The Research and Postgraduate Centre congratulates Asst. Prof. ChM. Dr. Lai Sin Yuan, Dong Hongwei, and team from the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, for their recent achievement in the Semarak International Research Article Competition (SIRAC). The team has won Gold Award in the research article competition and Best Research Article Award in Green Technology category.

Dong Hongwei, the co-first author of the article, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from  Xiamen University Malaysia. Other team members include research collaborators from Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universitas Mulawarman (Indonesia), Universitas Syiah Kuala (Indonesia), Tomato Sustainables Ltd (United Kingdom), and laboratory officers from Xiamen University Malaysia.

This work is financially supported by Xiamen University Malaysia Research Fund (XMUMRF/2025-C15/IENG/0077).

The research article, titled “Fabrication biowaste-derived carbon quantum dot/calcium oxide for photodegradation of methylene blue under visible light”, has responded to the significant environmental risks posed by the discharge of synthetic dyes into water bodies from the textile industry in Malaysia. This study presents a sustainable solution utilizing orange peel waste-derived carbon quantum dot (CQD) and calcium oxide (CaO) for the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light. This approach not only addresses environmental contamination but also promotes the reuse of biowastes, aligning with circular economy principles and environmental sustainability. This research includes the CQD/CaO nanocomposites sourced from biomass wastes using a microwave-hydrothermal method, investigation on the dyes photodegradation efficiency under visible light, focusing on catalyst loadings and initial dye concentrations. The findings are expected to provide insights into the feasibility of deploying biowaste-derived materials for effective environmental remediation, offering a dual benefit of pollution reduction and waste management.

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The heterojunction of CQD/CaO photocatalytic system

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Gold Award

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Best Research Article in the Green Technology Category

About the author

Asst. Prof. ChM. Dr. Lai Sin Yuan, from the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at Xiamen University Malaysia, conducts research in green chemistry, materials science, heterogeneous catalysis, photocatalysis, biomass, biofuels, bioplastics, and machine learning, with a strong focus on environmental sustainability and the circular economy. She is currently seeking motivated Master’s students to join her research team. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact her directly at sinyuan.lai@xmu.edu.my.