About

Xiao Wang is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Northwestern University, beginning his appointment in Fall 2019. He is conducting a joint post-doctoral fellowship with Vinod Vaikuntanathan at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Ran Canetti at Boston University. Wang completed his Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he was advised by Professor Jonathan Katz. His research interests focus on applied cryptography, specifically on designing efficient privacy-preserving systems based on secure multi-party computation. Wang has received several awards for his work, including a Best Paper Award in Applied Cyber Security at CSAW 2015, an iDASH Competition Award in 2015, a Human Longevity Inc. Award for MPC in 2016, and an ACM CCS Best Paper Award in 2017.

Research topics

• Composite material
• Materials science
• Chemistry
• Organic chemistry
• Environmental science
• Environmental chemistry
• Chemical engineering
• Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Environmental engineering

Selected publications

• Synergistic antibacterial mechanisms from kapok cellulose fiber structure and chemistry promote infected wound healing

  International Journal of Biological Macromolecules · 2026-05-01

  articleSenior authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Partitioning Mechanism of Lignin in Biphasic Solvent Systems: Combined Experiments with Theoretical Calculations

  ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering · 2026-04-08

  article

  Biphasic solvent pretreatment selectively partitions lignocellulosic compositions between immiscible phases, facilitating fractionation and valorization. However, the molecular determinants of lignin partitioning remain unclear. Herein, lignin partitioning in n-pentanol/H2O and methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK)/H2O biphasic systems was investigated across pH 1–13 using combined experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Higher proton activity (lower pH) promoted lignin transfer into the organic phase, whereas alkaline conditions deprotonated lignin and drove its accumulation in the aqueous phase. In the n-pentanol/H2O system, lignin fragments enriched in syringyl (S) units preferentially partitioned into the n-pentanol phase, followed by guaiacyl (G) and p-hydroxyphenyl (H) units. MD simulations showed that the total interaction energies between lignin units and the n-pentanol/H2O system were stronger than those in the MIBK/H2O system, especially for S and G units, while the difference for H units was marginal. van der Waals forces dominated the lignin-n-pentanol interactions, with strengths in the order S > G > H. n-Pentanol also exhibited stronger affinity for ferulate (FA) than for p-coumarate (PCA). This study elucidated lignin partitioning mechanisms in biphasic solvents, providing a theoretical basis for optimizing biphasic pretreatment and tuning lignin structure.

  PublisherDOI

• Photoisomerizable molecule-grafted nanofluidic channels: strategies, mechanisms and applications

  Materials Chemistry Frontiers · 2026-01-01

  articleOpen access

  Photoisomerizable nanofluidic channels are reviewed, linking modification strategies, multi-dimensional regulatory mechanisms, and membrane applications as a roadmap for rational device design.

  PublisherDOI

• Chloride‐Bridged Compact Interfacial Shielding for Practical Seawater Zinc Batteries

  Angewandte Chemie · 2025-09-13 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Substituting natural seawater (NS) for deionized water significantly reduces the electrolyte manufacturing cost of aqueous zinc (Zn) ion batteries, but it also poses severe corrosion challenges to the Zn metal anode, given the presence of the Cl − /H 2 O‐rich Zn‐electrolyte interface. Here, a NS electrolyte featuring NS solvent and the host–guest complex additive is designed. The 2‐mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) guest shows sustained‐release behavior from the cyclodextrin host dominated by its aqueous solubility in the NS electrolyte. Crucially, Cl − ions facilitate a compact MBT shield at the interface via bridging effects, creating a Cl − /H 2 O‐poor microenvironment that suppresses corrosion and extends Zn anode cycle life. Thus, the Zn anode achieves an extended cycling life of 400 h in the Zn||Zn symmetric cell even under a practical depth of discharge of 42.7%. The Zn||NaV 3 O 8 ·1.5H 2 O full cell with a low negative/positive capacity ratio of 1.92 exhibits 99% capacity retention at 0.5 A g −1 after 600 cycles, and the Ah‐level pouch cell with an initial discharge capacity of 1.21 Ah maintains stable cycling for 50 cycles.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Self-Pumping Wound Dressing Based on Hollow Multistage Channel-Structured Kapok Fibers for Exudate Management

  ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering · 2025-07-01 · 2 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  Optimized management of wound exudate is pivotal in modulating the wound healing microenvironment and facilitating tissue regeneration. Conventional dressings, however, are constrained by limited absorption capacity and a slow drainage rate, frequently resulting in excessive exudate accumulation that hinders the healing process. In this study, we developed hydrophilic kapok fiber gauze (H-KG) and Janus kapok fiber gauze (J-KG) through a sustainable and scalable hydroentanglement forming process combined with chemical modification, leveraging the unique hollow tubular structure of kapok fibers. H-KG and J-KG achieved rapid absorption, high capacity storage, and efficient evaporation through synergistic wettability modulation and capillary action-enhanced liquid transport within the hollow structure. The kapok fiber-based gauze demonstrated remarkable sustainable liquid self-pumping capabilities, exhibiting a saturation absorption rate of approximately 1346% with complete liquid evaporation achieved within 1 h. In vivo experiments revealed that both H-KG and J-KG significantly mitigated wound exudate accumulation compared with cotton gauze (CG), thereby accelerating wound healing. Quantitative analysis showed that on day 12 post-treatment, the H-KG and J-KG exhibited residual wound areas measuring 48.23% and 34.41%, respectively, of CG. This work elucidated the mechanistic role of hollow fiber in exudate management while proposing an innovative wound dressing with dynamic fluid regulation capabilities.

