Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=4RfUfTMAAAAJ&hl=en
31. Tianchi Cao, Li Wang, Kevin E. Pataroque, Ruoyu Wang, Menachem Elimelech*. Relating solute–membrane electrostatic interactions to solute permeability in reverse osmosis membranes. Environmental Science & Technology, 2025, 55, 16665-16675.
30. Shengkai Xu, Meiling Zhu, Lihua Fan, Yao Yao, Tianchi Cao, Rong Ji, Thilo Hofmann, Tong Zhang*, Wei Chen*. Eco-corona formation enhances cotransport of nanoplastics and organic contaminants in porous media. Environmental Science & Technology, 2025, 59, 12978-12989.
29. Lin Duan, Zicui Gong, Yang Li, Tianchi Cao, Tong Zhang*, Wei Chen*. Modulating biochar compositions to maximize synergy between contaminant binding and transformation: the critical role of carbonates and implications for in situ groundwater remediation. Biochar, 2025, 7, 78.
28. Hongwei Liu, Yuxin Yuan, Tianchi Cao*, Tong Zhang, Wei Chen. Key environmental behaviors of tire wear particles and their influencing mechanisms. Progress in Chemistry, 2025, 37, 103-111.
27. Tianchi Cao, Mengting Zhao, Tong Zhang*, Wei Chen. Weathering pathways differentially affect colloidal stability of nanoplastics. Environmental Science: Nano, 2025, 12, 232-240.
26. Tianchi Cao#, Yaqi Liu#, Cheng Gao, Yuxin Yuan, Wei Chen, Tong Zhang*. Understanding nanoscale interactions between minerals and microbes: opportunities for green remediation of contaminated sites. Environmental Science & Technology, 2024, 58, 14078-14087. (# Contribute equally)
25. Masashi Kaneda#, Tianchi Cao#, Dengpan Dong, Xiaowei Zhang, Yinan Chen, Junwei Zhang, Vyacheslav S. Bryantsev*, Mingjiang Zhong*, Menachem Elimelech*. Inhibition of silica scaling with functional polymers: role of ionic strength, divalent ions, and temperature. Water Research, 2024, 258, 121705. (# Contribute equally)
24. Yujian Yao, Pingxia Zhang, Fei Sun, Wen Zhang, Meng Li, Gang Sha, Long Teng, Xianze Wang*, Mingxin Huo, Ryan M DuChanois, Tianchi Cao, Chanhee Boo, Xuan Zhang*, Menachem Elimelech*. More resilient polyester membranes for high-performance reverse osmosis desalination, Science, 2024, 384, 333.
23. Jiameng Liu, Tianchi Cao*, Lin Duan, Shengkai Xu, Min Li, Tong Zhang*, Wei Chen*. Co-transport of polybromodiphenyl ethers and soil nanoparticles in saturated porous media: implications for the risks of polybromodiphenyl ether spreading in groundwater. Environmental Science: Nano, 2024, 11, 2568-2576.
22. Zhenhai Liu, Qihong Yang, Panpan Zhu, Yaqi Liu, Xin Tong, Tianchi Cao, Mason B Tomson, Pedro JJ Alvarez, Tong Zhang*, Wei Chen. Cr (VI) reduction and sequestration by FeS nanoparticles formed in situ as aquifer material coating to create a regenerable reactive zone, Environmental Science & Technology, 2024, 58, 7186-7195.
21. Xuechen Zhou, Rahul Shevate, Dahong Huang, Tianchi Cao, Xin Shen, Shu Hu, Anil U Mane, Jeffrey W Elam, Jae-Hong Kim, Menachem Elimelech*. Ceramic thin-film composite membranes with tunable subnanometer pores for molecular sieving, Nature Communications, 2023, 14, 7255.
20. Luis Francisco Villalobos, Kevin E Pataroque, Weiyi Pan, Tianchi Cao, Masashi Kaneda, Camille Violet, Cody L Ritt, Eric MV Hoek, and Menachem Elimelech*. Orientation matters: measuring the correct surface of polyamide membranes with quartz crystal microbalance. Journal of Membrane Science Letters, 2023, 3, 100048.
19. Li Wang, Tianchi Cao, Kevin E Pataroque, Masashi Kaneda, P Maarten Biesheuvel, and Menachem Elimelech*. Significance of co-ion partitioning in salt transport through polyamide reverse osmosis membranes. Environmental Science & Technology, 2023, 57, 3930.
18. Tianchi Cao, Julianne Rolf, Zhangxin Wang, Camille Violet, and Menachem Elimelech*. Distinct impacts of natural organic matter and colloidal particles on gypsum crystallization. Water Research, 2022, 218, 118500.
