Nien-Hwa Linda Wang

Professor Wang's research interests are in chemical and biochemical separations. Current projects are focused on adsorption and chromatography processes, which are highly selective and versatile techniques capable of producing pure materials of uniform size, shape, composition, and surface properties. The goals of her research are to understand the kinetics and equilibrium of competitive adsorption at liquid-solid interfaces and to develop novel, economical large scale adsorption processes. Various theoretical analyses, computer simulations, and experimental studies are used to address these key issues. In collaboration with industry and national laboratories, her research group is developing novel large scale simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography processes for the recovery of nonbiodegradable chemicals from waste streams and a variety of biochemicals including sugars, antibiotics, anticancer drugs, amino acids, peptides, and proteins from biological sources. Analysis based on the concept of standing concentration waves has been developed to facilitate the design and optimization of multiple system and operating parameters in SMB systems for multicomponent fractionation. Computer simulations based on a detailed parallel pore and surface diffusion model have been developed to understand the transient wave propagation and its relation to port movement frequency and intra-column and extra-column mass transfer effects. A systematic SMB design and optimization method based on the standing wave analysis has been established. A versatile simulated moving bed pilot plant has been developed and tested for multi-component separation.

Read more about Dr. Wang's research.

"Continuous Recovery of Valine in a Model Mixture of Amino Acids and Salt from Corynebacterium Bacteria Fermentation Using a Simulated Moving Bed Chromatography," Park, C., H. G. Nam, S. H. Jo, N.-H. L. Wang, and S. Mun, J. of Chromatography A, 1435, 39-53 (2016).

"Method for Efficient Recovery of High-Purity Polycarbonates from Electronic Waste," Weeden, G. S. Jr., N. H. Soepriatna, and N.-H. L. Wang, Environmental Science and Technology, 49, 2425-2433(2015).

"Speedy Standing Wave Design of Size-Exclusion SMB: Solvent Consumption and Sorbent Productivity Related to Material Properties and Design Parameters," Weeden, G. and N.-H. L. Wang, J. of Chromatography A, 1418, 54-76 (2015).

"Size-Exclusion Simulated Moving Bed for Separating Organophosphorous Flame Retardants from a Polymer," Weeden, G. S. Jr., L. Ling, N. H. Soepriatna, and N.-H. L. Wang, J. of Chromatography A, 1422, 54-76 (2015).

"Ligand-Assisted Elution Chromatography for Separation of Lanthanides," Ling, L. and N.-H. L. Wang, J of Chromatography A, 1389, 28-38 (2015).

"Standing Wave Design and Optimization of Non-Linear Four-Zone Thermal SMB Systems," Soepriatna, N, N.-H. L. Wang, and P. C. Wankat, Doraiswami Ramkrishna Festschrift, IEC Research, 54, 10419-10433 (2015).

"Standing Wave Design of 2-Zone Thermal Simulated Moving Bed Concentrator (TSMBC)," Soepriatna, N, N.-H. L. Wang, and P. C. Wankat, IEC Research, 54,12646-12663 (2015).

"Simulated Moving Bed Separation of Agarose-hydrolyzate Components for Biofuel Production from Marine Biomass," Kim, P. H., H. G. Nam, C. Park, N.-H. L. Wang, Y. K Chang, S. Mun, J. of Chromatography A, 1406, 231-243 (2015).

"Standing Wave Design of a Four-zone Thermal SMB Fractionator and Concentrator (4-zone TSMB-FC) for Linear Systems," N. Soepriatna, N. H. L. Wang, and P. C. Wankat, Adsorption Journal, 20, 37-52, (2014)

"Effect of Alcohol Aggregation on the Retention Factors of Chiral Solutes with an Amylose-Based Sorbent: Modeling and Implications for the Adsorption Mechanism," H. W. Tsui, E. I. Franses, and N. H. L. Wang, Journal of Chromatography A, 1328, 52-65 (2014)

"A New General Method for Designing Affinity Chromatography Processes," L. Ling, L.-W. Kao, and N.-H.L. Wang, Journal of Chromatography A, 1355, 86-99 (2014)

"Capture Chromatography for Mo-99 Recovery from Unranyl Sulfate Solutions: Minimum-Column-Volume Design Method," L. Ling, P. L. Chung, A. Youker, D. C. Stepinski, G. F. Vandegrift, and N. H. L. Wang, Journal of Chromatography A, 1309, 1-14 (2013)

"Retention Models and Interaction Mechanisms of Acetone and Other Carbonyl-Containing Molecules with Amylose tris[(S)-α-methylbenzylcarbamate] Sorbent," H.W. Tsui, M.Y. Hwang, L. Ling, E.I. Franses, and N.-H.L. Wang, Journal of Chromatography A, 1279, 36-48 (2013)

"Chiral Recognition Mechanism of Acyloin-Containing Chiral Solutes by Amylose Tris[(S)-α-methylbenzylcarbamate]," H. W. Tsui, N. H. L. Wang, and E. I. Franses, Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 117(31), 9203–9216 (2013)

"Mechanistic Studies of Chiral Discrimination in Polysaccharide Phases," H.-W. Tsui, R. B. Kasat, E. I. Franses, and N.-H. L. Wang, A review chapter for the Advances in Chromatography Series, 50, 47-91, Eli Grushka and Nelu Grinberg, Editors; CRC Press, Taylor and Francis, Boca Raton, FL (2012)

"Simulated Moving Bed Technology for Biorefinery Applications, Separation and Purification Technologies in Biorefineries," C. Chin, and N.-H. L. Wang, book chapter in Separation and Purification Technologies in Biorefineries, edited by Shri Ramaswamy, and B. V. Ramarao, John Wiley& Sons, New York, 7: p. 167-202, (2012)