PNNL

Dr. Zheming Wang is currently the chief chemist and technical team lead for the geochemistry group under the Fundamental and Computational Science Directorate at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). His research interest focuses on molecular structure, chemical speciation and reaction dynamics at surface/interface and in concentrated electrolyte solutions that are important to advanced energy materials, environmental management and critical element extraction and separation.

With over 30 years of experience in optical and laser spectroscopy, Dr. Wang has been a key leader in the development and management of an array of advanced laser spectroscopy techniques at PNNL from cryogenic laser-induced time-resolved fluorescence spectrometry, sum frequency generation-vibrational spectroscopy, two-dimensional Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy, polarization-selective femtosecond pump-prove infrared spectroscopy, femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, to micro-FTIR and micro Raman spectrometries and high-pressure optical spectrometry and their applications in solving critical scientific and technological problems facing the nation. These capabilities allowed Dr. Wang to lead and participate in many important research programs within the US DOE BES and BER portfolios, other DOE applied science sectors as well as various PNNL lab-wide initiatives. Serving as a science point contact for the Environmental Spectroscopy Laboratory at the Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory (EMSL), Dr. Wang also supports the research projects of many external users from universities and other national laboratories. Over the years, he has been a highly valuable contributor to the training and education of dozens of junior scientists, postdoctoral fellows and interns from high school to PhD students.

Dr. Wang has published more than 190 peer-reviewed articles in high-impact publications such as Nature Materials, Nature Communications, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, and Journal of the American Chemical Society, among others. He has organized/co-organized symposia and sessions at multiple national and international conferences such as American Chemical Society annual meetings, American Geophysical Union meetings and the Third International Workshop on Advanced Techniques in Actinide Spectroscopy held at Richland, WA in 2016. Dr. Wang has also given invited talks at conferences and symposia around the world and at various university departmental seminars. Dr. Wang received his PhD degree in inorganic chemistry from Florida State University under the supervision of Professor G. R. Choppin. He joined Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in 1995 as a postdoctoral fellow and has since made a reputable career by advancing through the ranks of research scientist II, senior research scientist I, senior research scientist II, scientist V, and now chemist V and team lead.

• Chemical speciation of critical elements and radioactive contaminants in soils and sediments
• Interfacial molecular structure and chemical processes in complex chemical environment
• Ultrafast chemical dynamics in concentrated electrolyte solutions and solid-liquid interfaces

• Nonlinear ultrafast laser spectroscopy (second harmonic generation, sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy)
• Laser-induced time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy
• Optical spectroscopy
• Raman spectroscopy and microscopy
• IR/near-IR spectroscopy and microscopy
• Actinide chemistry
• Lanthanide chemistry
• Development and application of laser-induced flourescence spectroscopy and microscopy techniques in analysis of actinides
• Mechanistic studies on the microbial reduction of radionuclide contaminants and toxic metals, such as U, Tc, Mn, and Fe
• Bonding, structure, and reaction dynamics of organic acids at the mineral–water interface
• Development and application of an in situ laser fluorescence profiling system to investigate particle transport in porous media
• Spectroscopic characterization of radionuclides and heavy metal ions in high-level waste and contaminated soils and sediments
• Investigation of hydrocarbon diffusion, transport, and bioavailability in porous media

PhD in Chemistry, Florida State University

MS in Analytical Chemistry, Northwest Normal University

BS in Chemistry, Northwest Normal University

• Member of the American Chemical Society
• Member of the Americal Geophysical Union
• Member of the American Association of the Advancement of Science

2025

Jin, B., Chen, Y., Pyles, H. et al. Formation, chemical evolution and solidification of the dense liquid phase of calcium (bi)carbonate. Nat. Mater. 24, 125–132 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-024-02025-5.

Louie, C.; Adhikari, N.; Boamag M.; Clark, S. B.; Tuladhar, A.; Pearce, C. I.; Rosso, K. M.; Wang, Z. “Probing specific ion effects at air-aqueous dibutyl phosphate interfaces using vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopy”. J. Chem. Phys. (2025).

Peng Yang, Jacquelyn N. Bracco*, Gabriela Camacho Meneses, Ke Yuan, Joanne E. Stubbs, Mavis D. Boamah, Matthew Brahlek, Michel Sassi, Peter J. Eng, Matthew G. Boebinger, Albina Borisevich, Anna K. Wanhala, Zheming Wang, Kevin M. Rosso, Andrew G. Stack, and Juliane Weber*. "Carbonation of MgO Single Crystals: Implications for Direct Air Capture of CO2". Environmental Science & Technology, Articles ASAP (Energy and Climate). (2025). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c09713 

Narendra Adhikari; Piotr Zarzycki; Zheming Wang; Kevin M. Rosso. "pH-dependent reactivity of water at MgO(100) and MgO(111) surfaces". Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. (2025). ISSN: 1463-9076, ISSN: 1463-9084, DOI: 10.1039/d4cp04223a 

2024

Yatong Zhao, Ping Chen, Xiang Wang, Hanna Hlushko, Jay A. LaVerne, Lili Liu, Carolyn I. Pearce, Zheming Wang, Kevin M. Rosso, and Xin Zhang. “Effect of ⁶⁰Co[VS1]  Irradiation on Boehmite Dissolution in Caustic Solutions” Environmental Science & Technology 2024 58 (49), 21760-21769. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c07544.

