Kwan Research Group
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Publications

Publications, Patents,

and Funding

Publications

  1. Xia, Dong, Yi Qin, Yagya N. Regmi, Laurie A. King, and James Kwan. "Paradigmatic demonstration of sonochemical carbon dioxide reduction proceeded over Cu-based catalysts." Journal of CO2 Utilization 102 (2025): 103220.

  2. Zong, Zhiyuan, Yihao Huang, James Kwan, and Nicholas P. Hankins. "Standardized benchmarking of advanced oxidation processes for tetracycline degradation with life cycle assessment and economic evaluation." Chemical Engineering Journal (2025): 170664.

  3. Hou, Xuelan, Changsheng Chen, Lincan Fang, Jiasi Li, Yihao Huang, Ye Zhu, James Kwan, and Shik Chi Edman Tsang. "Catalytic Ammonia Decomposition Using Single High-Frequency Ultrasound." The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 129, no. 35 (2025): 15571-15577.

  4. Fischer, Ari F., Teseer Bahry, Zhangyue Xie, Roberto Batista da Silva Junior, Kaicheng Qian, Renhong Li, James Kwan et al. "The Roles of Hydroxyl Radicals and Superoxide in Oxidizing Aqueous Benzyl Alcohol Under Ultrasound Irradiation." ChemSusChem 18, no. 11 (2025): e202500097.

  5. Preso, Davide Bernardo, Ivan Smirnov, Mohamad Salimi, and James Kwan. "Broadening the sonochemistry horizon: hurdles and challenges to address in cavitation." Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering 48 (2025): 101128.

  6. Wong, Cherie CY, Davide Bernardo Preso, Yi Qin, Pankaj S. Sinhmar, Zhiyuan Zong, and James Kwan. "Ultrasound-driven seawater splitting catalysed by TiO2 for hydrogen production." International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 111 (2025): 723-734.

  7. Mahendran, Valarmathi, Quang Thang Trinh, Xie Zhangyue, Umesh Jonnalagadda, Tim Gould, Nam‐Trung Nguyen, James Kwan et al. "Localized Oxidative Catalytic Reactions Triggered by Cavitation Bubbles Confinement on Copper Oxide Microstructured Particles." Angewandte Chemie International Edition 64, no. 6 (2025): e202416543.

  8. Chen, Lina, Yi Qin, Claire T. Coulthard, Zoë R. Turner, Chunping Chen, James Kwan, and Dermot O’Hare. "Catalytic ultrasound-driven synthesis of syngas from CO 2 saturated water." Energy & Environmental Science 18, no. 11 (2025): 5389-5396.

  9. Xie, Zhangyue, Valarmathi Mahendran, Umesh S. Jonnalagadda, Qianwenhao Fan, Xiaoqian Su, Ari F. Fischer, Mingwu Tan et al. "Boosting energy efficiency and selectivity of glucose oxidation toward glucuronic acid in high-frequency ultrasound using multicavity CuO catalytic cavitation agents." Green Chemistry 27, no. 3 (2025): 573-585.

  10. Fischer, Ari F., Teseer Bahry, Zhangyue Xie, Kaicheng Qian, Renhong Li, James Kwan, François Jerome et al. "Harnessing ultrasound‐derived hydroxyl radicals for the selective oxidation of aldehyde functions." ChemSusChem 17, no. 24 (2024): e202400838.

  11. Mahendran, Valarmathi, Quang Thang Trinh, Xie Zhangyue, Umesh Jonnalagadda, Tim Gould, Nam‐Trung Nguyen, James Kwan et al. "Localized Oxidative Catalytic Reactions Triggered by Cavitation Bubbles Confinement on Copper Oxide Microstructured Particles." Angewandte Chemie International Edition 64, no. 6 (2025): e202416543.

  12. Hou, Xuelan, Yiyang Li, Hang Zhang, Peter D. Lund, James Kwan, and Shik Chi Edman Tsang. "Black titanium oxide: synthesis, modification, characterization, physiochemical properties, and emerging applications for energy conversion and storage, and environmental sustainability." Chemical Society Reviews (2024).

  13. Belami, Debora, Matthew Lindley, Umesh S. Jonnalagadda, Annie Mae Goncalves Bullock, Qianwenhao Fan, Wen Liu, Sarah J. Haigh, James Kwan, Yagya N. Regmi, and Laurie A. King. "Active and highly durable supported catalysts for proton exchange membrane electrolysers." EES catalysis 2, no. 5 (2024): 1139-1151.

