The Research and Postgraduate Centre congratulates Lim Ke Ming, Valerine, and Prof. Dr. Ong Wee Jun from the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering and the Center of Excellence for NaNo Energy & Catalysis Technology (CONNECT) on their recent publication in Advanced Functional Materials, a peer-reviewed SCI Q1 journal published by Wiley, with a current impact factor of 19.0. According to Clarivate (Web of Science), the journal ranks in the top 4% in the multidisciplinary chemistry category.

The research article, titled Interfacial Engineering of n-p Cd₂In₂S₅/Co₃O₄ Heterojunctions with Built-In Electric Field: Ameliorated Charge Transfer Dynamics for Photoreforming of PET Plastic into H₂ and Commodity Chemicals, presents a method to engineer a Cd₂In₂S₅/Co₃O₄ photocatalyst for simultaneous PET valorisation and hydrogen generation under ambient conditions, contributing to clean fuel production and environmental remediation.

The article is first-authored by Lim Ke Ming and co-authored by Valerine, both Master's students under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Ong. The research also includes collaborative contributions from Prof. Dr. Chen Binghui of Xiamen University Malaysia and Prof. Dr. Zeng Xianhai of Xiamen University, China.

The study explores the coupling of Cd₂In₂S₅ and Co₃O₄ to form a p–n heterojunction with a built-in electric field, which enhances photocatalytic performance by improving charge separation and transfer. The heterojunction demonstrated up to 84% charge balance, resulting in increased solar fuel and high-value chemical production. This work may provide a new approach for designing p–n heterojunctions and advancing plastic photoreforming technologies aligned with circular economy goals.

This research project received funding support from the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia under the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS); PETRONAS Research Sdn. Bhd. (PRSB) through the PETRONAS–Academia Collaboration Dialogue; the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) Malaysia under the Strategic Research Fund (SRF); the National Natural Science Foundation of China; the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation; the State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Xiamen University; and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Malaysia. Additional support was provided by the Xiamen University Malaysia Investigatorship Grant and the Xiamen University Malaysia Research Fund.

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The full article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202508117 

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Graphical abstract of the work published in Advanced Functional Materials.

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Lim Ke Ming received his Bachelor of Chemical Engineering with Honors from Xiamen University, Malaysia, in 2023. He is currently pursuing a Master's degree under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Ong Wee Jun at Xiamen University Malaysia. His research topic of interest focuses on the design of nanostructured photocatalysts and the transformation of plastic waste into high-value products via artificial photosynthesis to realize the idea of "Waste-to-Wealth".

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Dr. Ong Wee Jun is a Professor and the Assistant Dean at School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University Malaysia. In 2021, he became the Director of Center of Excellence for NaNo Energy & Catalysis Technology (CONNECT). He is also an Adjunct Professor at Korea University. His research interests include nanomaterials for photo(electro)catalytic and electrochemical H2O splitting, CO2 reduction, H2O2 synthesis, N2 fixation, alcohol oxidation and organic synthesis as well as microwave plasma methane cracking for graphene and hydrogen production. He has received many prestigious awards, including 2019-2024 Global Highly Cited Researcher (Clarivate Analytics), 2020-2024 World's Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University, 2024 Malaysia Scopus Research Excellence Award and many more. For more details, refer to his website: https://sites.google.com/site/wjongresearch/