Ping Chen, Eugene S. Ilton, Zheming Wang, Kevin M. Rosso, Xin Zhang. “Global rare earth element resources: A concise review”, Applied Geochemistry, Volume 175, 2024, 106158, ISSN 0883-2927, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2024.106158.

Yatong Zhao, Micah P. Prange, Meirong Zong, Yining Wang, Eric D. Walter, Ying Chen, Zihua Zhu, Mark H. Engelhard, Xiang Wang, Xiaodong Zhao, Carolyn I. Pearce, Aijun Miao, Zheming Wang, Kevin M. Rosso, and Xin Zhang. “Understanding Trace Iron and Chromium Incorporation During Gibbsite Crystallization and Effects on Mineral Dissolution.” Environmental Science & Technology 2024 58 (45), 20125-20136. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c04483.

Winnie Liu, Zheming Wang, Mark Bowden, Odeta Qafoku, Kevin M. Rosso. “Vivianite oxidation is not photocatalyzed” Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Volume 373, 2024, Pages 109-121, ISSN 0016-7037. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2024.03.031.

Robert G. Felsted, Trent R. Graham, Yatong Zhao, J. David Bazak, Emily T. Nienhuis, Peter J. Pauzauskie, Alan G. Joly, Carolyn I. Pearce, Zheming Wang, and Kevin M. Rosso. “Anionic Effects on Concentrated Aqueous Lithium Ion Dynamics”. The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 2024 15 (19), 5076-5087. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c00585.

Xiaodong Zhao, Tobias Rangel Guillen, Trent R. Graham, Ping Chen, Yatong Zhao, Sebastian T. Mergelsberg, Zihua Zhu, Zheming Wang, Kevin M. Rosso, Xiaofeng Guo, Xin Zhang. “Incorporation of rare earth elements Sc, Y and La into gibbsite”. Chemical Engineering Journal, Volume 485, 2024, 149809, ISSN 1385-8947. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2024.149809.

Mavis D. Boamah, Carolyn I. Pearce, Daria Boglaienko, Ping Chen, Zheming Wang, Xiaoyi Zhang, and Kevin M. Rosso. “Laser-Induced Photoreduction of Iron(III) Oxide Nanoparticles Enhanced by the Presence of Organic Chromophores”. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2024 128 (12), 5215-5227. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.4c00154.

Ping Chen, Yifeng Zhu, Rachael Bergman, Sichuang Xue, Yatong Zhao, Jay A. LaVerne, Xiaofeng Guo, Carolyn I. Pearce, Zheming Wang, Tianhu Chen, Kevin M. Rosso, and Xin Zhang. “Effects of Ionizing Radiation on the Thermodynamic Stability of Boehmite and Gibbsite”. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2024 128 (8), 3578-3587. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.3c08456.

Jianbin Zhou et al. “Facet-dependent dispersion and aggregation of aqueous hematite nanoparticles”. Sci. Adv.10,eadi7494(2024). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adi7494.

Xiaopeng Huang, Duo Song, Qian Zhao, Robert P. Young, Ying Chen, Eric D. Walter, Nabajit Lahiri, Sandra D. Taylor, Zheming Wang, Kirsten S. Hofmockel, Fernando Rosario-Ortiz, Gregory V. Lowry, and Kevin M. Rosso. “Photolysis of Dissolved Organic Matter over Hematite Nanoplatelets”. Environmental Science & Technology 2024 58 (6), 2798-2807. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c08752.

Yatong Zhao, Qing Guo, Sichuang Xue, Ping Chen, Qian Zhao, Lili Liu, Hanna Hlushko, Jay LaVerne, Carolyn I. Pearce, Aijun Miao, Zheming Wang, Kevin M. Rosso, and Xin Zhang. “Effect of Adsorbed Carboxylates on the Dissolution of Boehmite Nanoplates in Highly Alkaline Solutions”. Environmental Science & Technology 2024 58 (4), 2017-2026. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c06595.

2023

Hailin Zhang, Zheming Wang, Yatong Zhao, Wenwen Cui, Xin Zhang, Suyun Wang, Eric D. Walter, Michel J. Sassi, Carolyn I. Pearce, Sue B. Clark, Kevin M. Rosso. “Metal Ion (Cr3+, Eu3+, UO22+) Adsorption on Gibbsite Nanoplates”. Vol. 24, 896, Engineered Science, 2023, 24, 896. https://doi.org/10.30919/es896.

Davila-Hernandez, F.A., Jin, B., Pyles, H. et al. Directing polymorph specific calcium carbonate formation with de novo protein templates. Nat Commun 14, 8191 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43608-1.

Zaoyan Wan; Site Li; Ping Chen; Frank Yeung; Zimin Nie; Yangang Liang; Yilin Wang; Ruozhu Feng; Zheming Wang; Xin Zhang et al. “Unravel crystallization kinetics of V(V) electrolytes for all-vanadium redox flow battery by in situ Raman spectroscopy”. Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials, 2023-06. ISSN: 2522-0128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42114-023-00635-2.

