The Research and Postgraduate Centre congratulates Prof. Dr. Ong Wee Jun, Director of the Centre of Excellence for NaNo Energy & Catalysis Technology (CONNECT) and Assistant Dean of the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, on his recent publication in Applied Catalysis B: Environmental and Energy, a peer-reviewed Q1 journal by Elsevier with an impact factor of 21.1.

The article, titled "Carbon doping in crystalline C₃N₅ photocatalyst: Unraveling C–H functional groups for near-unity electron-hole utilization toward ameliorated dual-functional H₂O₂ and benzaldehyde co-production", explores the use of carbon-doped crystalline C₃N₅ photocatalysts for efficient and sustainable co-production of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and benzaldehyde, two value-added chemicals widely used in the medical, food, and beverage industries.
The study was first-authored by Valerine Khoo and co-authored by Zi-Jing Chiah, Joel Jie Foo, and Ke Ming Lim, all under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Ong. The work also reflects collaborative contributions from Prof. Dr. Chen Binghui and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Haw Choon Yian of Xiamen University Malaysia, as well as Prof. Dr. Zeng Xianhai of Xiamen University, China.

This research demonstrates that the carbon-doped photocatalyst (C-CCN) significantly improves electron-hole utilization - up to 95% - leading to enhanced chemical yield. The study offers mechanistic insights into how carbon substitution in amino groups modifies the photocatalytic behavior of crystalline C₃N₅, providing guidance for further catalyst design and application.

The project received support from the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) Malaysia under the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS), the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) Malaysia under the Strategic Research Fund (SRF), and funding agencies in China, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation, and the State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Xiamen University. It was also supported by Xiamen University Malaysia's Investigatorship Grant and Research Fund.

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The article can be accessed at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2025.125294

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Graphical abstract of the work published in Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy.

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Valerine Khoo received her Bachelor of Chemical Engineering with Honors from Xiamen University, Malaysia in 2023. She is currently a postgraduate student at Xiamen University Malaysia under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Ong Wee Jun and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Haw Choon Yian. Her current research interest includes 3D printing design of nanostructured photocatalysts for CO2 reduction, hydrogen evolution, H2O2 synthesis and value-added chemicals.

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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). 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. For more details, refer to his website: https://sites.google.com/site/wjongresearch/