) 123746.

12. Wang, M.; Zhang, M.; Han, Q.; Shu, Y.; Liu, X.; Chen, B.; Chen, Y.; Liu, B.*; Wang, Z.* Effect of Natural Organic Matter (NOM) on the Removal Efficiency of Hg(Ii) by MoS₂: Dependence on the Hg/MoS₂ Ratio and NOM Properties. Environental Science: Nano, 11 (2024), 1129–1141.

13. Wang, M.; Han, Q.; Zhang, M.; Liu, X.; Liu, B.*; Wang, Z.* Efficient Remediation of Mercury-Contaminated Groundwater Using MoS₂ Nanosheets in an in Situ Reactive Zone. Journal of Contaminant Hydrololgy, 264 (2024), 104347

14. Pan, Y.; Liu, X.; Zhang, M.; Han, Q.; Shu, Y.; Wang, M.; Liu, B.*; Wang, Z.* The impact of redox annealing on intrinsic properties and fluoride adsorption performance of CeO₂ nanomaterials. Chemical Engineering Journal, 476 (2023), 146347.

15. Shu, Y.; Chen, Y.; Han, Q.; Liu, X.; Liu, B.*; Wang, Z.* Selective and Light-Enhanced Au(III) Recovery by a Porphyrin-Based Metal–Organic Framework: Performance and Underlying Mechanisms. ACS ES&T Engineering, 3 (2023) 1042–1052.

16. Chen, Y.; Wang, L.; Shu, Y.; Han, Q.; Chen, B.; Wang, M.; Liu, X.; Rehman, D.; Liu, B.*; Wang, Z.*; Lienhard, J. Selective Recovery of Gold from E‑Wastewater Using Poly‑m‑phenylenediamine Nanoparticles and Assembled Membranes. ACS Applied Engineering Materials, 1 (2023) 2127–2136.

17. Beizhao Chen, Xun Liu, Bei Liu*, Qi Han, Li Li, Li Wang, Yufei Shu, Linlin Zang, Wenlei Zhu, Zhongying Wang*, Joint role of light assistance and elevated crystallinity on the peroxymonosulfate activation by carbon nitride for nonradical degradation, Chemosphere 321 (2023) 138112.

18. Li Li, Qi Han, Li Wang, Bei Liu*, Kunkun Wang, Zhongying Wang*, Dual Roles of MoS₂ Nanosheets in Advanced Oxidation Processes: Activating Permonosulfate and Quenching Radicals. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2022, 440:135866. 

19. Kunkun Wang, Qi Han, Beizhao Chen, Bei Liu*, Zhongying Wang*, Electrochemical Exfoliation of MoS₂ Nanosheets with Ultrahigh Stability for Lead Adsorption, Journal of Water Process Engineering, 50 (2022), 103212.

Co-author

20. Yanxia Li*, Bei Liu, Xuelian Zhang, Min Gao, Jing Wang, Effects of Cu exposure on enzyme activities and selection for microbial tolerances during swine-manure composting, Journal of Hazardous Materials, 283 (2015) 512-518. 

21. Yanxia Li*, Bei Liu, Xuelian Zhang, Jing Wang, Shiying Gao, The distribution of veterinary antibiotics in the river system in a livestock-producing region and interactions between different phases, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 23 (2016) 16542-16551. 

22. Wang, Mengxia, Qi Han, Yufei Shu, Kunkun Wang, Li Wang, Bei Liu, Ines Zucker, and Zhongying Wang. 2022. “Matrix Effects on the Performance and Mechanism of Hg Removal from Groundwater by MoS₂ Nanosheets.” Environmental Science: Advances 1(1):59–69.

23. Wang, Zhongying, Qingsong Tu, Alison Sim, Julie Yu, Yanghua Duan, Sidney Poon, Bei Liu, Qi Han, Jeffrey J. Urban, David Sedlak, and Baoxia Mi. 2020. “Superselective Removal of Lead from Water by Two-Dimensional MoS₂ Nanosheets and Layer-Stacked Membranes.” Environmental Science & Technology 54(19):12602–11.