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2023

  • 4/4/2023, a collaborative paper "Significant defluorination of polychlorofluorocarboxylic acids triggered by anaerobic microbial hydrolytic dechlorination" has been accepted for publication in Nature Water. 

  • 1/25/2023, a collaborative paper "Transformation of graphitic carbon nitride by reactive chlorine species: “weak” oxidants are the main players" is accepted for publication in Environmental Science & Technology. It was a blast to work with Prof. Dr. Danmeng Shuai and Dr. Mengqiao Li on this project. From our side, we used LC-HRMS  and applied both suspect and non-target screening to capture potential transformation products formed during the reaction. It is also my first time working on projects related to materials science, very enjoy the process of method development and data evaluation. 

  • ​1/9/2023, a collaborative paper "Synergistic Material-Microbe Interface toward Deeper Anaerobic Defluorination" has been submitted to ChemRxiv.  

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2022

2021

  • 10/29/2021, Passed the Ph.D. Defense! I have accepted an offer from Eawag and will join the Uchem big family as a postdoc scholar in 2022. 

  • 9/22/2021, a collaborative paper "Defluorination of Omega-Hydroperfluorocarboxylates (ω-HPFCAs): Distinct Reactivities from Perfluoro and Fluorotelomeric Carboxylates" is accepted for publication in Environmental Science & Technology. 

  • 9/17/2021, Yaochun has been selected as one winner of the 2020 Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad. 

  • 9/17/2021, Yaochun received two grants from the Graduate College of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Many thanks to U of I for the financial support.

  • 7/23/2021, Paper "Structure-Specific Aerobic Defluorination of Short-Chain Fluorinated Carboxylic Acids by Activated Sludge Communities" is accepted for publication in Environmental Science & Technology Letters. 

  • 6/5/2021, Yaochun has been selected as one winner of the 2021 CAPEES Founding President Best Paper Awards. (I really appreciate the CAPEES Award committee for the recognition of our research on microbial defluorination! Thank you to my advisor for her nomination. Thank you to all the co-authors of this paper, this honor belongs to all of you.)

  • 4/22/2021, a collaborative paper "Near-Quantitative Defluorination of Perfluorinated and Fluorotelomer Carboxylates and Sulfonates with Integrated Oxidation and Reduction" is accepted for publication in Environmental Science & Technology.

  • 3/1/2021, a collaborative paper "Biotransformation of lincomycin and fluoroquinolone antibiotics by the ammonia oxidizers AOA, AOB and comammox: A comparison of removal, pathways, and mechanisms" is accepted for publication in Water Research.

  • Hello 2021!

2020

  • ​10/17/2020, Paper " Microbial cleavage of C‒F bonds in two C6 per- and polyfluorinated compounds via reductive defluorination"  is accepted for publication in Environmental Science & Technology.

  • 4/21/2020, Paper "Enhanced Degradation of Perfluorocarboxylic Acids (PFCAs) by UV/Sulfite Treatment: Reaction Mechanisms and System Efficiencies at pH 12" is accepted for publication in Environmental Science & Technology Letters.

  • 1/12/2020, Paper"Degradation of Perfluoroalkyl Ether Carboxylic Acids with Hydrated Electrons: Structure–Reactivity Relationships and Environmental Implications" is accepted for publication in Environmental Science & Technology

2019

  • 8/27/2019, As a recipient of 2019 C. Ellen Gonter Environmental Chemistry Awards, Yaochun presented the biodefluorination paper at 258th ACS National Meeting, San Diego, CA. 

  • 7/24/2019, Moving with Prof. Men, I resumed my research at University of California, Riverside as a visiting project scientist. First at UIUC and then UCR, I helped build the lab two times, it is certainly good practice for me if I have the chance to establish my own lab in the future. 

  • ​7/11/2019, Paper "Specific micropollutant biotransformation pattern by the comammox bacterium Nitrospira inopinata" is accepted for publication in Environmental Science & Technology. 

  • 5/21/2019, Yaochun presented the sulfonamide paper at Emerging Contaminants in Environment Conference (ECEC) 2019, it's Yaochun's 3rd time presenting at ECEC (used to be ECAEC, A stand for aqueous )! 

  • 5/10/2019, Paper "Cometabolic biotransformation and microbial-mediated abiotic transformation of sulfonamides by three ammonia oxidizers"is accepted for publication in Water Research.

  • 4/27/2019, Yaochun finished his first Marathon in 4:36:09!

  • 4/23/2019, Yaochun passed the Ph.D. preliminary examination (proposal + oral presentation), officially became a Ph.D. candidate!

  • 4/2/2019, Yaochun presented "Distinctive capabilities of micropollutant biotransformation by comammox bacterium Nitrospira inopinata" at 257th ACS National Meeting, Orlando, FL.

  • 3/2/2019, Paper "Defluorination of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) with Hydrated Electrons: Structural Dependence and Implications to PFAS Remediation and Management" is accepted for publication in Environmental Science & Technology.

  • 2/28/2019, Yaochun has been selected as one recipient of the 2019 C. Ellen Gonter Environmental Chemistry Awards, which is the highest honor granted by ACS Division of Environmental Chemistry for students.

  • 2/4/2019, Yaochun has been selected as one winner of the 2019 Graduate Student Awards in ACS Division of Environmental Chemistry. 

2018

  • 7/17/2018, Paper "Occurrence and fate of emerging organic contaminants in wastewater treatment plants with an enhanced nitrification step" is accepted for publication in Environmental Science: Water Research and Technology. 

  • 7/13/2018, Paper "Ammonia monooxygenase-mediated cometabolic biotransformation and abiotic transformation of micropollutants in an AOB/NOB co-culture" is accepted for publication in Environmental Science & Technology. 

  • ​3/22/2018, Yaochun's oral presentation "Ammonia-monooxygenase-mediated cometabolic biotransformation and abiotic transformation of micropollutants" has been awarded "Certificate of Merit" at the 255th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA.

  • 1/19/2018, After almost a month of preparation, Yaochun passed the qualifying exam (3h core courses examination + 72h specialty written + 1d oral presentation), officially entered into the Ph.D. program, and became a Ph.D. student. 

2016-2017

  • 12/23/2017, Yaochun graduated with his master's degree from UIUC, officially became a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering in Civil Engineering. 

  • 5/16/2016, Yaochun joined Prof. Men's group as a master's student (MS+PhD program). 

  • 1/16/2016, Yaochun started his master's program in Environmental Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the journey began...

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