Dr. Yujie Mao is a Lecturer in Chemical Engineering at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, within the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at Aston University. 

Before joining Aston University in August 2025, Dr. Mao’s academic and research career was based at the University of Nottingham. After graduating with a first-class BEng in Chemical Engineering in 2016, she pursued her PhD (2016–2020) under the supervision of Prof. Eleanor Binner and Prof. Steve Harding in the Microwave Processing Engineering research group. Her doctoral thesis focused on novel microwave-assisted pectin extraction from food waste, aiming to inform process selection for Rhamnogalacturonan-I pectin production with prebiotic functionalities, something that cannot be produced in the current commercial pectin industry. Following that, she joined the Low Carbon Energy and Resources Technologies research group as a postdoctoral research fellow (2020–2025), continuing her work with Prof. Eleanor Binner and Prof. John Robinson. During her postdoctoral research, she expanded her focus to second-generation lignocellulosic biomass and the development of sustainable pretreatment methods to efficiently separate cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, aiming to improve the amenability of these fractions for downstream applications in bioenergy, biochemicals, and advanced materials.

My research addresses the urgent need to replace fossil fuel–derived chemicals and materials with sustainable alternatives by developing transformative biorefinery technologies for lignocellulosic biomass. The overarching aim is to support the transition to a net-zero and circular economy by converting abundant but underutilised biomass resources into high-value chemicals and advanced biopolymer materials.

My work focuses particularly on lignin, the most abundant renewable aromatic polymer and one of the least utilised components of biomass. Unlocking lignin’s potential is critical for enabling economically viable and sustainable biorefineries. My research investigates the structure, chemistry, and reactivity of lignin to understand how its complex and heterogeneous architecture can be selectively transformed through controlled depolymerisation, functionalisation, and repolymerisation into advanced polymeric materials.

A key aspect of my work is the development of innovative processing strategies, including deep eutectic solvent (DES)–based chemistries and microwave-assisted transformations, explored as distinct yet complementary approaches to enhance reaction selectivity, efficiency, and process intensification. By gaining a fundamental understanding of how biomass and biopolymers interact with solvents and microwave heating at the molecular level, and linking these interactions to product functionalities and outcomes, I aim to develop value-added biomaterials and design efficient, scalable processes that offer greener alternatives to conventional chemical manufacturing.

My research area is within UN Sustainable Development Goals 3, 7 and 12 towards better living, carbon neutralisation and waste minimisation.

CE3APD - Advanced Process Design 
CE4PRJ - Research Project 
EI4DPE - Digital Process Engineering

Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (MRSC)

Associate Member of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (AMIChemE)

Email: [email protected]; Office room: MB124