Address: Room D205, Industry-Education Integration Building, Changjiang New Area Campus, Hubei University, Wuhan, P.R. China 

Email: sultan.danish93@gmail.com; muhammadsultanirshad@hubu.edu.cn

Homepage:/info/1090/1796.htm

1. Personal Profile

Muhammad Sultan Irshad, lecturer, master's supervisor, received his Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Hubei University, China, in 2022 under the Fully Funded Chinese Government Scholarship Council under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Xianbao Wang. He has been awarded the “Most Excellent Ph.D. Graduation Award” and “Excellent Ph.D. Dissertation Award (2022)”. He has been awarded the Shenzhen 3rd Excellent Science and Technology 2023 Academic Paper.  He has published more than 100 SCI papers as first, first equal, corresponding author, and co-author in authoritative journals such as Materials Science and Engineering R: Reports, Nano Energy, Advanced Functional Material (AFM), Advanced Science, Journal of Material Chemistry A (JMCA), Chemical Engineering Journal, Small, Desalination, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Carbon, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, etc., which have been cited more than 2,000 times by SCI. He has applied for 2 invention patents. His work includes Best of Advanced 2023, the top ten most cited papers.

As a proud alumnus, he has established international networks to provide valuable connections between Hubei University and top global universities, including those in Pakistan, Vietnam, and Morocco. These connections are leading to collaboration on Master's and PhD exchange students, scholarship opportunities, and joint research collaboration & funding opportunities.

2. Study and work experience

2024-Present Lecturer, Master's Supervisor, School of New Energy and Electrical Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan, P.R. China.

2022-2024 Postdoctoral Fellow, College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, P.R. China.

2019-2022 Ph.D., Materials Science and Engineering from Hubei University, Wuhan, P.R. China.

2016-2018 Master of Science in Physics, COMSATS University Islamabad, Pakistan

2011-2016 Bachelor of Science in Physics, COMSATS University Islamabad, Pakistan.

3. Research directions

· Advancing photothermal materials and synergistic effects in hybrid solar evaporation systems to address the water-fuel-energy crisis.

· Research and technology development of new energy materials such as thermal management of next-generation batteries, radiative cooling, photocatalysis, photo-electro-piezo membranes, and fuel cells.

· Functionalized Nanomaterials for Antibacterial Applications and Targeted Circadian Medicine.

4. Representative Papers

1. Muhammad Sultan Irshad, Naila Arshad, Ghazala Maqsood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Bushra Shakoor, Muhammad Sohail Asghar, Uzma Ghazanfar et al. "Advancing water collection efficiency in hybrid solar evaporators: key factors, strategic innovations, and synergistic applications." Materials Science and Engineering: R: Reports 165 (2025):101018.

[101018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mser.2025.101018]  

2. Muhammad Sultan Irshad, Arshad N, Asghar MS, Hao Y, Alomar M, Zhang S, Zhang J, Guo J, Ahmed I, Mushtaq N, Shah MY, Wang X, Wang H, Dao, VD, Zhang H. Advances of 2D‐Enabled Photothermal Materials in Hybrid Solar‐Driven Interfacial Evaporation Systems toward Water‐Fuel‐Energy Crisis. Advanced Functional Materials. 2023 Dec;33(51):2304936.

[https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202304936]    

3. Muhammad Sultan Irshad, Ahmed I, Arshad N, Alomar M, Shu Y, Zhenzhen G, Ahmad S, Zuburtikudis I, Ruiqing S, Mei T, Xiaochao F. Controlled Self‐Assembly and Photo‐Thermal Activation of Viologen‐Based 2D Semiconductors for Dual‐Function Energy Management in All‐Weather Applications. Advanced Science. 2025:2415101.

