The Research and Postgraduate Centre congratulates Michelle Lum Mei Xue, Asst. Prof. Dr. Lai Sin Yuan, Dr. Koh Mei Kee, and Kyle Sebastian Mulya from the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering for publishing an article entitled Sulfur dioxide catalytic reduction for environmental sustainability and circular economy: A review in an SCI Q1 journal, Process Safety and Environmental Protection, with the latest impact factor of 7.926. 

Michelle Lum Mei Xue, the article's first author, is a graduate of the year 2022 from the Chemical Engineering programme. Her final year project has also been published in an SCI journal (Chemical Engineering Research and Design, Impact Factor: 4.119) under the supervision of Asst. Prof. Dr. Lai Sin Yuan. Dr. Lai Sin Yuan is the corresponding author for both research works.

This review summarizes sulfur dioxide removal technologies which have been invented and implemented on a wide scale. Despite the high sulfur dioxide removal efficiency of conventional treatment methods, they still generate a large number of secondary sulfur-containing by-products. The regenerative sulfur dioxide catalytic reduction, with the help of suitable reducing agents, is sustainable with acceptable desulfurizing efficiency while recovering valuable solid sulfur. This review also discusses advances in sulfur dioxide catalytic reduction with critical insights contributed by internal and external factors. In realizing environmental sustainability and a circular economy, sulfur dioxide catalytic reduction is a promising method to mitigate sulfur dioxide pollution while transforming waste-to-product, and this study serves as a guide to making sulfur dioxide catalytic reduction a mainstream desulfurization technology.

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The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2023.06.035. 

Image	Michelle: “The publication of this review is a rewarding experience. I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to my supervisor, Dr. Lai Sin Yuan, for guiding me through FYP and for offering me the opportunity to participate in this study. This review paper has widened my perspective on SO2 removal technologies. I hope this review could deliver insightful knowledge to employ catalysts for regenerative SO2 reduction to valuable solid sulfur. ‘Scientific research/writing is all about patience, patience is a virtue’ — This is what I learn during FYP and the writing of this manuscript, which is highly applicable in the workplace. As a Quality Engineer in a Printed Circuit Board manufacturing company, being patient and detail-oriented are essential in improving the quality and efficiency of production processes. My previous experience in academic writing has shaped me to be a better-Quality Engineer!”
Image	ChM. Dr. Lai Sin Yuan is an Assistant Professor at the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, at Xiamen University Malaysia. Her research interests are in green chemistry, materials science, catalysis, and photocatalysis, and Density Functional Theory for environmental sustainability and biofuel.
Image	Ts. ChM. Dr. Koh Mei Kee is currently a Lecturer in the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University Malaysia. Her research interests include catalysis, reaction engineering and fuel technology.