2022

Mavis D. Boamah; Xiaopeng Huang; Alan Joly; Zheming Wang; Kevin M. Rosso. “Photocatalyzed electron exchange between organic chromophores and hematite nanoparticles and the role of solid-state charge transport”. Environmental Science: Nano, 2022, ISSN: 2051-8153. https://doi.org/10.1039/d2en00567k.

Duoqiang Pan, Xiaodong Zhao, Peng Wang, Ping Li, Yuhong Li, Wangsuo Wu, Zheming Wang, Qiaohui Fan. “Insights into sorption speciation of uranium on phlogopite: Evidence from TRLFS and DFT calculation”. Journal of Hazardous Materials, Vol. 427, 2022, 128164, ISSN 0304-3894, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.128164.

Hailin Zhang, Ping Li, Xin Zhang, Xing Chen, Wenke Liu, Ling Luo, Yunwu Han, Bingqiang Fan, Shili Zheng, Zheming Wang, Yi Zhang. “Removal of vanadium and chromium from vanadium wastewaters with amino-functionalized γ-AlOOH”. Hydrometallurgy, Vol. 210, 2022, 105841, ISSN 0304-386X. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2022.105841.

2021

Narendra M. Adhikari, Aashish Tuladhar, Zheming Wang, James J. De Yoreo, and Kevin M. Rosso. “No Hydrogen Bonding between Water and Hydrophilic Single Crystal MgO Surfaces?”, The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2021 125 (47), 26132-26138. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.1c06486.

Yining Wang, Duo Song, Yadong Zhou, Cuixia Cheng, Yanyan Zhang, Carolyn I. Pearce, Zheming Wang, Sue B. Clark, Junwu Zhu, Kevin M. Rosso, Zihua Zhu, and Xin Zhang. “Molecular Examination of Ion-Pair Competition in Alkaline Aluminate Solutions Using In Situ Liquid SIMS”. Analytical Chemistry 2021 93 (2), 1068-1075. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.0c04070.

Hailin Zhang, Xin Zhang, Trent R. Graham, Carolyn I. Pearce, Hanna Hlushko, Jay A. LaVerne, Lili Liu, Suyun Wang, Shili Zheng, Yi Zhang, Sue B. Clark, Ping Li, Zheming Wang, and Kevin M. Rosso. “Crystallization and Phase Transformations of Aluminum (Oxy)hydroxide Polymorphs in Caustic Aqueous Solution”. Inorganic Chemistry 2021 60 (13), 9820-9832. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c01111.

2020

Wenwen Cui, Xin Zhang, Carolyn I. Pearce, Mark H. Engelhard, Hailin Zhang, Yining Wang, Steve M. Heald, Shili Zheng, Yi Zhang, Sue B. Clark, Ping Li, Zheming Wang, and Kevin M. Rosso. “Effect of Cr(III) Adsorption on the Dissolution of Boehmite Nanoparticles in Caustic Solution.”. Environmental Science & Technology 2020 54 (10), 6375-6384. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b07881.

Eric D. Walter, Kaitlynn C. Schwarz, Shweta Anil Kumar, Ying Chen, Michel Sassi, Zheming Wang, and Kevin M. Rosso. “Evolution of Radicals from the Photolysis of High Ionic Strength Alkaline Nitrite Solutions.” The Journal of Physical Chemistry A 2020 124 (16), 3019-3025. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpca.9b11438.

Michel Sassi, Eric D. Walter, Odeta Qafoku, Kevin M. Rosso, and Zheming Wang. “Radiation-Induced Interfacial Hydroxyl Transformation on Boehmite and Gibbsite Basal Surfaces.” The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2020 124 (40), 22185-22191. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c06844.

Z. Liu,Z. Zhang,Z. Wang,B. Jin,D. Li,J. Tao,R. Tang,& J.J. De Yoreo, “Shape-preserving amorphous-to-crystalline transformation of CaCO3 revealed by in situ TEM”, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2020 117 (7) 3397-3404, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1914813117.

Michel Sassi, Zheming Wang, Eric D. Walter, Xin Zhang, Hailin Zhang, Xiaohong S. Li, Aashish Tuladhar, Mark Bowden, Hong-Fei Wang, Sue B. Clark, and Kevin M. Rosso. “Surface Hydration and Hydroxyl Configurations of Gibbsite and Boehmite Nanoplates.” The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2020 124 (9), 5275-5285. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c00659.

Zheming Wang, Eric D. Walter, Michel Sassi, Xin Zhang, Hailin Zhang, Xiaohong S. Li, Ying Chen, Wenwen Cui, Aashish Tuladhar, Zizwe Chase, Austin D. Winkelman, Hong-Fei Wang, Carolyn I. Pearce, Sue B. Clark, Kevin M. Rosso. “The role of surface hydroxyls on the radiolysis of gibbsite and boehmite nanoplatelets.” Journal of Hazardous Materials, Vol. 398, 2020, 122853, ISSN 0304-3894, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.122853.