[https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202415101]

4. Muhammad Sultan Irshad, Arshad N, Maqsood G, Asghar MS, Wu P, Mushtaq N, Shah MY, Lin L, Li X, Ahmed I, Mei T, Dao VD, Wang X. Interdisciplinary Hybrid Solar‐Driven Evaporators: Theoretical Framework of Fundamental Mechanisms and Applications. Small. 2025 Feb;21(7):2407280. [https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202407280]

5. Muhammad Sultan Irshad, Hao Y, Arshad N, Alomar M, Lin L, Li X, Wageh S, Al-Hartomy OA, Al-Sehemi AG, Dao VD, Wang H. Highly charged solar evaporator toward sustainable energy transition for in-situ freshwater & power generation. Chemical Engineering Journal. 2023 Feb 15;458:141431. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2023.141431]

6. Muhammad Sultan Irshad, Arshad N, Liu G, Mushtaq N, Lashari AA, Qin W, Asghar MS, Li H, Wang X. Biomass-printed hybrid solar evaporator derived from bio-polluted invasive species, a potential step toward carbon neutrality. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 2023,15(13), 16607-20.

[https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.2c20207]

7. Muhammad Sultan Irshad, Wang X, Abbas A, Yu F, Li J, Wang J, Mei T, Qian J, Wu S, Javed MQ. Salt-resistant carbon dots modified solar steam system enhanced by chemical advection. Carbon. 2021,176, 313-26. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2021.01.140]

8. Muhammad Sultan Irshad, Wang X, Arshad N, Javed MQ, Shamim T, Guo Z, Li HR, Wang J, Mei T. Bifunctional in situ polymerized nanocomposites for convective solar desalination and enhanced photo-thermoelectric power generation. Environmental Science: Nano. 2022, 9(5), 1685-98. [https://doi.org/10.1039/D1EN01018B]

9. Muhammad Sultan Irshad, Arshad N, Wang X, Li HR, Javed MQ, Xu Y, Alshahrani LA, Mei T, Li J. Intensifying solar interfacial heat accumulation for clean water generation excluding heavy metal ions and oil emulsions. Solar RRL, 2021, 5(11), 2100427. [https://doi.org/10.1002/solr.202100427]

10. Muhammad Sultan Irshad, Wang X, Abbasi MS, Arshad N, Chen Z, Guo Z, Yu L, Qian J, You J, Mei T. Semiconductive, flexible MnO2 NWs/chitosan hydrogels for efficient solar steam generation. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. 2021, 9(10), 3887-900.

[https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c08981]

11. Muhammad Sultan Irshad, Naila Arshad, Xianbao Wang, Hong Rong Li, M.Qasim, Xu You, Lina Abdullah Alsherani, Jinhua Li, and Tao Mei, Intensifying solar interfacial heat accumulation for clean water generation excluding heavy metal ions, and oil emulsions. Solar RRL, 2021, 5:2100427.

10.1002/solr.202100427

12. Muhammad Sultan Irshad, Naila Arshad, Jian Zhang, Changyuan Song, Naveed Mushtaq, Muneerah Alomar, Tariq Shamim, Van-Duong Dao, Hao Wang, Xianbao Wang, Han Zhang." Wormlike perovskite oxide coupled with phase change material for all-weather solar evaporation and thermal storage applications." Advanced Energy & Sustainability Research, Wiley, 2023, 4: 2200158.  https://doi.org/10.1002/aesr.202200158

13. Muhammad Sultan Irshad, Naila Arshad, and Xianbao Wang, Nanoenabled Photothermal Materials for Clean Water Production." Global Challenges 5, no. 1 (2021): 2000055. 10.1002/gch2.202000055

14. Muhammad Sultan Irshad ^#, Naila Arshad ^#, Iftikhar Ahmed, Misbah Sehar Abbasi, Muhammad Idrees, Shafiq Ahmad, Mohamed Sharaf, Muhammad Sohail Asghar, and Mazen Zaindin. "Low-cost green recyclable biomaterial for energy-dependent electrical switching and intact biofilm with antibacterial properties." Scientific Reports, Nature 10, no. 1 (2020): 1-16.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-71610-w