  14. Zong, Z., Gilbert, E., Wong, C. C., Usadi, L., Qin, Y., Huang, Y., ... & Kwan, J. (2023). Efficient sonochemical catalytic degradation of tetracycline using TiO2 fractured nanoshells. Ultrasonics Sonochemistry, 106669.

  15. Wong, C. C., Raymond, J. L., Usadi, L. N., Zong, Z., Walton, S. C., Sedgwick, A. C., & Kwan, J. (2023). Enhancement of sonochemical production of hydroxyl radicals from pulsed cylindrically converging ultrasound waves. Ultrasonics Sonochemistry, 99, 106559.

  16. Wong, C. C., Sun, L. L., Liu, M. J., Stride, E., Raymond, J. L., Han, H. H., Kwan, J. & Sedgwick, A. C. (2023). Fluorescence-based chemical tools for monitoring ultrasound-induced hydroxyl radical production in aqueous solution and in cells. Chemical Communications, 59(29), 4328-4331.

  17. Jonnalagadda, U., Fan, Q., Su, X., Liu, W. and Kwan, J.J., Nanostructured Sonophotocatalysts for spatially controlled inertial cavitation towards energy‐efficient sonochemistry. ChemCatChem.

  18. Su, X., Jonnalagadda, U. S., Bharatula, L. D., & Kwan, J. J. (2021). Unsupported gold nanocones as sonocatalytic agents with enhanced catalytic properties. Ultrasonics sonochemistry, 79, 105753.

  19. Eng, Y.J., Xu, J., Sugiarto, S., Jonnalagadda, U.S., Ang, W., Lee, J.H.C., Kwan, J.J. and Nguyen, T.M., (2021). Initiator-Free Photohydrogelation of Linear Coumarin-Containing Poly (ethylene glycol) Methacrylates and Study of Ultrasound-Triggered Gel Breakdown. ACS Applied Polymer Materials, 3(8), pp.4264-4274.

  20. Su, X., Rakshit, M., Das, P., Gupta, I., Das, D., Pramanik, M., Ng, K. W., & Kwan, J. J. (2021). Ultrasonic Implantation and Imaging of Sound-Sensitive Theranostic Agents for the Treatment of Arterial Inflammation. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

  21. Gupta, I., Su, X., Jonnalagadda, U. S., Das, D., Pramanik, M., & Kwan, J. J. (2021). Investigating the Acoustic Response and Contrast Enhancement of Drug-Loadable PLGA Microparticles with Various Shapes and Morphologies. Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology.

  22. Jonnalagadda, U. S., Su, X., & Kwan, J. J. (2021). Nanostructured TiO2 cavitation agents for dual-modal sonophotocatalysis with pulsed ultrasound. Ultrasonics Sonochemistry, 105530.

  23. Grundy, M., Bau, L., Hill, C., Paverd, C., Mannaris, C., Kwan, J. J., Crake, C., Coviello, C., Coussios, C., & Carlisle, R. (2021). Improved therapeutic antibody delivery to xenograft tumors using cavitation nucleated by gas-entrapping nanoparticles. Future Medicine Nanomedicine

  24. Bharatula, L. D., Marsili, E., Rice, S. A., & Kwan, J. J. (2020). Influence of high intensity focused ultrasound on the microstructure and c-di-GMP signaling of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11, 3198.

  25. Su, X., Gupta, I., Jonnalagadda, U., & Kwan, J. (2020). Complementary Effects of Porosigen and Stabiliser on the Structure of Hollow Porous Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) Microparticles. ACS Applied Polymer Materials.

  26. U.S. Jonnalagadda; T.M. Nguyen; F. Li; J.H.C. Lee; X. Liu; A. Goto; J.J. Kwan,”Sol–Gel Transitions of Comb‐Like Polymethacrylate Copolymers by Mechano‐Thermal Stimuli in Water”, Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics, 2020, 2000088. https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.202000088

  27. L.D. Bharatula; E. Marsili; J.J. Kwan, “Impedimetric detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa attachment on flexible ITO-coated polyethylene terephthalate substrates”, Electrochimica Acta, Volume 332, 1 February 2020, 135390

  28. X. Su; R.G. Thomas; L.D. Bharatula; J.J. Kwan, ”Remote targeted implantation of sound-sensitive biodegradable multi-cavity microparticles with focused ultrasound”, Scientific Reports, 9, Article number: 9612, 2019

  29. R.G. Thomas; U.S. Jonnalagadda; J.J. Kwan, “Biomedical applications for Gas-Stabilizing Solid Cavitation Agents”, Langmuir, 2019

  30. J.J. Kwan; G. Lajoinie; E. Stride; M. Versluis; C.C. Coussios, “Ultra-high Speed Imaging of Cavitation Dynamics from Nanocups”, Physical Review Applied, 2016: 6 (4), 044004