  PublisherDOI

• Unlocking Precision in Biomass Conversion Through Functional Ligand Engineering of Lewis Acidic MOFs

  Angewandte Chemie International Edition · 2025-05-19 · 14 citations

  articleCorresponding

  Glucose isomerization to fructose is a key factor in cellulosic biomass utilization. Thus, achieving highly efficient fructose production and understanding the dominant reaction route remain crucial goals. Hereby, this study refines a precise ligand engineering strategy applied to the typical metal-organic framework, UiO-66, generating a series of Lewis acidic UiO-66-based catalysts with only subtle structural adjustments. Among all, UiO-66-pCl-SBA possessed the strongest Lewis acidity and the best glucose isomerization performance. Further investigation elaborates the crucial contribution of both Lewis acid amount and specific acid nature to enhanced catalytic reactivity, given a high fructose yield of 47% at glucose conversion of 63%, achieved with a UiO-66-STPA(49%). The increased acid density with specific Lewis acid strength is computationally identified to promote glucose polarization, facilitating the isomerization process. Density functional theory calculations reveal that incorporating functionalized ligands and increasing their proportion markedly decrease both the electron density at Zr sites and the material's band gap, which in turn benefits the Lewis acid strength and catalytic activity enhancement. This work highlights the significance of Lewis sites' nature and its effect on glucose isomerization performance.

  PublisherDOI

• A tunable and universal catalyst for efficient one-pot conversion of xylose to γ-valerolactone

  Green Energy & Environment · 2025-11-05

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• “Two birds with one stone” strategy: Wood-based filters for optimized water treatment at high MOFs loadings

  Chemical Engineering Journal · 2025-09-08 · 1 citations

  articleCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Evaluation of peracetic acid and lactic acid on the bacterial decontamination of chilled pork

  LWT · 2025-11-01

  articleOpen access

  This study first assessed the microbial contamination of pork carcasses and the processing environment, and subsequently evaluated the decontamination efficacy of organic acid sprays on chilled pork. The results indicated that the segmentation process increased the risk of contamination, during which the primary spoilage and pathogenic bacteria were identified as Salmonella sp., Escherichia coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Brochothrix thermosphacta in the pork carcasses. PAA and LA led to a significant reduction of four spoilage bacterias in chilled pork. PAA+LA could effectively delay alterations in color and odor, mitigate changes in hardness, prevent increase in pH, TBARS, and TVB-N value of chilled pork during storage and extend the shelf life of chilled pork at 4°C by approximately 3 days. It was also indicated that the antibacterial mechanism of PAA+LA involves disruption of the cell membrane, oxidization of critical biological components, inhibition of bacterial metabolic activity, and destabilization of the intracellular and extracellular environments. • Segmentation increases pork carcass contamination; dominant spoilage bacteria identified. • PAA+LA disrupts bacterial membranes, induces oxidative stress, and inhibits metabolism. • PAA+LA spray extends chilled pork shelf life to 12 days, preserving quality and safety.

  PublisherDOI

• Tandem reaction-adsorption separation of perfluorinated cyclopropane/propane mixtures

  Science Advances · 2025-07-23 · 5 citations

  articleOpen access

  Separating perfluorinated cyclopropane/propane mixtures is critical yet challenging for sustainably producing high-purity perfluropropane in the advanced electronics industry. Conventional one-step adsorption separation methods lack proper selectivity due to similar molecular sizes and properties. We introduce a tandem reaction-adsorption approach with ultrahigh selectivity and low-pressure uptake. The initial step converts perfluorinated cyclopropane into olefins, enhancing molecular size and polarity differences and enabling efficient sieving using a scalable, stable molecular sieve developed. The method achieves selectivity over two orders of magnitude higher than conventional methods, producing 99.9999% pure perfluropropane at 12.5 liters per kilogram per hour with a 98.8% yield in the fixed beds. The tandem reaction-adsorption methodology introduces an efficient route for separating and purifying industrially challenging gas analogs.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Omar K. Farha

  Northwestern University

  174 shared

• Xuan Zhang

  Texas A&M University

  86 shared

• Timur İslamoğlu

  Northwestern University

  81 shared

• Yongwei Chen

  Northwestern University

  57 shared

• Haomiao Xie

  Northwestern University

  51 shared

• Zhijie Chen

  51 shared

• Kaikai Ma

  50 shared

• Karam B. Idrees

  Northwestern University

  42 shared

Awards & honors

• Best Paper Award in Applied Cyber Security at CSAW 2015
• iDASH Competition Award in 2015
• Human Longevity Inc. Award for MPC in 2016
• ACM CCS Best Paper Award in 2017