15. Muhammad Sultan Irshad, Adil Abbas, Hummad Habib Qazi, M. Hammad Aziz, Matiullah Shah, Ashfaq Ahmed, and M. Idrees. "Role of point defects in hybrid phase TiO2 for resistive random-access memory (RRAM)." Materials Research Express 6, no. 7 (2019): 076311. 10.1088/2053-1591/ab17b5

16. Ali, Muhammad Atif, Muhammad Sultan Irshad*, Ghazala Maqsood, Naila Arshad, Nafeesa Aslam, Muhammad Sohail Asghar, Bushra Shakoor et al. "Advances in flat-band structures for enhanced photothermal conversion efficiency: Design, mechanism, and complementary applications." Nano Energy 142 (2025): 111297. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nanoen.2025.111297]

17. Asghar MS, Muhammad Sultan Irshad*, Arshad N, Al Huwayz M, Alomar M, Maqsood G, Ali MA, Ghazanfar U, Sabir M, Li J, Dao VD. Functionalized carbon nanotubes interconnected with metal-organic frameworks for in-situ solar-driven evaporation and salt recovery from seawater. Water Research. 2025 Apr 12:123643. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2025.123643]

18. Tao J, Arshad N, Maqsood G, Asghar MS, Zhu F, Lin L, Muhammad Sultan Irshad*, Wang X. The Quest for Two‐Dimensional MBenes: From Structural Evolution to Solar‐Driven Hybrid Systems for Water‐Fuel‐Energy Generation and Phototherapy. Small. 2024 May 15:2401603.

[https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202401603]

19. Abbasi MS, Sultana R, Ahmed I, Adnan M, Shah UA, Muhammad Sultan Irshad*, Vu HN, Do LT, Vu HH, Pham TD, Nang HX. Contemporary advances in organic thermoelectric materials: Fundamentals, properties, optimization strategies, and applications. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2024 Aug 1;200:114579. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2024.114579]

20. Tao J, Arshad N, Muhammad Sultan Irshad*, Alomar M, Zhu F, Huang S, Zhai S, Dao VD, Wang X. Tailorable MBene aerogel with the lowest evaporation enthalpy for solar seawater desalination and wastewater purification. Chemical Engineering Journal. 2024 Oct 15;498:155627. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2024.155627]

21. Arshad N*, Muhammad Sultan Irshad*, Alomar M, Guo J, Asghar MS, Mushtaq N, Yousaf MA, Ghazanfar U, Shah M, Wang X, Hao Y. Exploring perovskite oxide for advancing salt-resistant photothermal membranes and reliable thermoelectric generators. Chemical Engineering Journal. 2023 Nov 1;475:146200. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2023.146200]

22. Arshad N^#, Asghar MS^#, Muhammad Sultan Irshad^#, Alwadie N, Li J, Shah MY, Ouyang Z, Wang H, Nang HX, Dao VD, Wang X. Spatial patterned solar evaporator for effective thermal management in enhanced solar-driven evaporation, and wastewater remediation. Chemical Engineering Journal. 2024 Nov 15;500:157068. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2024.157068]

23. Yi, E., Naila Arshad, Zhengguo Jiao, Junyang Tao, Muneerah Alomar, Jingwen Qian, Tao Mei, Muhammad Sultan Irshad* et al. "Modulating condensate efficiency with hybrid solar evaporation: Synergistic photothermal and joule heating for high-performance water harvesting." Chemical Engineering Journal (2025): 168299. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.168299

24. Fan, Xiaochao, Bushra Shakoor, Han Yusen, Shi Ruijing, Yang Mingtao, Li Ziqiang, Naila Arshad, Muhammad Sultan Irshad*  et al. "Clean water and energy co-generation via alternative renewables." Chemical Engineering Journal (2025): 167472.