  31. S. Bhatnagar; J.J. Kwan; S.A. Yeh; A. Shah; R. Carlisle; C.C. Coussios, “Acoustic cavitation-enhancing polymeric nanoparticles for transdermal vaccination and the generation of vaccine-specific antibodies in mice”, Journal of Controlled Release, 238, 22-30

  32. R. Myers; C.M. Coviello; P. Erbs; C. Rowe; J.J. Kwan; C. Crake; S. Finn; E. Jackson; J.M. Balloul; C. Story; C.C. Coussios; R. Carlisle, “Polymeric Cups for Cavitation Mediated Delivery of Oncolytic Vaccinia Virus”, Molecular Therapy, 24, 9, 1627-1633

  33. J.J. Kwan; R. Myers; C.M. Coviello; S.M. Graham; A. Shah; R. Carlisle; E. Stride; C.C. Coussios, “Ultrasound-propelled Nanocups for Drug Delivery”, Small, 2015

  34. J.J. Kwan; S.M. Graham; R. Myers; R. Carlisle; E. Stride; C.C. Coussios, “Ultrasound-induced Inertial Cavitation from Gas-stabilizing Nanoparticles”, Physical Review E, 2015

  35. J.J. Kwan and M.A. Borden, “Lipid Monolayer Collapse and Microbubble Stability”, Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, 2012: 183-4; pp 82 – 99

  36. J.J. Kwan; M. Kaya; M.A. Borden; P.A. Dayton, “Theranostic Oxygen Delivery Using Ultrasound and Microbubbles”, Theranostics, 2012

  37. J.J. Kwan and M.A. Borden, “Lipid Monolayer Dilatational Mechanics during Microbubble Gas Exchange”, Soft Matter, 2012: 8; pp. 4756 – 66

  38. L. Mullin; R. Gessner; J.J. Kwan; M. Kaya; M.A. Borden; P.A. Dayton, “Effect of Anesthesia Carrier Gas on In Vivo Circulation Times of Ultrasound Microbubble Contrast Agents in Rats”, Contrast Media and Molecular Imaging, 2011: 6; pp. 126 – 3

  39. S. Sirsi; J. Feshitan; J.J. Kwan; M.A. Borden, “Effect of Microbubble Size on Fundamental Mode High Frequency Ultrasound Imaging in Mice”, Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology, 2010: 36; 935 – 48

  40. J.J. Kwan and M.A. Borden, “Microbubble Dissolution in a Multigas Environment”, Langmuir, 2010: 26; pp. 6542 – 48

  41. J. Feshitan; C.C. Chen; J.J. Kwan; M.A. Borden, “Microbubble Size Isolation by Differential Centrifugation”, Journal of Colloid and Interface Sciences, 2009: 329; pp. 316 – 24

Patents

  1. Acoustic Reactor (WO 2023/203347)

  2. Catalytic cavitation-inducing agents for sonochemistry (PCT/GB2021/053183)

  3. Biodegradable Multi-cavity microparticles (MP)as delivery vehicles (PCT/GB2021/051504)

  4. Ultrasonic implantation for the treatment and diagnosis of arterial inflammation (PCT/GB2021/051505)

  5. Cavitation Inducing Polymeric Nanoparticles (PCT/GB2014/053416)

  6. Isolation of Microbubbles of Selected Size Range from Polydisperse Microbubbles (US2011/0300078 A1)

Funding

  1. UCSF (2026)

  2. EPSRC-Open Fellowship (2026)

  3. UCSF (2024)

  4. SCGC-FIRST (2024)

  5. EPSRC IAA Technology (2023)

  6. TRO-MLSTF (2022)

  7. OUI-UCSF (2022)

  8. EPSRC - EP/W012316/1 (2022)

  9. EPSRC IAA Technology (2021)

  10. INTRA-CREATE Seed Funding (Collaborator) (2021 - 2023)

  11. ANR-NRF (Collaborator) (2021 - 2024)

  12. MoE Tier 1 (2020 - 2023)

  13. SMART Ignition Grant (2020 - 2020)

  14. Surgery ACP HealthTech NTU Clinical Device Development 2019 (2019 - 2021)

  15. NTU Edex Grant (2018 - 2020)

  16. Specialty Chemicals AME IAF-PP Grant [Co-I] (2018 - 2021)

  17. NMRC Young Investigator Research Grant (2017 - 2020)

  18. NTU-ICES (A*STAR) Seed Funding Research Award (2016 - 2018)

  19. NTU-SCBE Start Up Grant (2016 - 2020)