His research focus is the intersection of polymer, colloid, and nanoscience. He is especially interested in sustainable low-carbon solutions for industry, including but not limited to energy-saving catalysts, recyclable materials, plastic waste upcycling, and bio-based degradable materials. He is also interested in developing high-performance flexible electronics. He has had papers published in leading academic journals including Annual Review of Materials Research, Nanoscale, Carbon, ChemSusChem, Journal of Physical Chemistry.

His teaching interest at Duke Kunshan University includes polymer science, material science, and fundamental chemistry.

Tan has a B.Eng. in polymer material and an M.Eng. in material processing from Sichuan University. He holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from Oklahoma State University and completed his postdoctoral training at Texas A&M University. Before joining Duke Kunshan University, he was a research scientist at Texas A&M University and University of Delaware.