25. Bushra Shakoor#, Muhammad Sultan Irshad#, Uzma Ghazanfar, Humaira Razzaq, Naila Arshad, Ghazala Maqsood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Muhammad Atif Ali, Muhammad Sohail Asghar, Irshad Ahmed, Tao Mei, Van-Duong Dao, Xianbao Wang, Recent Advances in Conducting Polymers for Hybrid Solar-Driven Evaporation Systems: Fundamentals, Innovations, and Applications. Chemical Engineering Journal (2025): Accepted.

26. Ghazala Maqsood, Muhammad Sohail Asghar, Bushra Shakoor, Muneerah Alomar, Muhammad Atif Ali, Yi E, Tao Mei, Muhammad Sultan Irshad*, Xianbao Wang. Chemical Engineering Journal (2025): Revision submitted.

27. Muhammad Sohail Asghar, Muhammad Sultan Irshad*, Naila Arshad, Maryam Al Huwayz, Muneerah Alomar, Ghazala Maqsood, Muhammad Atif Ali, Muhammad Sabir, Shangzhen XIE, Nang Xuan Ho, Van-Duong Dao, Xianbao Wang, Jinhua Li, and Zhiguang Guo. 3D Solar Evaporator with Conical Alumina Concentrator for Efficient Desalination and Wastewater Treatment. Separation and Purification Technology (2025); Revision submitted.

28. Gan, Yuchen, Zihan Feng, Ruilei Xiao, Muneerah Alomar, Dang Viet Quang, Nang Xuan Ho, Naila Arshad, Muhammad Sultan Irshad* et al. "Beyond brine: Super salt-resistant solar evaporator via inclined brine regulation and sustainable energy transition." Desalination 614 (2025): 119182.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2025.119182

29. Yi, E., Naila Arshad, Zhengguo Jiao, Junyang Tao, Jingwen Qian, Tao Mei, Muhammad Sultan Irshad*, and Xianbao Wang. "3D arched solar evaporator with latent heat recovery for high-performance seawater desalination and sustainable saline agriculture." Desalination (2025): 119141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2025.119141

30. Guo, Zhenzhen, Jiameng Zhang, Jichao Wang, Muneerah Alomar, Muhammad Sultan Irshad*, Jinlong Wu, Chaoran Shi et al. "Asymmetric structure fabric-based energy manager for simultaneous power and steam generation." Desalination 603 (2025): 118655.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2025.118655

31. Zhang, Jiameng, Zhenzhen Guo, Haoran Zhang, Tianxiang Zhou, Muneerah Alomar, Xiaochao Fan, Uzma Ghazanfar, Muhammad Sultan Irshad* et al. "Highly Efficient and Durable Solar-Driven Desalination using MoS2 Aerogels Enabled by PEG-Induced Hydration Modulation." Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering (2025): 117507. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2025.117507

32. Xiong X, Arshad N, Tao J, Alwadie N, Liu G, Lin L, Shah MY, Muhammad Sultan Irshad*, Qian J, Wang X. Hierarchical Ti3C2/BiVO4 microcapsules for enhanced solar-driven water evaporation and photocatalytic H2 evolution. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science. 2024 Aug 15;668:385-98. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2024.04.081]

33. Maqsood G, Muhammad Sultan Irshad*, Arshad N, Asghar MS, Ali MA, Mei T, Wang X. Can the high throughput yield of solar thermal interfacial evaporation systems be beyond theoretical efficiency?. Journal of Materials Chemistry A. 2025,13, 8315-8336.

[https://doi.org/10.1039/D4TA08905G]

34. Asghar MS, Arshad N, Muhammad Sultan Irshad*, Alwadie N, Wang X, Ali MA, Ahmed I, Li J, Doan VA, Dao VD, Guo J. Natural ore filter cube decorated polypyrrole for effective thermal management and enhanced solar steam generator. Solar Energy. 2024 May 15;274:112572.