17. Julianne Rolf#, Tianchi Cao#, Xiaochuan Huang, Chanhee Boo, Qilin Li*, Menachem Elimelech*. Inorganic scaling in membrane desalination: models, mechanisms, and characterization methods. Environmental Science & Technology, 2022, 56, 12, 7484. (# Contribute equally)
16. Li Wang, Tianchi Cao, Jouke E Dykstra, Slawomir Porada, PM Biesheuvel, Menachem Elimelech*. Salt and water transport in reverse osmosis membranes: beyond the solution-diffusion model. Environmental science & technology. 2021, 55, 24, 16665-16675.
15. Shuo Zhang, Shuo Tayler Hedtke, Li Wang, Xiaoxiong Wang, Tianchi Cao, Menachem Elimelech, Jae-Hong Kim*. Engineered nanoconfinement accelerating spontaneous manganese-catalyzed degradation of organic contaminants. Environmental Science & Technology, 2021, 55, 24, 16708–16715.
14. Tianchi Cao, Menachem Elimelech*. Colloidal stability of cellulose nanocrystals in aqueous solutions containing monovalent, divalent, and trivalent inorganic salts. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2021, 584, 456-463.
13. Tianchi Cao, Michal Borkovec, Gregor Trefalt*. Heteroaggregation and homoaggregation of latex particles in the presence of alkyl sulfate surfactants. Colloids and Interfaces, 2020, 4, 52-65.
12. Gregor Trefalt, Tianchi Cao, Takuya Sugimoto, Michal Borkovec*. Heteroaggregation between charged and neutral particles. Langmuir, 2020, 36, 5303-5311.
11. Tianchi Cao, Gregor Trefalt, Michal Borkovec*. Measuring slow heteroaggregation rates in the presence of fast homoaggregation. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2020, 566, 143-152.
10. Paul Rouster, Marko Pavlovic, Tianchi Cao, Bojana Katana, Istvan Szilagyi*. Stability of titania nanomaterials in the presence of ionic liquids of different alkyl chain lengths. Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2019, 20, 12966-12974.
9. Lu Wang, Stephanie Sadler, Tianchi Cao, Xiaojiang Xie, Eric Bakker*. Simplified fabrication for ion-selective optical emulsion sensor with hydrophobic solvatochromic dye as the transducer. Analytical Chemistry, 2019, 91, 14, 8973-8978.
8. Tianchi Cao, Gregor Trefalt, Michal Borkovec*. Aggregation of colloidal particles in the presence of hydrophobic anions: importance of attractive non-DLVO forces. Langmuir, 2018, 34, 14368-14377.
7. Takuya Sugimoto, Tianchi Cao, Istvan Szilagyi, Michal Borkovec, Gregor Trefalt*. Aggregation and charging of sulfate and amidine latex particles in the presence of oxyanions. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2018, 524, 456-464.
6. Lu Wang, Xiaojiang Xie, Tianchi Cao, Jérôme Bosset, Eric Bakker*. Surface doped polystyrene microsensors containing lipophilic solvatochromic dye transducers. Chemistry – A European Journal, 2018, 24, 1-6.
5. Tianchi Cao, Takuya Sugimoto, Istvan Szilagyi, Gregor Trefalt, Michal Borkovec*. Heteroaggregation of oppositely charged particles in the presence of multivalent ions. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2017,19, 15160-15171.
4. Tianchi Cao, Istvan Szilagyi, Tamas Oncsik, Michal Borkovec*, Gregor Trefalt*. Aggregation of colloidal particles in the presence of multivalent co-ions: the inverse Schulze-Hardy rule. Langmuir, 2015, 31, 6610-6614.
3. Tianchi Cao, Feng Yang, Guangming Chen*, Cun-yue Guo*. Effect of photofunctional organo anion-intercalated layered double hydroxide nanoparticles on poly(ethylene terephthalate) nonisothermal crystallization kinetics. Reactive and Functional Polymers, 2014, 83, 1-6.
2. Tianchi Cao, Kongli Xu, Guangming Chen*, Cun-yue Guo*. Poly(ethylene terephthalate) nanocomposites with a strong UV-shielding function using UV-absorber intercalated layered double hydroxides. RSC Advances, 2013, 3, 6282-6285.
1. Tianchi Cao, Guangming Chen*, Cun-yue Guo*. Poly(ethylene terephthalate)/layered double hydroxides nanocomposites. Chemical Journal of Chinese Universities, 2013, 34, 2239-2246.
The Cao Lab in Environmental Chemistry 