Understand the challenge
Work with treatment plants to define water characteristics, treatment objectives, and operational constraints.
REQUIREMENTS & CONTEXTMATERIALS SCIENCE. WATER IN MIND.
A new current
for cleaner water.
Rethinking ammonium removal with molecularly designed materials and electrochemical control.
Advancing nitrogen treatment, one ion at a time.
THE SCIENCE OF SELECTIVE CAPTURE01 / NH₄⁺
COF ELECTRODE PLATFORMConcept illustration
01
Molecular precisionCovalent organic frameworks
02
Electrochemical controlInvestigating capture & release
03
Practical developmentShaped by treatment requirements
01 / OUR TECHNOLOGY
Small-scale science.
A bigger water ambition.
We are developing COF-based electrochemical approaches to capture ammonium from wastewater—and exploring a path toward nitrogen recovery.
INSIDE THE ELECTRODECAPTURE MODE
Ammonium ions Other dissolved ions
Conceptual mechanism · selectivity under investigation
EXPLORE THE PROCESS
Designed to capture.
Driven by electricity.
We investigate how ammonium ions insert into COF electrodes under electrochemical control. The framework’s pore architecture and chemical environment help us study ion selectivity and transport.
RESEARCH FOCUS
Connecting molecular structure to ammonium uptake.
02 / OUR APPROACH
Good science.
Real-world questions.
Progress starts with understanding the water—and the people who treat it. We connect laboratory research with the operating requirements of wastewater treatment plants.
Explore a collaborationMeasure what matters
Combine electrochemical testing, UV–Vis quantification, and materials characterization to guide technical evaluations.
EXPERIMENTS & EVIDENCEDevelop toward integration
Use those findings to guide process integration. Continuous-flow systems and complex water matrices are next-stage research objectives.
DEVELOPMENT & VALIDATION03 / WORK WITH US
Progress is a
collaborative process.
We welcome conversations that connect a meaningful treatment challenge with a rigorous technical question.
Treatment facilities
Share operational requirements and explore a technical evaluation relevant to your water stream.
Discuss your requirementsResearch collaborators
Investigate selective electrodes, analytical methods, and the science of electrochemical separation.
Connect on the scienceDevelopment partners
Explore materials development, monitoring, and the engineering needs of future treatment systems.
Explore a partnership04 / THE COMPANY
Built on curiosity.
Focused on water.
Zero Nitrogen Technology brings materials science, electrochemical research, and operational thinking together around one challenge: ammonium in wastewater.
Our ambition is to help move nitrogen treatment toward selective capture and resource recovery through careful experimentation and practical collaboration.
$1.2MUS dollars in financing secured
to support the venture’s development
to support the venture’s development
THE IDEA THAT CONNECTS USBetter materials.
Better materials.
Deeper understanding.
New possibilities for water.
Materials research → Technical evaluation → Process development
05 / OUR PEOPLE
People behind
the progress.
Connecting materials research, environmental analytics, engineering, and commercial strategy around a shared water challenge.
Founding team
Weitian Chen
Co-founder · Operations & R&D
Coordinates company operations, research planning, and the development and validation of electrochemical ammonium-removal technology.
Johns Hopkins UniversityMSE, Geography & Environmental Engineering · Expected May 2027
University of TorontoHonours BSc, Physics, Astronomy & Astrophysics · 2025
Zihan Gao
Co-founder · Data & Environmental Analytics
Focuses on environmental and experimental data analysis, statistical modeling, and technology performance evaluation.
University of AlbertaUndergraduate degree in Earth Sciences & Statistics
Kaiheng Ding
Co-founder · Engineering & Integration
Focuses on pilot planning, engineering requirements, and integration with existing wastewater treatment infrastructure.
Virginia TechBachelor’s and master’s degrees in Civil Engineering
Songyang Bai
Co-founder · Strategy & Business Development
Focuses on market research, business development, and economic assessments to guide commercial strategy and partnerships.
University of TorontoUndergraduate degree in Physics & Economics
Australian National UniversityMaster’s degree in Economics
Scientific advisors
SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR
Cheng Gao
Professor · Beihang University
Reliability engineering and electronic component assessmentSCIENTIFIC ADVISOR
Wenchang Li
Research Professor · Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Integrated circuits, intelligent sensing, and electrical reliabilityLET’S START A CONVERSATION
The next step
starts with you.
A treatment challenge. A research question.
A shared ambition for better water.