[https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2024.112572]

35. Zhai S, Yu F, Arshad N, Huang S, Tao J, Li C, Lin L, Qian J, Muhammad Sultan Irshad*, Wang X. Jellyfish–mimetic solar evaporator with polyelectrolyte skeleton for sustainable desalination under higher salinity. Desalination. 2025 Jan 5;593:118209. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2024.118209]

36. Song C, Chen X, Xu G, Jiang Z, Xu W, Liu X, Arshad N, Muhammad Sultan Irshad*, Liu W. Bifunctional cellulose-based aerogel for in-situ solar-driven crude oil recovery and desalination: an effective approach towards marine life protection. Cellulose. 2023, 30(11), 7265-76.

[https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-023-05330-5]

37. Wenhui Yi, Asif Khalid, Naila Arshad, M Sohail Asghar, Muhammad Sultan Irshad*, Xianbao Wang, Yueyang Yi, Jinhai Si, Xun Hou, Hong Rong Li, 2023, ACS Applied Bio Materials 6 (6), 2043-2088.

https://doi.org/10.1021/acsabm.3c00076

38. Guo, Zhenzhen, Haoran Zhang, Jiameng Zhang, Najah Alwadie, Lingyao Duan, Yunling Li, Zhenyu Hou, Van-Duong Dao, and Muhammad Sultan Irshad*. "Tailoring MoS2 nanoflakes over MXenes nanobelts for efficient ammonia detection at room temperature." Journal of Alloys and Compounds 1010 (2025): 177710.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2024.177710

39. Wei Z, Muhammad Sultan Irshad*, Arshad N, Noureen L, Ahmed I, Mushtaq N, Asghar MS, Hayat Q, Ghazanfar U, Idrees M, Shahzad N. Nanocomposite-Enhanced Efficient Evaporation System for Solar-Driven Seawater Desalination—An Optimized Design for Clean Water Production. Nanomaterials. 2022, 12(19), 3296. [https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12193296]

40. Alomar M, Arshad N, Muhammad Sultan Irshad*, Abdelmohsen SA, Ahmed I, Alhoshani N, Alqarni AS. Multi-Walled CNTs/BiVO4 Heterostructures for Solar-Driven Evaporation System and Efficient Photocatalytic Activity against Oxytetracycline. Nanomaterials. 2023, 13(20), 2764. [https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13202764]

41. Arshad, Naila^#, Muhammad Sultan Irshad#, Misbah Sehar Abbasi, Saif Ur Rehman, Iftikhar Ahmed, M. Qasim Javed, Shafiq Ahmad, Mohamed Sharaf, and Muhammad Dzulqarnain Al Firdausi. "Green thin film for stable electrical switching in a low-cost washable memory device: proof of concept." RSC Advances 11, no. 8 (2021): 4327-4338.

https://doi.org/10.1039/D0RA08784J

42. Zeeshan, Muhammad, Juncheng Hu, Chuan-Xi Mao, Almas Danish, Ying Xiong, Muhammad Sultan Irshad*, Van-Duong Dao, and Zhihua Liu. "Nanomaterial-enabled drug delivery systems for circadian medicine: bridging direct rhythm modulation and chronotherapy." RSC advances 15, no. 38 (2025): 31981. https://doi.org/10.1039/D5RA04137F

43. Alomar, Muneerah, Seham Alterary, Manal Awad, Iftikhar Ahmed, Almas Danish, Muhammad Sultan Irshad*, Bui Thi My Duyen, Tran Nam Anh, and Van-Duong Dao. "Corrigendum to “Morphological regulation of CdS/Ga0. 04Cd0. 96S nanocomposites for enhanced efficiency of solar-driven rhodamine B degradation”[J. Alloys Compd. 980 (2024) 1-9/173506]." Journal of Alloys and Compounds 982 (2024): 173736.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2024.173736

44. Almutairi, Badriah S., Muneerah Alomar, Naila Arshad, Awatif A. Hendi, Muhammad Sultan Irshad*, and Iftikhar Ahmed. "Tinite–Ceramic‐Inspired Solar‐Driven Thermoelectric Nanogenerator—Single Step toward Efficient Energy Harvesting." Energy Technology 12, no. 3 (2024): 2301026.

https://doi.org/10.1002/ente.202301026

45. Asghar, Muhammad Sohail, Naila Arshad, Junyang Tao, Muhammad Sultan Irshad*, Jinhua Li, and Xianbao Wang. "Recent advances in multifunctional photothermal materials for solar‐driven steam and energy generation." Energy Technology 11, no. 9 (2023): 2300500.

https://doi.org/10.1002/ente.202300500

5. Book Chapters

1. Muhammad Sultan Irshad, Naila Arshad, Xianbao Wang, Revival of Functional Nanofluid Photothermal Materials for Solar Still Applications. Nanotechnology Applications for Solar Energy Systems, 381-402.

6. Patents

1. Muhammed Sultan Irshad, Wang Xianbao, Naila Arshad, E Yi, Irshad Hussein, Van-Duong Dao, Tao Mei, Zhou Tianxiang; Multifunctional flexible composite Photothermal film, its preparation method and device. Invention patent, application number.2025113194484

2. Wang Xianbao, E Yi, Tao Junyang, Shi Xingzi, Lin Hengyou, Qian Jingwen, Li Jinhua, Mei Tao, Muhammad Sutan Irshad. Resilient Photothermal evaporation material, its preparation method, and a three-dimensional arch bridge structure photothermal evaporation device. Invention patent, application number.2025105308727

7. Editorial Experience (Special Issues)

1. Guest Editor Special Issue

Nano-Enabled Materials for Clean Water and Energy Generation, Nanomaterials, MDPI  (IF: 5.719)

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/nanomaterials/special_issues/3CA3E535GN

2. Topical Advisory Panel

Water, MDPI (IF:3.5)

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/water/topical_advisory_panel

3. Guest Editor Special Issue

Frontiers in Semiconductor Heterostructures Materials, Crystals, MDPI

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/crystals/special_issues/Semiconductor_Heterostructures_Materials

8. Invited talks at international conferences

1. 2025 International Symposium on Sustainable Catalysis (ISSC 2025), Hanoi, Vietnam.

https://hust.edu.vn/en/news/news/hust-contributes-to-the-sustainable-development-goals-654040.html

2. IWAMSN 2024 "THE 11th INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON ADVANCED MATERIALS SCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY" Furama Resort Danang, VIETNAM. https://iwamsn.ac.vn

3. Recent Advancements in Hybrid Interfacial Solar Evaporation: From Fundamental Research to Applications； LUMS, PAKISTAN

https://sbasse.lums.edu.pk/hybrid-interfacial-solar-evaporation

4. The 2nd Symposium on Solar Thermal Interface Evaporation was successfully held in Nanning, Guangxi, P.R. China.

9. International Collaborations

§ Prof. Zhang Han

ICL, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, P.R. China.

§ Prof. Uzma Ghazanfar

UOW, Wah Cantt, Pakistan.

§ Prof. Xiuqiang Li

Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, P.R. China.

§ Prof. Irshad Ahmed

LUMS, Lahore, Pakistan

§ Dr. Iftikhar Ahmed

Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

§ Dr. Muneerah Alomar

Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Saudi Arabia.

§ Prof. Hao Wang

College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, P. R. China.

§ Prof. Hongrong Li

Xian Jiao tong University (XJTU), Xian, P.R. China.

§ Prof. Xiaochao Fan

Xinjiang Institute of Engineering, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830047, China

§ Dr. Naveed Mushtaq

Huaihua University, Huaihua, China.

You are welcome to join!

A warm welcome to all prospective Master's, Doctoral students, and research collaborators. Our lab is built on a dual foundation: the power of diverse collaboration to solve complex problems, and a deep commitment to mutual growth.